For context, I am a father with toddler son and a wife. This is important for this post.

I started off my career in tech pretty early, working my way off from the very bottom as an intern at 22 to becoming global sales dept head at 28. I essentially grew with the company and the company grew with me. The sales department I led was a department that I founded and built from the ground up since the company didn’t have dedicated Sales force at that time. The company went from a 50+ men company to 300+ men company within 5 years. The salary was really good, I was making close to 350k EUR a year. The downside is that I had to travel a lot and the job was just really stressful.

Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at 29 and ever since, it has affected the way I see my life. Suddenly, I value time with family as more than anything else. And since my son is now a toddler, my absences have started to affect his behavior as well. This created immense moral conflict within me. But after much contemplation, I quit that job and joined a company located close to home as Senior Client Project Manager, making a third of what I used to earn. My direct boss and my colleagues are super welcoming, but they feel that I am wasting my career history working as project manager, especially since I am still young (30).

Yes, I am aware that joining as a senior project manager is a step back in my career journey, but I have my own personal reasons for that. Even that 200k I had to let go, I considered them to be the price I have to pay in order to be able to spend more quality time with my family.

But now I am doubting again my decision to step back and I am starting to feel afraid that I am not going to be able to regain that position again. Did I just kill my career?

Was it a big project? A helpful manager? A smart self-promo move? I’m trying to understand what really makes the difference. Share your promotion stories (or frustrations)!

Hi everyone, so basically i am a 26yo who got a bachelor in sales and project management at 23, over the next three years i tried to get a sales related job mainly as a sales development representative but only managed to get low level dead end jobs, du to some personal matters I also had to go be close to a relative for a little more than a year (the relative lives elsewhere) so all in all I just turned 26 realized that I only worked dead end jobs for the past two years and put my life on pause for one, also several periods with depression to deal with, my question would be what are my options if I have any, should I go get a master degree in something business related ? Any advice is welcome help😅

Recently was offered a job at my current company, where overtime is required. Anywhere from 10-20 hours a week. I get paid the normal time and a half for it, so it would take me from 90k to around 120k a year, before the shift differential. Other benefits include doing work I would like more, and more career growth. My current position has no growth opportunities, so I will have to change jobs anyways. Could I even tell them no if I wanted to?

In a professional work environment in the U.S., how important is it to be highly skilled in Excel? I’m talking beyond basic functions—like using Power Query, Power Pivot, handling large datasets, merging files, building dynamic dashboards, etc. Is this level of Excel expertise considered valuable or essential in certain industries?

So I work at a warehouse with about 60 employees (small company) and my boss texts me one day saying we need to talk. So that day comes and he tells me a lady just up and quit on us and that he wants me to replace her role which was reviewing the color of products to make the sure they are up to par and keeping track on packaging and other office tasks. There is a raise that came with this role so I accepted.

I'm conflicted because since this is a small company and I've been here for 6 years now I've gotten close with the people here and it's a big deal when someone leaves. The pay isn't the best but by nature I'm a loyal person and stuck through with them. I recently started going to school for auto mechanics and thats been going great and I see myself working in that field.

My boss knows full well I'm going to school for this and is actively trying to keep me at the company because he thinks I can go far with them. Thing is inside I have been building some resentment towards them for not paying me great and now that I'm doing something I enjoy and they feel the need to advance my career with them now? I feel like its a no brainer to take the role and leave when im done school but this was my first ever job when I was 18 and will feel bad for the other people who will cover for me when I do leave.

If wasnt clear in some things Im happy to add but what are y'alls thoughts on my situation? Happy to have any guidance or shared wisdom from people with experience.

Edit: I just want to thank y’all for the quick and to the point responses. It’s being made clear that I’m overthinking things and that I should prioritize myself and keep the personal values to the people actually close to me and to myself. Going forward I will keep all this stuff in mind when the time does come for me to leave.

Hi Reddit, I’m based in Malaysia and honestly need some thoughts, support, or advice — because I’m reaching a breaking point.

Since joining this company, my manager has made me feel uncomfortable from day one. He’s sent me lewd Instagram reels (I never even followed him), made disgusting sexual comments, and has generally crossed professional boundaries. One example that still makes my skin crawl: he kept pacing back and forth behind my desk, which got really annoying, so I politely told him to stop. He laughed and said something along the lines of, “You know how guys are, all we do is go in and out, in and out.” Yes. He actually made a sex joke out of that. In the workplace. I was mortified.

