How do I reconcile my two short bursts of experience?

 

What career options are worth pursuing in childcare?

I feel like I’ve hit a wall, of sorts, and it’s frustrating. High school was awful, and I was dealing with really bad mental health issues that made it a lot worse. My grades sucked, I never got around to applying to many colleges, so I wound up trying to go to community college for computer science. Stopped after the second semester because my mental health took a worse dip and I felt like I would’ve just been wasting money on classes I was gonna fail anyways. The plan during high school was always computer science, but between how competitive it is, the field being fucked over by AI, and my own moral issues with a lot of the big-name tech companies, it doesn’t look like an appealing choice anymore. 

I’m 20 now, I got a job in august working in after school care/summer camp during the no school months, with elementary school kids (5-11, roughly). I’ve been enjoying it a lot! I like working with kids in a way I wasn’t expecting myself to. But its not exactly a job with much upward mobility, other than admin positions I’m not particularly interested in. I’m currently still living with my parents, I’m not sure I could afford anything else. And it being pretty much exclusively part-time reaaally doesn’t help.

I feel like I should be moving in a direction, but I don’t know what. Everything I see about teaching is all about awful admins and lousy state regulations, I’ve considered social work but everyone says it leads to burnout and compassion fatigue and misery, so. I don’t know. Is nannying even remotely viable, long term? Some sort of librarian? zoo/aquarium educator (what would schooling look like for that)? My cousin was a juvenile probation officer, but she seems a lot more emotionally (and generally) resilient than me, and I feel like I might be a little too jaded about the justice system for that kind of thing.

If its worth mentioning, I’m good at and enjoy art and writing, but. You know. Creative fields. 

I don’t know. Maybe I’m being too picky, or it’s decision paralysis, but I don’t want to go through all the effort of going back to school and spending money on classes only to decide I hate that field, actually. And I don’t even know how well going back to school would work with how I shot myself in the foot with high school grades. 

I guess I’m just looking for advice on like… routes, from here. I’ve spent the past two years mooching off my parents and going nowhere while my friends are all halfway to a bachelor’s degree, and I want to start actually doing things, I guess. I don’t know.

Sorry for rambling. TL;DR, looking for career paths related to childcare as a 20 y/o with virtually no higher schooling and a current job in afterschool care.

Jobadvisor

I don't think you're being too picky — you're trying to avoid repeating the "pick a path because it's supposed to be practical" mistake that burned you with CS. That's actually good instinct, not indecision.

A few things worth untangling first: your high school grades mostly don't matter anymore. Community colleges are open-admission — they don't look at your transcript the way a four-year school would. So the "I shot myself in the foot" worry is mostly not true for the paths below. What tanked the CS attempt was mental health, not aptitude, and that's a different problem to solve than "pick the right major."

Here's a rundown of childcare-adjacent paths, roughly ordered by how much schooling they need:

Low/no additional schooling

• Nanny work, long-term: Genuinely viable as a career, not just a stopgap — especially if you specialize (newborn care, special needs, multiples) or move into a nanny-manager/household staffing role over time. Pay varies wildly by region and family, but experienced nannies in higher cost-of-living areas can do well. Downsides: no benefits unless you negotiate them, job security tied to one family, isolation from coworkers.
• Rec department / YMCA program coordinator: Similar to what you're doing now but often full-time, sometimes with a path to program director. Doesn't usually require a degree, just experience — which you're building right now.

A little schooling (often doable part-time while working)

• CDA (Child Development Associate) credential: This is the standard entry credential for early childhood ed — cheaper and faster than a degree, and a lot of centers/Head Start programs will help pay for it. It opens doors to lead teacher roles in daycare/preschool without a full degree.
• Associate's in Early Childhood Education: Community college, usually 2 years, and it stacks — you can stop at the associate's and work, or transfer credits later if you decide you want more. This is probably your least risky "test the waters" option since it's cheap and flexible.

More schooling but plays to your other interests

• Child Life Specialist: Works with kids in hospitals to help them cope with medical stuff through play, art, and normal-kid-stuff. Requires a bachelor's (often psych or child development) plus a supervised internship and a certifying exam. This one's worth looking at seriously — it draws on emotional attunement and creativity (a lot of child life work is literally making art projects and stories to help kids process scary situations), and it's a clinical field, so pay and stability tend to be better than daycare work.
• Children's librarian: Full librarian roles need an MLS (master's), which is a longer road. But library paraprofessional or children's program assistant roles often just need a bachelor's or sometimes less, and could be a stepping stone if you like the vibe.
• Museum/zoo/aquarium educator: Usually wants a bachelor's (education, bio, or related field), though many people break in through internships/volunteering first, which can sometimes matter more than the specific degree. Pay is often not great early on, worth knowing.

