Trying to find a job/career as someone who’s an introvert and not skilled in math/science
I’ve (28F) been working the same dead-end job at a grocery store for years and haven’t moved up at all.
I’ve struggled with math and science and the medical field typically requires a lot of that. I don’t have any real strong passions but I know that I like having structure in my day to day. Being given a set amount of tasks to get done where I can listen to music or a podcast is something I’d really love.
However I’m physically limited. I have a threshold of how much I can handle. I’ve tried doing custodial work and I would be in immense pain. I wish I was stronger because that type of work is exactly what I like. It’s somewhat simple yet structured. I also enjoy stocking shelves, funny enough, because of how simple it is and how I can organize the shelves so they look presentable.
I have some experience with data entry, and I’m good at it, but I think that will be replaced with AI very soon.
My strong traits are: great attention to detail, organized, can memorize numbers pretty well, and I’m artistic/creative.
I’ve already considered making art my career but as someone who SUCKS at self discipline and self-management…I can’t make a living with that. I also feel like I’d learn to hate art if I turned it into a “job”.
Jobadvisor
Based on what you've shared, here are some career paths that could be a great fit:
Plays to your strengths (organized, detail-oriented, structured work)
- Medical records / health information technician — lots of organizing, coding, and categorizing patient files. Minimal math/science, mostly systematic work. Often done with headphones in.
- Library technician/assistant — shelving, cataloging, organizing collections. Very structured, quiet, introvert-friendly. Similar satisfaction to stocking shelves but more pleasant environment.
- Inventory control specialist — counting, tracking, organizing stock. Your shelf-stocking experience is directly relevant, but it's lighter physical work than custodial jobs.
- Document control specialist — managing company files, records, version tracking. Very process-driven and detail-heavy.
Uses your creative/artistic side within a structure
- Graphic production / print production coordinator — preparing files for printing, checking specs, organizing assets. Creative field but highly systematic work.
- Visual merchandiser — arranging store displays and layouts. Your enjoyment of making shelves look presentable is literally this job's description. Usually light physical work.
- Indexer or proofreader — reading documents and creating indexes or catching errors. Remote-friendly, very detail-oriented, can work with headphones.
Worth exploring given your number memory
- Medical billing/coding — it sounds medical but it's really just matching codes to procedures using a reference guide. No science knowledge needed, it's pattern recognition. Certification programs take about a year.
- Payroll clerk or accounts payable — repetitive, structured, number-based but not math-heavy (software does the calculations).
A few practical notes:
- Visual merchandiser and inventory roles are probably the most accessible right now given your grocery store background — that experience translates more directly than you might think.
- Medical billing/coding has the best long-term stability of this list and is harder for AI to fully replace because it requires human judgment on ambiguous cases.
- Library technician roles often require an associate's degree but some entry-level positions don't.
The theme connecting all of these: systematic, organized work with clear tasks, low social demand, and physical accessibility. You're not as stuck as you feel — your grocery store skills are more transferable than a dead-end label suggests.
M 28 about to lose job soon, no college, lost all money gambling, my mind can’t think straight
I’ve been job hunting for 2 1/2 years to get out of a toxic job I’ve been stuck in for 3 years (well I gave up so the last couple of months I haven’t been trying)
I have no college degree, no money (I lost all my money gambling recently like an idiot & have no money to my name, part of me doesn’t care what happens to me anymore) I’m trying to catch back up right now and I’m in agony. I still haven’t touched my 401K and don’t plan to.
I’m stuck at a toxic factory job, and my mindset is no one’s gonna hire me no matter what I do. Anything I do won’t matter; like going back to school won’t guarantee me a job, I’m not gonna be given a chance at a new field & be stuck working in crappy factory jobs for the rest of my life because that’s all I’m good for. This is from trying over and over again for 2 1/2 years. The job is very physically draining, and I can’t catch a break mentally or physically. I have to abuse my adderall to get by and help me function at this job. I deserve to feel this way. I did this all to myself and I hate myself.
