Career questions tagged career-path
Choosing a career is difficult. CareerVillage.org ensures you are not alone in this process. Check out previous questions and answers, and if you are still confused, please ask away. For more information, please read below. Read more Show less
Worth volunteering labs through cold-email? Other suggestions?
Hi everyone! I'm wondering if volunteer labs through cold-emailing professors actually worth it and look good on college application? (Cause I know basically you help with routine and set up some stuff so does it really get a point doing so?) Also do you know any other activities (not too hard like national/international level or genius competition w/ research) that could make big impact? I know some of you would recommend top-tier activities but I'm not that smart :( so wanna ask if there are mid-level activities that still stand out?? Thank you!!
Is a degree in Manipal online accepted worldwide?
After my 12th in science stream, I studied b.tech for two years and after almost 6 months I lost my interest in the same. Now I want to discontinue b.tech and do some work and complete my graduation in manipal online university. My parents are worried if this will be a valid certification. Please help🙏
How early should I start my dental hygiene plan?
I'm a rising junior in high school and will start dual-credit classes this year, which may allow me to begin prerequisites I need for any program I join. When should I begin my dental hygiene journey? Now, or should I focus on finishing the last two years I already have and start dental hygiene-related activities after high school?
Biomedical Engineering or PreMed?
I'm a BME student right now, but I've always been on the premed track. This is because I didn't want to just get a biology degree, and I'm also into the hands on stuff. I'm a rising junior, and now, I'm not sure what path to take. Residency sounds like torture, but I fear being in BME is not going to make me money because the job market is smaller and more niche.
how do I get a job as a Academic Advisor at a University or College with BA in Psychology
Do I need to get a certification to become an Academic advisor. I do have teaching experience for 5 plus years
If my strengths are empathy, accountability, and my hobbies painting, drawing, what type of careers or industries might best fit me? ?
What other strengths or experiences might I need for the suggested careers?
Are there any tech roles in the fashion industry?
I'm a second-year B.Tech CSE (AI/ML) student passionate about high fashion. What tech roles exist at luxury fashion houses (e.g., trend forecasting, AI styling, supply chain, computer vision for design), and what skills/projects should I build now to break in?
What to study to become Detective?
What path in studies and all should I pursue if I plan to become a detective(like in law enforcement, probably like CID/CBI/FBI, etc.), (without being a patrol officer and all first, and then taking the long-term journey?) Also, will the same path work out for an investigative psychologist? If not, then what path should I pursue in this case? Can I work in(or with) law enforcement in this case?
Advice for picking between Orthodontist and Dental Hygienist?
Hi! I'm a rising senior that's been interested in dentistry for over a year now and I wanted some advice for which career to pick within it. For a while, I've wanted to be an orthodontist; however, after really looking into the huge amount of debt that comes with it, I'm not so sure if it's something I can manage. I am interested in becoming an orthodontist, but I'm not sure how doable it is, especially for paying off debt. I know there's also a huge difference between the years in school for an Orthodontist versus a Dental Hygienist, and I've heard very good things about both regarding their lifestyle. I'm looking for a career that will pay well, be stable long term, and preferably as least stressful as possible. Any advice is welcomed, thanks!
What are some free online 1:1 career counselling sources available?
Being a student of class 12 and having second thoughts about my career options and job opportunities, what are some free online websites/apps/any source which I can use for 1:1 career guidance. Being a student, I can't afford any chargeable sessions, and for maintaining my confidentiality, I'd like to avoid any video/voice calls.
Is there any way to become detective under these circumstances ?
I mean, can someone become a detective(not the civilian one) without starting as a patrol officer and taking years? That too, with the power to issue arrests and other such powers. (Especially in India.) And how does one become a detective for another country if they were born in another?
What extracurriculars would be best and how to start?