One honest note on burnout: every field involving kids and stress (teaching, social work, child life, even nannying) carries some risk of it. The difference tends to be less about the field itself and more about structure — do you have one kid or thirty, one family or a rotating caseload, support from a team or none. Your afterschool job is basically the "one classroom, defined hours" version, which is probably why you're enjoying it more than you expected.

If I were mapping a next step for you: an associate's in ECE or a CDA is the lowest-risk way to test whether you want to go deeper into this field, while keeping your current job. If child life specialist keeps nagging at you, it's worth an informational interview with someone in the role before committing to more school.

Want me to help you look at what community college ECE or child life programs look like near you, cost-wise and timeline-wise?

I need some advice on what to do next? I have had some big changes the last few years and feel like I have gone backwards, the issue is I don't know the way forward?

So I am 28, I made some bad decisions in college and things went a bit awry and I fell into owning a business in an indoor market. To start it was great, but then Covid hit. I moved online but tried to sprint before I could even walk and eventually made the decision to close down the business for the sake of my mental health. This was last year.

From that, I went into a hospitality as a supervisor. I could do the job well but the workplace was becoming very toxic. It was an environment were those who worked hard were ridiculed and humiliated for small mistakes and those who didn't work hard were championed for doing the basics of the job. Not a suprise, I hated it. Also, hospitality is not for me, I am a routine sort of person so close-opens followed by open-closes are not for me.

I changed jobs recently to operate embroidery machines. I am a crafty person so I do enjoy the job and the mental load has significantly decreased. I have very little to no stress.

However, it is a minimum wage job. I am not saying there is anything wrong with this, but it does feel like I have gone backwards.

I have always wanted to work in surface and textile design - my college education consisted of Textiles, Graphics and Photography that I managed to pass in all of them despite the bad choices.

How do I go from where I am now, into where I want to be? With no degree or relevant experience, I don't know where to start. And, at my age, doing a degree full time is not viable and even part time, could prove a struggle as me and my partner would be wanting to start a family before the degree is completed. I would really appreciate some advice.

Jobadvisor

You haven't gone backwards — you've actually landed somewhere useful without realizing it. Running your own business, surviving a toxic hospitality job, and now operating embroidery machines all sit closer to textile design than they look on paper. Low stress and low pay right now isn't a dead end, it's breathing room. That's worth something after the last few years.

Here's how I'd think about the path from here:

Your current job is more relevant than it feels Embroidery machine operation is technical textile production experience. You understand stitch density, fabric behavior, digitizing constraints, production timelines — things a lot of design-school grads have never touched because they never worked the machines. That's a genuine advantage when you eventually apply for design roles: you'll understand what's actually manufacturable, not just what looks nice on paper. Don't undersell this on a CV later.

A full degree probably isn't the move — and that's fine Surface/textile design is one of the more portfolio-driven creative fields. Employers and clients care far more about a strong body of work than the credential behind it, especially at entry level and in freelance/print-on-demand work. You already have a college background in textiles, graphics, and photography — that's foundation enough. What you're missing isn't education, it's a current portfolio and visible output.

What I'd actually do, roughly in order:

1. Start making design work again, on the side, now. Doesn't need to be ambitious — repeat patterns, textile motifs, a few colorways of the same design. Adobe Illustrator or even Procreate is enough to start. Consistency matters more than volume; even 2-3 hours a week adds up to a portfolio in 6-12 months.

2. Build a simple online portfolio. Instagram or a basic Behance/portfolio site. This becomes your "proof of current work" since your degree is a few years old and your recent job history doesn't show design skills on its face.

3. Look at short, specific upskilling rather than a full degree. Things like a part-time course or certificate in surface pattern design, or in a specific software (Adobe Illustrator for repeats, or a program like Kaledo/NedGraphics if you want to go deeper into textile-specific tools). Many of these are self-paced or evening courses — much more compatible with starting a family than a multi-year degree.

4. Consider the freelance/print-on-demand route as a stepping stone, not the endgame. Selling patterns on sites like Spoonflower, or licensing designs to fabric/stationery companies, is how a lot of surface pattern designers actually start — it's low-barrier and lets you build a track record and income on the side before you need to go full-time or apply anywhere.