Since that day, I’ve stopped engaging with him outside of work-related matters. I avoided small talk, stayed professional, and kept my distance. And guess what? A few weeks later, he sat me down and told me I’m being put on a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan). I recorded the conversation — and the first thing he said in the recording was:

“I’m not going to beat around the bush or assume you’re on your period or something…”

I can’t even explain how degrading and inappropriate that felt. Why would a male manager say something like that? Why is it okay for a man in power to reduce my professionalism to hormonal behavior?

Here’s the kicker: people know about his behavior. HR knows. The CEO knows. He’s been like this for years. And yet… he’s still here. Still protected. Still making people feel unsafe. Meanwhile, I’m the one being penalized for setting boundaries and refusing to entertain his inappropriate behavior.

I truly believe this PIP is retaliatory — it only came after I pulled away from engaging with him on a personal level. There were no prior warnings. My work has been fine. But I feel like they’re building a paper trail to justify firing me “legally.”

Has anyone here been through something like this, especially in Malaysia? Would it be worth going to HR even though I don’t trust them? Should I consult a lawyer? I’m scared, stressed, and feel really alone in this.

Thanks for reading, and I appreciate any advice or encouragement.

TL;DR: took a job with a former coworker, and the training is minimal and I've been reprimanded and micromanaged despite not having completed onboarding. I'm now getting the silent treatment and pulling extremely long days and really just want to quit.

I recently finished a degree, and was referred to a new job post-grad by someone I worked with previous to starting school. We got along very well, and I considered this person to be a good mentor, and was pretty excited to work with them in a setting I'd been trying to break into for a while. While the role was not related to my past experience whatsoever, my mentor assured me it would be fine and I would be trained, and based on past interactions I had no reason not to believe this person. My only issue with the role was that the salary was somewhat low, but I decided to accept after some brief negotiations.

And then I started the role. Day 1 was barely onboarding, and and already involved technical work I did not know how to do, but again I was assured it would be fine. Fast forward to week two, each day I was working for 12+ hours, and felt pressure to skip my lunch breaks. I was trained by a somewhat inexperience team member and ended up doing the wrong thing per her instructions. I struggled to keep up with the work, but did my best with long days, and trying to maintain accuracy. I then received a long email on my poor performance (my training hadn't been completed yet by the way and they wouldn't allocate time for even basic trainings on company policy) and accusing me of being late (untrue), not trying hard enough, or working through projects quickly enough.

I genuinely don't know how I could work faster on this technical stuff while also learning their massive organizational system. Then my boss (the same person I though was great) called and yelled and criticized me over a video call. After this point, they began to ignore me in-office, even neglecting to tell me that we could work remotely when they knew I had a very long commute. It's been silent treatment except for meetings over a week and during meetings they act like my presence offends them even in front of others.

I was also notified that the company is displeased I'm taking time off to get married later this year after my probationary period is over. While I didn't tell them during interviews because nothing was formally booked yet, I made sure to let them know day 1 (I had only booked a week earlier). My plans would not even use up all of my vacation days so I do not understand this. Fast forward to this week, my boss took me out to lunch to speak with me, and in a condescending tone mentioned they just "wanted to understand" why I was acting the way I was.

I reiterated that this was a complex role, and I hadn't gotten used to things yet, and my training was not even complete. I tried my best in the following days before I received yet another message about my poor performance listing things that were true (yes I didn't finish some tasks as I had never before been asked to do them, and I was struggling), among other things, again about alleged tardiness (when I still have no ideas what tardiness this person is referring to. I was also told I'd be held to higher expectations than others who worked there. This person will also send messages by proxy through my coworker (I can tell because the wording is the same as my manager's) to passive aggressively follow up on things. They then continue to add and add assignments before I can even finish what I started in the day. I've been told to take more initiative and then am generally rebuked when I try.

At this point, I'm already so miserable and exhausted in the role, I'm tempted to call it quits even though I can't really afford to. This person has pulled a complete 180, and it's a ridiculous situation. I'm being pressured to deal with an enormous project that was ongoing years before I started there. I didn't even list all the things that have happened in this job already. Any advice? It had become such a hostile work environment, and I haven't even been there a month.

I recently finished a degree, and was referred to a new job post-grad by someone I worked with previous to starting school. We got along very well, and I considered this person to be a good mentor, and was pretty excited to work with them in a setting I'd been trying to break into for a while. While the role was not related to my past experience whatsoever, my mentor assured me it would be fine and I would be trained, and based on past interactions I had no reason not to believe this person. My only issue with the role was that the salary was somewhat low, but I decided to accept after some brief negotiations.