I wanna go back to school but I can’t decide what I want because I can’t move on with my life.
I’m a mess & my life’s a mess. I feel like anything I do is wrong, and I’m not good enough for anything else. I’m too burnout to make a change in my life, or something falls thru anyways and nothing I do matters at all & I’m just a worthless idiot. I’ve been in therapy for a year, but I feel like I’m not getting anywhere with my therapist & im too afraid to switch for whatever reason.
I haven’t had sex or seen anyone in 2 1/2 years. My job sabotages my time with my friends and family & I’ve missed out on so much. Plus my mental health isn’t right to be with anyone.
I got dropped by my state’s employment assistance & pathfinding programs because I wasn’t “taking advantage of the resources provided to me” and I have plenty of proof that I did take advantage of some of those resources.
I just can’t get out of this losing mindset that I’ve been stuck in for so long. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I used to be motivated trying to figure out my next move, but I lost all my faith & pretty much given up all hope that things will change. I did it to myself I believe.
Jobadvisor
What you're carrying right now is genuinely heavy — the job exhaustion, the financial hit, the isolation, the years of trying without a breakthrough. That accumulation would wear anyone down. You're not broken, you're depleted.
I want to gently flag something you said: "part of me doesn't care what happens to me anymore" and "I deserve to feel this way." That worries me. Are you having any thoughts of hurting yourself?
If things ever feel that dark, please reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — just call or text 988. They're there for exactly this kind of overwhelm, not just acute crisis.
A few honest things I want to reflect back to you:
You haven't given up as much as you think. You're still going to a brutal job every day. You haven't touched your 401K even when you're broke — that's actually real discipline and future-thinking, even if it doesn't feel like it. You're still in therapy even though it's not working well. That's not a person who's quit.
The gambling loss doesn't make you an idiot. Gambling can become compulsive very quickly, especially when someone is already under extreme stress and looking for relief or escape. It's a trap a lot of people fall into. Have you ever looked into whether that might be something worth addressing directly — like Gamblers Anonymous or similar? It's free, and it also gets you around people who understand.
Your therapist situation matters. A year with no progress is a real signal. The fear of switching is common — it feels like starting over, or like you're being disloyal. But a bad fit in therapy can actually reinforce hopelessness. You deserve someone who helps you move. Is the fear about the cost of switching, the emotional energy of re-explaining everything, or something else?
The "nothing will work" mindset is a symptom, not a fact. Two and a half years of trying while physically and mentally exhausted, while being socially isolated, while stuck in a draining job — that's not evidence that you're worthless. That's evidence that you've been running on empty the whole time.
My friend has decided on MBA + advertising for the “safe” paycheck but it seems his decision is driven by fear.
My close friend recently completed BTech and is hell bent on an MBA into advertising/brand management.
It looks perfect on paper decent money, family security, a bit of “creativity,” and an accepted path. But he’s starting to feel that something is amiss/askew. He admits the choice feels driven mostly by fear of uncertainty and instability, fear of disappointing people, fear of not fitting in.
There’s this quiet inner voice that asks for something more experimental and real, but he keeps repressing it.
He even wonders if advertising is genuine creativity or just learning to sell stuff for corporations. Is he signing up for the same conditioned grind as everyone else?
Through my conversation I gave him some recommendations. His honesty made me realise he is asking for a way out. Not many people have that these days. I shared with him some articles by Acharya Prashant which have helped me a lot to get out of these kinds of situations.
Anyone here been in this spot (or helped a friend through it)? Took the conventional route or trusted the uncertain pull? How did it turn out?
Trying to give him honest perspectives.
Jobadvisor
This is a genuinely hard spot, and the fact that your friend can articulate why he's afraid is actually rare and valuable — most people just act on the fear without naming it.
A few honest perspectives worth sharing with him:
The fear isn't going away either way. Choosing the "safe" path doesn't eliminate fear — it just trades one kind (uncertainty) for another (regret, restlessness, the nagging "what if"). The MBA route isn't a fear-free option; it's just a socially legible one.