5. When you're ready to apply for design-adjacent roles, look at print/textile production companies, not just "designer" job titles. Roles like junior designer, CAD/repeat artist, or textile technician at a manufacturer often value your hands-on machine experience directly and are more realistically attainable without a fresh degree than an in-house fashion house design role would be.

The honest tension in your message is timing — you want to move toward design and start a family, and both take energy. That's a real constraint, not a character flaw. It probably means the side-portfolio-building route (rather than education route) is the more realistic one for the next couple of years, since it flexes around whatever else is happening in your life.

Would it help to talk through what a realistic weekly time budget for portfolio-building might look like, given everything else you've got going on?

What I should do about my job?

Hello everyone,

I am a guy who is in his late 20s and holds a bachelor degree in Mechatronics Engineering. Since I graduated, I have been scammed by a company who told me work 6 months as helper in workshop and we will promote you to engineer, after those month completed they didn't compile with the agreement was done before and after I submit my resgin letter they told me just be calm and they change my job to timekeeper.Now I am stuck in this position since 4 years and no engineering companies consider my job applications, beside that company pay very low salary 1,200$ and it always delay by 1-2 months and working 6 days a week.

Can anyone suggest to me a solution?

Jobadvisor

That's a genuinely rough situation — you did everything right (took the "helper" role in good faith to get the promotion they promised), and the company broke that agreement and then quietly downgraded you into something further from engineering, not closer to it. Four years of delayed pay and 6-day weeks on top of that is a lot to carry, and it's understandable that you're stuck and frustrated.

Let me be direct about the core problem and then give you a path forward.

The core problem Four years as a timekeeper is what's showing up on your CV, not four years of engineering work. Companies hiring engineers are pattern-matching on job titles and recent experience, and "timekeeper" doesn't match "mechatronics engineer" even though you have the degree. This is fixable, but it means the fix isn't really about this company — it's about how you get your next role to actually read as engineering.

What I'd do, in order:

1. Start applying elsewhere immediately, in parallel — don't wait to fix anything first. A company that breaks agreements and delays wages 1-2 months regularly is not going to become a good employer. There's no version of staying longer that makes this better; every month you stay is a month added to a title that isn't helping you.

2. Reframe your CV around what you actually did, not your job title. "Timekeeper" is the title, but if you were on a workshop floor for years, you likely picked up real things: familiarity with machinery, production processes, quality issues, maintenance schedules, safety procedures, maybe even some data tracking or reporting. Write your CV in terms of tasks and skills, not the job title — e.g., "Monitored production line schedules and coordinated with workshop staff on X machinery" reads very differently than "Timekeeper." Don't lie, but do mine the role for anything technical or process-related you actually touched.

3. Address the gap directly in your cover letter, briefly. Something like: "I accepted an operational role with the understanding it would lead to an engineering position; that agreement wasn't honored. I'm now looking to move into a role matching my qualifications." One or two sentences, factual, no bitterness — it pre-empts the question a hiring manager will otherwise silently hold against you.

4. Target entry-level or junior engineering roles, not roles matching "4 years experience." This may feel like a step back given your age, but realistically, you have close to 0 years of recognized engineering experience on paper. Applying for junior/graduate mechatronics or maintenance engineering roles will get you far more traction than applying for mid-level roles that expect 4 years of real engineering work.

5. If possible, get one credential or project that's recent and verifiable. Even a short certificate (PLC programming, industrial automation, CAD, whatever's relevant to mechatronics in your region) or a personal project you can show gives recruiters something current to point to besides the degree and the timekeeper title. It signals "still an engineer" even though the job title says otherwise.

6. Widen your search geographically or into adjacent fields if your local market is small. Sometimes the specific market you're in is saturated or word gets around about problem employers. Maintenance engineering, automation, quality control, and technical support roles are often more open to candidates with your background than pure "design engineer" titles.

One more thing: you're not stuck because of a flaw in you — you're stuck because a specific company lied to you and time passed while you were waiting for them to make it right. That's a bad break, not a bad career. It's fixable from here, mainly by getting your CV and story to point forward instead of at the last four years.

Want help actually rewriting your CV/resume around this, given what your day-to-day at the current job actually involves?

How do I reconcile my two short bursts of experience?