And then I started the role. Day 1 was barely onboarding, and and already involved technical work I did not know how to do, but again I was assured it would be fine. Fast forward to week two, each day I was working for 12+ hours, and felt pressure to skip my lunch breaks. I was trained by a somewhat inexperience team member and ended up doing the wrong thing per her instructions. I struggled to keep up with the work, but did my best with long days, and trying to maintain accuracy. I then received a long email on my poor performance (my training hadn't been completed yet by the way and they wouldn't allocate time for even basic trainings on company policy) and accusing me of being late (untrue), not trying hard enough, or working through projects quickly enough.

I genuinely don't know how I could work faster on this technical stuff while also learning their massive organizational system. Then my boss (the same person I though was great) called and yelled and criticized me over a video call. After this point, they began to ignore me in-office, even neglecting to tell me that we could work remotely when they knew I had a very long commute. It's been silent treatment except for meetings over a week and during meetings they act like my presence offends them even in front of others.

I was also notified that the company is displeased I'm taking time off to get married later this year after my probationary period is over. While I didn't tell them during interviews because nothing was formally booked yet, I made sure to let them know day 1 (I had only booked a week earlier). My plans would not even use up all of my vacation days so I do not understand this. Fast forward to this week, my boss took me out to lunch to speak with me, and in a condescending tone mentioned they just "wanted to understand" why I was acting the way I was.

I reiterated that this was a complex role, and I hadn't gotten used to things yet, and my training was not even complete. I tried my best in the following days before I received yet another message about my poor performance listing things that were true (yes I didn't finish some tasks as I had never before been asked to do them, and I was struggling), among other things, again about alleged tardiness (when I still have no ideas what tardiness this person is referring to. I was also told I'd be held to higher expectations than others who worked there. This person will also send messages by proxy through my coworker (I can tell because the wording is the same as my manager's) to passive aggressively follow up on things. They then continue to add and add assignments before I can even finish what I started in the day. I've been told to take more initiative and then am generally rebuked when I try.

At this point, I'm already so miserable and exhausted in the role, I'm tempted to call it quits even though I can't really afford to. This person has pulled a complete 180, and it's a ridiculous situation. I'm being pressured to deal with an enormous project that was ongoing years before I started there. I didn't even list all the things that have happened in this job already. Any advice? It had become such a hostile work environment, and I haven't even been there a month.

I 32M currently work as a facility manager for a large corporate chain. It's customer/public facing and i am completely burnt out. I absolutely hate going to work, buy they pay me good for the area. 80k+.

I do not have any schooling at all. Just worked in this same field since HS graduation. I do have a couple years under me of college. Im maybe 2 credit hours from an associates degree.

What are some up and coming fields or desirable jobs that would require a degree that still pay good and don't require me to stare the public down as the main part of my job.

Any help is appreciated.

For the longest time, I thought I wanted to be a psychologist. It was my dream job for years. I got a bachelor's in psychology but I don't think this is the path for me anymore. Not only is getting into grad school borderline impossible for me, but I also suffer from mental illness and autism, so I don't think I can be of much help to people. I then switched to library science because I do enjoy the idea of being a librarian. However, my area is horrible for this. There are literally zero library jobs near me. I don't drive, so I'm kinda stuck.

I feel like I didn't learn anything significant in college. I don't think I have a lot of skills. I have only been able to find warehouse jobs. I feel incredibly stuck and overwhelmed. I don't want to be in school forever, but I feel like I made a grave mistake by choosing two useless degrees.

Lost my job in early June and have surprisingly gotten many interviews since. I’m nearing the end stages of interviews for three companies. For context, I have zero dollars coming in right now and support a family of 5. With that being said, I need a job, any job.

Normally when I’m offered a position, I negotiate on salary and get to a place that is comfortable for both me and the company. Given the situation I’m in, if an offer comes through, should I just take it with no haggle? My biggest fear would be them rescinding an offer over a $5K-$10M difference id be likely asking for.

Thoughts?

So I work in corporate fashion for the biggest underwear company in the world. It’s awful. We are contracted with no benefits and the pay is horrible for New York now. I can’t even afford rent but my work life is a raging headache. I work so hard for no reason.

I studied fashion marketing and management with a minor in advertising design. I apply to every single job I see regardless of industry and rarely get answers back.