Hi, I'm in 9th grade. I'm interested in smart hardware and intelligent automation—building physical systems that use software to interact with the real world. So, I have a few options.... I already do private vocal lessons and karate. I want to develop skills that enable me to participate in clubs such as science fair or doing independent robotics projects at home. I'm also looking out for coding projects, math and science written exams. I want to decide on 3-5 clubs to continue for a long time so I have a clear trajectory and story around my extracurriculars. Thoughts on which ones might be good and how to start?
Why do careers get wipedout by a newer technology or advancement in civilisation?
Why do careers get wiped out by a newer technology and advancement in civilisation? Is it really to be considered a wipe out or more of a transition? Why does it feel pain to see a career shift or total annihilation of certain workforce especially does at their time being which seem totally untouchable and are considered the pinnacle of a job career one can attain? Lastly if you've experienced such in the past, how does it feel like? Is your experience helping you now that this new career shift is happening with AI?
What should I do to embark my career in marine engineering after graduation?
I have just completed my degree in marine engineering, looking forward to start my career. I have been sending job applications across different ship companies but all I get is rejection or no response. If anyone has just joined or has been in the engine department your insights and advice would be of great help. Thank you
Do I have a chance of getting into BA Psych Uni with bad grades?
Hello everyone, I’m 19 years old and from the Czech Republic. A few months ago, I was rejected from university due to my high school grades. I had a really rough time with my final exams, which left me with a low overall GPA. However, my dream is to become a psychologist, and I know I have the aptitude for it. Throughout high school, my grades specifically in psychology were exceptional (straight A's). it’s the one subject I completely excel at. Unfortunately, because most admissions systems rely strictly on an overall GPA cutoff, I feel completely stuck. I desperately want to study outside of my country in an English-taught program. In the Czech Republic, doing a grade redo or finding a university preparation course isn't really an option. Does anyone know of European countries, specific universities, or alternative pathways (like foundation years or entrance exams) that look at subject-specific grades rather than just a total GPA? I’m willing to work incredibly hard. Any advice would mean the world to me. Thank you!
What associates are worth it in 2026?
I’m currently a Registered Behavior Technician making $22/hr and am looking into associate degree options because I’m feeling pretty burned out in my current field. Unfortunately, due to working full time and having bills to pay, programs that require clinicals aren’t really realistic for me right now. One thing I’m struggling with is that a lot of the careers I’ve looked into seem to want experience that I don’t have. I’m also not sure whether my experience as an RBT would be considered relevant healthcare experience for non-clinical hospital or healthcare roles. I live in a smaller city in Brevard County, so there aren’t a ton of job openings for some of the careers I’ve been researching. So far, I’ve been considering Business Administration, Office Management, and Health Information Technology. My goal is to transition into a stable career that pays at least close to what I’m making now, with opportunities for growth and advancement. I’d be willing to take a small pay cut if it led to better long-term career. I’m just trying to find a realistic path that fits my situation.
What made you choose psychology or psychiatry over the other ?
I’m planning to start college next year at the age of 28 to become a child psychiatrist or psychologist after working in childcare with children who had high trauma for three years. Was curious on how you stuck out the long education? How hard was it to afford financially? Also, how do you handle your mental health while also handling others? I struggle with my own battles and wanted to know how possible it would be for someone who has a diagnoses to also provide therapy and medication for others? Can you also give me pros and cons for each job? I did use chat gpt for advice, but I still need a professional opinion because I have to know if I’m pre-med or not. Overall my question is, does the additional investment in becoming a psychiatrist produce a sufficiently better financial return?
Which career would suit me based on the way I think and what I enjoy.?