His instinct about advertising is worth taking seriously. The question he's asking — "is this genuine creativity or just selling for corporations?" — is one that working professionals in advertising ask themselves regularly. Both answers exist in that field. Some people find real meaning in it. Others feel exactly what he's anticipating. The honest answer is: it depends enormously on where you work, what you work on, and who you are. It's not inherently hollow, but it's also not inherently fulfilling.
The MBA buys time, but not clarity. A lot of people treat further education as a way to defer the harder question. If he doesn't know what he wants, an MBA mostly just adds debt and a two-year delay before he faces the same crossroads — with more pressure to "justify" the degree by taking something conventional.
The "experimental and real" pull deserves at least a direct look. What is it, specifically? That's the question worth sitting with. Not "should I abandon the MBA?" but "what is that quieter voice actually pointing toward?" Sometimes it's a specific domain. Sometimes it's a way of working (autonomy, tangible impact, building things). Until that's named, it's hard to evaluate.
On the Acharya Prashant angle — sharing something that genuinely helped you is a good-faith gesture. But be a little careful: frameworks that worked for your situation may land differently for someone else depending on where they are emotionally. Offer it as a resource, not a prescription.
The most honest thing you can probably tell him: the conventional path and the uncertain path both require courage. One requires courage to endure. The other requires courage to begin. Neither is the coward's choice by default — but choosing one entirely to avoid the discomfort of the other is worth examining.
What does he actually want to do or make or contribute — if money and approval were already settled? That question, answered honestly, is usually the most useful compass.
Unsure what career/education to go into after high school
I am feeling lost as to what I should do after high school. I know I want to do at least a bachelor’s in university, but I’m not sure what programs I should consider. Mainly considering a biology-type science to major in, but I don’t know what I would enjoy. I don’t especially love math/chemistry, so should I go into a “social science” like environmental studies? I love visual arts/photography, but I’m not sure if they have steady jobs that make decent money, so would it make sense to minor in one of those??
Jobadvisor
This is really helpful! Here's an honest breakdown tailored to you:
Your Profile
You're creative, people-oriented, drawn to science but unsure of the exact angle, and you don't love heavy math/chemistry. That's actually a really workable combination — it points away from lab-heavy science and toward applied, human-facing fields.
Degree Directions Worth Exploring
🌿 Environmental Studies / Sustainability
- Much lighter on math/chemistry than biology or environmental science
- Broad — covers policy, communication, conservation, community work
- Growing field with real demand (NGOs, government, corporate sustainability roles)
- Your arts skills are a genuine asset here — science communication, visual storytelling, and documentary/photo work are highly valued in environmental advocacy
🧠 Psychology
- Very people-focused, creative in how you approach problems
- Pairs well with a minor in photography (art therapy, research communication, UX research)
- Leads into counseling, social work, HR, UX, research, and more
- Minimal chemistry/math beyond one stats course
🌍 Anthropology / Sociology
- Explores human behavior, culture, and society — surprisingly creative fields
- Great for people who like understanding more than calculating
- Often overlooked but opens doors in social services, research, media, and policy
🎨 Arts with a Science Minor (flip the script)
- You mentioned arts/photography as a possible minor — have you considered making it your major instead?
- Photography + Environmental Studies minor is a genuinely employable combo (photojournalism, conservation media, science communication)
- The concern about "steady money" is valid, but it's less about the degree and more about how you build skills and position yourself
On the Minor Question
A visual arts or photography minor is a smart move regardless of what you major in — here's why:
- It differentiates you from every other biology/env studies grad
- Science communicators, NGO workers, educators, and researchers who can also create compelling visuals are rare and in demand
- It keeps that creative part of you alive through a degree that might otherwise feel dry
Honest Advice
Since you're not sure yet, the best thing you can do in first year is take broad courses intentionally — an intro psych, an intro env studies, a photography elective — before locking into a major. Most universities let you declare late. Use that window.
What resonates most from the above? Happy to go deeper on any of these.