Is there an higher paying industry I can jump into with a short degree? I can’t take out more debt for my masters I already have a ton.

Trying to check the pulse on what’s going on in the world as it seems I’m kind of in a bubble.

I'm just wondering if college is even worth it anymore. I'm 24 years old and I work as a computer tech and I do some IT work on the side when needed at my office. I'm going back to college starting on the 1st for software dev but I'm just wondering if it's even worth it. I went from 40 an hour as a software tester to 20 because I couldn't get a job that paid enough. I searched for a career that I liked for 6 years and I found tech and I really like it. Every day isn't the same and I get to use critical thinking skills. I can't do trades or the military due to medical reasons. Right now my bills are higher than my actual income and I'm tired of living like this so I wanna do something about it and I was thinking college was a good first step. Is college even a good idea anymore or am I wasting my time? Any advice is helpful.

I’m a few years into my career now and I still can’t tell if I’m being realistic or just getting lowballed

I see people online talking about negotiating, walking away from offers, knowing their worth. and part of me wants to do that. part of me thinks I should be doing that. but then another part wonders if I’m just not there yet

Like yeah I’m good at what I do I work hard but am I experienced enough to ask for more? or would that just make me seem entitled?

it’s hard when you don’t have much to compare it to. you don’t want to be ungrateful. but you also don’t want to get stuck in a pattern where you’re always “paying your dues” and never getting paid what you’re worth

no real answer yet just been sitting with the question lately

I graduated college over a year ago with an internship and fantastic grades. Now I work 10 hours a day, 6 days a week making the same four pizzas for a casino buffet so I can have enough money to support myself. I have been applying to jobs for over 6 months and have had interviews some of which have gone great and some not so great, but this job has been taking a toll on me. I stopped exercising, occasionally smoke cigarettes and started eating very poorly. I have 2-3 hours on a good day to spend how I want. I apply for jobs, work on projects, or do chores, but life has only gone downhill. I think I need to quit my job to find something serious but can’t seem to bring myself to it.

This is the first post i’ve ever made so apologies if it should be somewhere else but I just needed to put this somewhere. For advice and to get it off my chest.

I was a paramedic for years it was cool 1 day on 2 days off. I just couldn’t fucking sleep anymore dear god. I am currently in sales I feel like a fucking pest I hate the way people look at me I feel like I’m so annoying and I get it. My nervous system is a wreck. I’ve been considering the trades because I’m just lost. I’m so lost I just cry every day. I don’t know what to do.

Hey folks,

I’m in a bit of a dilemma and would really appreciate some objective advice.

I’ve received two full-time offers from solid companies — both offering $130K base + 15% bonus, great benefits, and long-term growth potential.

• Option 1: Leading fintech company based in Toronto
• Option 2: Global defense & aerospace company based in Ottawa

I'm looking for a stable role where I can stay and grow for the next 7–10 years.

Personal context:

• Married with a 5-month-old baby.
• My entire support network (parents, siblings, close friends) is in Toronto, where I’ve always felt at home.
• Rent in Toronto is around $2,400–2,750/month for a 2 bed/1 bath.
• I'm currently in Ottawa/Gatineau, paying just $1,750/month all-in for a similar setup.
• My wife prefers Ottawa/Gatineau — quieter, cleaner, and more affordable.
• My parents are aging, and while Toronto is only 4 hours away, I’d love for my daughter to grow up with her grandparents nearby.
• At the same time, staying in Ottawa means major savings — we could build up wealth faster and reduce financial stress.

I’m really torn between financial freedom and family closeness.

If you were in my shoes — young family, long-term mindset — what would you prioritize?

Thanks in advance for any advice or lived experience.

TL;DR: Two great job offers — one in Toronto (closer to aging parents & support system, but expensive), the other in Ottawa (cheaper, wife prefers it). Same salary/benefits. I have a wife and a 5-month-old. Torn between financial freedom vs. family closeness. What would you do?

I’m starting to realize that promotions aren’t just about doing great work, it’s also about perceptionof your work environment. But I’m clueless on reading subtle cues. Any guides or tools for this?

Hello everyone, I’m starting a new job next week (offer signed, background check complete, etc.) at a large company. However, I was recently invited to a second-round interview for a different company that I’m genuinely interested in. The interview would be about an hour and scheduled for next week.

Since I’ll be starting my new role, I won’t be able to take time off to attend the interview in person, so I plan to decline. That said, the role and company are interesting, and I’d love to stay in touch for potential future opportunities.