One thing I've noticed is that I'm fairly good at reading people's emotions and picking up on how they're feeling, even when they don't say it directly. I'm also naturally curious about why people think and behave the way they do. If I could, I'd love to understand the mind of the person in front of me. I love mythology a lot and love learning about different myths(got this love from Percy Jackson) Another thing about me is that I rarely accept an idea at face value. Whenever I support a statement, I almost immediately start thinking of its weaknesses. After a minute or two of deep thought, I can usually come up with a convincing argument against it. Then I often find myself questioning that argument too, creating another opposing statement. And the series of contradictions goes on. Plus, I love those high and mighty rivalry talks you mostly get to see between enemies and all. Makes me feel royal- and I love feeling royal. I am fairly good at academics, but I tend to forget it easily. And I particularly don't like Science much. Because in physics and chemistry, most of the things aren't very clear; I am still unable to get the meaning of velocity(How does distance play a role in it...So I take it as speed in displacement) Outside of academics, I love reading manga, manhwa, and books, especially fantasy, science fiction, psychological, and mystery stories. I also enjoy anime—both mainstream series and those with deeper psychological or philosophical themes. I'm drawn to stories that explore complex characters, moral dilemmas, and human nature more than series that only contain battles. Some of them I love are: Percy Jackson, A Song of Ice and Fire, One Piece, Tokyo Revengers, Naruto, Tomodachi Games and thousands of others.But, I am no good at drawing. I'm especially interested in psychology, human behaviour, and understanding how people think. I would love to read the mind of the person in front of me. One thing I know for sure is that I don't want a job where I spend the entire day sitting alone reading or reviewing long documents, reports or graphs(I hate statistics). I have considered careers like a detective specialised in psychology, a forensic psychologist, an author and all. I would love a career with some adventure. Based on this, what careers do you think would genuinely fit my personality, strengths, and interests? I'm looking for suggestions beyond the obvious ones like "psychologist,"(I could consider it, but it's not the best one) especially careers that involve analysis, investigation, strategy, behaviour, or decision-making. Also, the career should have a good salary. But please, try to recommend me a career that would be kind of adventorous for me, one that I would enjoy.
What are good degree options for a 20-year-old leaving ABA?
I’m 20 years old and planning to go to college. I’ve been in ABA for 7 months making $22/hr, and I don’t have a passion to pursue this field long-term. The job is both physically and mentally demanding, and I’ve received little to no support in what feels like an extremely unethical work environment. Right now, my main focus is to get my associate’s degree, but I want out of ABA as quickly as possible. I’m looking for something that can lead to a stable, supportive, and beneficial career with opportunities to grow. I can’t do programs that require clinicals because I need to work full-time while in school, but I am open to other healthcare-related roles. My main interests include psychology, law, beauty/cosmetology, and business. I’ve considered becoming a paralegal, but I live in a small city and I don’t think there are many job listings in that field. I’m open to other options as well—I just want something where I can get good support, decent pay, and long-term advancement opportunities.
Help me find a Job.
I recently completed my Master’s in Economics, and I am currently feeling quite lost about what direction to take. While people often assume that completing a master’s degree means having a clear career path, I honestly do not feel that way right now. My course was largely theoretical, and I have realized that I lack many of the practical and quantitative skills that seem to be expected in today’s job market. Initially, I wanted to become a professor. I genuinely enjoy teaching, and the idea of being in academia, doing research, and engaging deeply with a subject is something that still interests me. However, I have not been able to clear the exams required to become eligible for teaching positions, and it has made me question whether I should continue pursuing this path or consider other options. I want to clarify that my goal has always been to become a professor rather than simply take up teaching as a job. At the same time, I am now open to exploring other career paths if they align with my background and interests. The challenge is that I do not know where to start. If I decide to switch roles or move into a different field, I feel like I would be starting from scratch. I do not have a strong practical or quantitative skill set, and I am unsure about what I should learn, how to learn it, and which career paths would actually be realistic for someone with my background. Before suggesting internships or entry-level roles as the first step, I want to mention that I have already tried applying for them. Unfortunately, I have struggled to even get interview opportunities, which has made me realize that I may need to first build the right skills and profile to become a stronger candidate. For people working in economics, research, data, consulting, academia, or related fields, I would really appreciate your advice: * What skills should someone with a theoretical economics background build to become employable? * Should I start with quantitative tools like statistics, econometrics, Python, R, SQL, etc.? If yes, what would be the right order to learn them? * What career options are realistic for someone with a Master’s in Economics but limited practical experience? * Is it possible to transition into research-oriented roles, and what steps would help make that happen? * If I decide to move away from academia, what fields would make sense to explore? I would genuinely appreciate guidance from individuals who have experience in this area or have undergone a similar transition.