I graduated with a BS in Comp Sci and landed a software/consulting role out of college that required relocating often. A little over a year in and I quit to come back home, ended up struggling to find a job for another year. Pivoted to being an electrician and trade school. Did that for about 7 months until I got laid off. I’m currently looking at combining these two disciplines into something like BAS/SCADA roles, and I’m using Claude Code to develop some side projects and start building a portfolio of software/BAS related projects.
Basically feeling like both paths got overhyped, I followed, and they didn’t workout for me, and I was only able to really get introductory experience that doesn’t look good to either side of employers due to life circumstances getting in the way. If anyone has any similar experience or obvious advice I’m missing to act on here I’d really really appreciate it.

Jobadvisor

Your instinct to combine these two isn't a consolation prize — it's actually the more interesting story than either path alone. BAS/SCADA is one of the few fields where "I understand both software and physical electrical systems" isn't just tolerated, it's genuinely rare and valuable. Most people in building automation come from one side (controls/electrical) and have to learn the software side on the job, or vice versa. You have real, hands-on exposure to both, even if each stint was short.

A few reframes that might help:

The narrative problem is real, but it's a framing problem, not a substance problem. Right now your resume probably reads as "quit job → unemployed → quit trade → unemployed," which looks like drift. But the actual story is: you tested software consulting, found the travel/lifestyle wasn't sustainable, tested a trade, found the physical/employment stability wasn't there either (layoff, not your choice), and landed on a synthesis of both that plays to your strengths. That's not indecision — that's exploration that converged on something specific. The BAS/SCADA pivot is the payoff of that exploration, not a random third thing.

Lead with the combination, not the individual stints. In interviews and on your resume/LinkedIn, don't present this as "software job, then unrelated electrician job, now pivoting again." Present it as: "I have a CS background and hands-on electrical/controls experience, and I'm building toward BAS/SCADA because it's the intersection of both." Employers hiring for BAS integrator or controls programmer roles want people who won't be intimidated by a panel or a PLC and also won't be intimidated by writing/reading code — you're pitching yourself as that person from day one, not apologizing for a windy path to get there.

Your side projects are doing the right job — lean harder into them. For a BAS/SCADA-adjacent role, a portfolio that shows you scripting integrations, working with protocols (BACnet, Modbus, MQTT are the common ones), or building dashboards/data pipelines for building systems will matter more than your job titles do. This is a field where demonstrated projects can meaningfully offset short/patchy formal experience, especially at the tier of employer that's more pragmatic than credential-obsessed (integrators, smaller controls contractors, as opposed to huge corporate BAS vendors initially).

Target BAS/controls integrators and contractors first, not big-name vendors. Companies like Johnson Controls, Siemens, Honeywell corporate tracks tend to want more conventional pipelines. Smaller BAS integrators, controls contractors, and building automation service companies are often more willing to take someone with a nonstandard-but-relevant background, especially if you can talk fluently about both the electrical/controls side and the software side in an interview.

One thing to watch for: don't let "both paths were overhyped and let me down" curdle into "so is this new path also going to fail." The lesson from the last two years isn't that you keep picking wrong — it's that you now have information you didn't have at 22 (you don't want constant travel, you want more stability than some trades offer), and you're using it to build something more specifically suited to you. That's not a third gamble, that's a more informed bet than either of the first two were.

Is there a particular type of BAS/SCADA role you're aiming at first (controls programmer, integrator technician, something more software-heavy), or are you still figuring out which piece of that world to target?

PLEASE HELP- what are some careers that are semi friendly to a new mom schedule?

Im so lost. I plan on going back to school after a decade to get a degree or a trade with a certificate(s). Problem is, I’ve had about 10 different “callings” and I’m not set on anything. I wanted to do national park work, teaching, nursing, bartending, cosmetology, event planning, real estate, etc. We’re located in WA but might want to move to OR in the future. We’re unsure still.

I’m not the best at math (great at bio-sciences) and I’m desperate to get into something as quick as possible with a decent salary. I have a 5 month old and I don’t want to stay being a server forever. There’s no benefits, not great pay even with tips, and the hours/ schedule suck. I want something with longevity, possible opportunity to move up, or go back to school for a better degree or more certifications, and benefits. Preferably weekends and holidays off for when she’s in school later on. I don’t want to miss out on a bunch of time with my baby, during whatever schooling program I get into or the career itself. Especially now when she’s hitting so many milestones.

Dental hygiene is so competitive and the program sounds I credible hard while making an income still. If I did several assisting is a 12 week program and learning on the job easier? Or is a program through a community college better? Radiology? Bank jobs?