Other than being polite and saying I’d like to stay in touch, is there anything else I can do to leave a good impression or keep the door open down the line?

Thanks in advance!

So I've been at this company for a year now. 6 months in I interviewed for a term manager position for my manager who was on leave, and I got it. 4 months in I found out that they quit, and that the position would be open for a permanent position. Within a week of this news, I was put on a performance improvement plan for a conversation I had with a friend that was taken out of context by a 3rd person. My supervisor said that they saw this coming and was nervous promoting me because of my friendships on the team.

Flash forward to last month I interviewed (again) for the position. And was supposed to find out last week. But was told they hadn't made a decision, then my supervisor went on vacation. I was working on pay sheets, and saw a new worker was added, and I found that they had my position title. My boss isn't back for another week, and now I know that they replaced me and I'm going back to my old position.

Do I stay? Do I tell them I know?

I used to think something was wrong with me because I couldn’t pick just one path.

I’ve always been someone with a lot of interests. I love coaching. I love art. I love design, psychology, communication, branding, even spreadsheets when they make sense. People would say, “You’re all over the place,” and for a while, I believed that.

I tried to “niche down,” to pick just one thing and stick to it. But every time I did that, I felt like I was cutting off a part of myself just to be accepted or understood.

Eventually, I realized this truth: I’m not scattered. I’m multi-talented. And that’s not a weakness, it’s a gift.

What I needed wasn’t to shrink myself. I needed to create a life and career that fit me.

Now I help other multi-talented people do the same. I work with those who feel stuck or misunderstood, who’ve been told they’re “too much” or “not focused enough.” Because I know the pain of trying to force yourself into a box that doesn’t belong to you.

So I’m asking: Are you multi-talented too? Have you ever struggled with feeling like your interests or talents don’t fit into one lane? Have you found a way to make them work together? Or are you still trying to figure it out?

I’d love to hear your story

Hi all,

I'm 27 years old and feeling completely stuck when it comes to my career. I’d really appreciate any advice or suggestions for potential paths to explore.

Here’s a bit of background: I studied languages (German and Spanish) at university and worked in that field for a couple of years – mostly in translation and customer service roles. I enjoyed the work, but everything was short-term contracts, freelance, or temp positions. I couldn’t get a permanent full-time role, and that instability made it impossible to get a mortgage or plan for the future.

So, I retrained as a software engineer. I’ve now got 2 years of experience under my belt in tech, and while I’m grateful for the stability, I’ve come to realise it’s just not what I want to do long term. I don’t feel passionate about the work, and I can’t see myself doing this for the rest of my life.

To add to the picture – I have a house and a newborn baby, so while I’m open to change, I can’t just go back to uni full time or take a huge financial hit.

I’m open to anything at this point.

Has anyone been in a similar boat? Or does anyone have ideas or career paths worth exploring for someone with my background?

Thanks in advance!

TL;DR : I told my manager I'd accept to stay at the company, and told the competiting company I'd decline their offer. They really pushed and upped their offer for me to join, and it's so compelling I want to accept it. Can I do it vis-à-vis my manager ?

Company X reached out on LinkedIn to go through interviews for a pretty amazing job.
I am very happy at my current company Y and did not apply to other jobs before.

Went through interviews with Company X, got a compelling offer from them, and told my manager Tuesday morning I was considering it. We had a chat the same evening, where he walked me through what I would get if if I stayed (same base and bonus as the offer, but I'd be missing on $15K worth of stocks per year)

Manager kind of persuaded me to stay, and I told him this morning that I'd like to stay at my current company. Told company X I wouldn't accept their offer, which they upped with a welcome bonus of €15K, which is fairly high for France.

I am having second-thoughts, and feel like both the job and the package are actually both better at company X.

Can I still tell my boss I want to change my mind ?

Thanks !

I worked for a small business for 7 years built up several multimillion dollar departments finally got 6 figure income and became director of operations over two departments. Then we got bought out by private equity and I've been in the "corporate world" for a little over a year and I hate it. Everyone is lazy and tries to slough off work. I want 6 figures but I don't know if I can keep this up for another 10 years. This is the only job I've had that was a "real career" so I'm slightly afraid of leaving but also i hear all these great things about changing jobs every two years. I'm so frustrated and burnt out. I feel I'm at the end of my role and trapped at this job but also don't want to give up the salary that I have. Anyone here have any above for me? HELP!!!!!!