I feel like I’m already so behind going back to school at almost 30. I didn’t think I could have children naturally, I was content with just serving and bartending and taking my time finding a career at some point and then planning children through a fertility clinic. However, now that I have a child who depends on me I want to do better for her and our family as a whole.
What do you recommend? If you had a similar problem what worked for you?

Jobadvisor

First, take a deep breath: you are not behind. Starting a new career path at 30 with a 5-month-old isn't a handicap—it is one of the most powerful motivators you could possibly have. Many community colleges and vocational programs are full of adults in their late 20s, 30s, and 40s pivoting away from hospitality or low-growth jobs.

Serving and bartending give you exceptional communication, multitasking, and high-stress management skills. Applying those strengths to healthcare or administration will make you stand out.

Here is an honest breakdown of the specific careers you mentioned, tailored to the Pacific Northwest (WA/OR), high bio-science/low-math preference, and mom-friendly schedules.

1. Dental Assisting vs. Dental Hygiene

Since dental hygiene is highly competitive and demanding, starting as a Dental Assistant (DA) is one of the fastest paths out of serving.

• 12-Week Private Certificate vs. Community College (CC):

  • 12-Week Vocational Program: Best if you need to earn money now. These hands-on programs teach basic chairside skills so you can get hired quickly. In WA and OR, many practices hire assistants through entry-level certifications and handle expanded function training on the job.

  • Community College (1–2 year Certificate/AS): More thorough, accredited, and allows you to become an Expanded Function Dental Assistant (EFDA) right out of school, which commands higher starting pay.

• Mom-Friendly Factors: Excellent. Most private dental clinics operate Monday–Thursday or Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM. No weekends, no late nights, and all major holidays off.

• Pacific Northwest Pay: $22–$28/hour to start, higher for EFDAs ($55,000–$65,000+/year).

2. Radiology Technologist (Rad Tech)

If you want higher earning potential and love bio-sciences without heavy higher-level math, Radiologic Technology is one of the best overall choices.

• Schooling Required: 2-year Associate degree through a community college or technical institute.

• The Mom Factor: Hospital roles require shift work (nights/weekends), but outpatient imaging centers, urgent cares, and private clinics offer standard 8–5 weekday hours with weekends and holidays off.

• Long-term Growth: Highly flexible. Once you are a Rad Tech, you can cross-train into CT, MRI, or Mammography for significant pay increases without going back to school for years.

• Pacific Northwest Pay: Exceptional. WA and OR pay among the highest in the nation for Rad Techs, typically starting around $35–$45+/hour ($70,000–$90,000+/year).

3. Bank Teller / Universal Banker

If you want to leave serving immediately without spending money on school right now, bank jobs are an underappreciated bridge option.

• Schooling Required: None. High school diploma + customer service experience (your serving background is an automatic advantage).

• The Mom Factor: Bank hours are standard daytime hours (often closing by 5:00 PM or 6:00 PM), with all federal holidays paid off and solid healthcare/401(k) benefits on day one.

• Long-term Growth: Banks frequently promote from within into roles like Loan Processor, Financial Services Representative, or Mortgage Specialist.

• Pacific Northwest Pay: $20–$24/hour to start.

Direct Comparison Summary

Career Path	Training Time	Math Level	Mom Schedule Friendly?	Average PNW Starting Pay
Bank Teller / Banker	0 months (Hire direct)	Basic arithmetic	Very High (Fixed hours + holidays)	$20 – $24 / hr
Dental Assistant	3 to 9 months	Very low	Very High (4-5 day day-shifts)	$22 – $28 / hr
Rad Tech / Diagnostic Imaging	2 years (Associate)	Basic algebra	High (Clinic-dependent)	$35 – $45+ / hr
Ultrasound Tech (Sonographer)	2 years (Associate)	Basic physics	High (Clinic-dependent)	$38 – $48+ / hr

What Should You Do Next?

1. Short-Term Cash & Benefits (Now): Apply for Bank Teller / Customer Service Representative positions or 12-week Dental Assisting evening programs. This gets you off the server floor, provides stable hours, and puts predictable benefits in place while your daughter is 5 to 12 months old.

2. Long-Term Career (Next 2 Years): Look up your local Community College programs in Washington/Oregon for Radiologic Technology or Diagnostic Medical Sonography. Call an advisor to ask about prerequisite classes you can take online one at a time while staying home with your baby.

Which of these directions feels closest to what you can picture yourself doing day-to-day?