Is Nuclear Neuroradiologist a real career path I can take?
I've been on a long journey trying to find a career I want to pursue, and this one sounds very promising to me. However, the only problem is that I can't find any real information about it besides AI overviews. I'm starting to believe this isn't a viable option to consider. If anyone has real information about this career, please let me know! I would greatly appreciate it.
What do you regret in life?
Hey there, I was wondering what you regretted in your life such as misbehaving in class, not caring about certain oppurtinities that would've helped you with life, or even rejecting offers that were huge. I'm going to 7th grade, and I just wanted to know if there's anything that I should not do, or should do. In addition to that, I also want to know people's experiences.
What did you wish that you could do or join at the ages of 13 - 17?
Does anyone have anything that they knew such as a opportunity that they turned down or something they didn't know that they wish they knew?
Conflicted on whether i should do classics at a good university or finance and accounting at mid university ?
Im resitting my alevels in math and economics, with classics as a new alevel, i previously failed physics, honestly i would really enjoy classics but it clashes with expectations, its unconventional to my parents, who’s approval i would need to gain, but F&A is vocational and straightforward, but i would only apply to mid tier Russel groups, compared to applying to classics at ucl, kcl- even though i am a resit student. Any advice?
what are some less physically demanding jobs that still pay good in the nursing field ?
in or outside of the norm willing to exhaust all options
what can i do quickly advance in my pratices of welding?
i am a first time welder and i want to advance quickly and smothly
How to earn money at 13?
Hello there, I was wondering if anyone had any jobs ideas that I can do at age 13, I just want an income to start buying my own stuff such as baking items, useful room items, and much more. Whether it be a corporate job, anyone I can work for, except baking jobs and lawnmower + plant related jobs, anything else would be great!
How can I pivot to a Master's in Bioinformatics if I failed high school Physics and must take a non-science Bachelor's degree?
I am an international student thinking of studying in Vietnam for my undergraduate degree, with the ultimate goal of pursuing a Master's in Bioinformatics later. My high school subject combination includes English, Biology, Chemistry, Physical Education, Artificial Intelligence, and Physics, but I completely failed my Physics exam. Because of this failure, traditional science and biotechnology undergraduate paths are entirely closed to me, even though my final high school certificate will officially show an overall passing status. I need to know which undergraduate courses are possible for me to take that completely bypass high school physics and core science eligibility requirements. Specifically, is it possible to switch from a non-science undergraduate major—like Information Technology or Computer Applications—into a computational biology or bioinformatics postgraduate program down the line, and how graduate admissions in Vietnam view a tech major who has high school biology credits but a failed physics grade?
Which degrees would you recommend for someone who's interested in Chemistry and the Beauty / Luxury Goods Industry (Cosmetics/Pharmaceuticals/Textiles...) ?
I'm applying for Chemical Engineering in uni - I’m choosing this path because I love chemistry and I want a degree that leads to a high earning career, specifically in the beauty and cosmetics industry (like L'Oréal, Estée Lauder, etc.). However, I've been told by current students that the math and physics are really hard, and I'm scared that I will drop out since I'm not the best at these subjects. Also, they claim that there isn't much chem in the degree anyway. I'm mainly choosing ChemE for the salary (as opposed to a regular chem degree), and for it being a 'general' engineering degree which allows for branching out into varying industries. I would like to work in a fun, sensory, and creative environment, collaborating with marketing and design teams, rather than sitting behind a computer doing stressful heavy simulation or structural modeling... Yet I feel like that's incompatible with the salaries I want. So which degree or studies would you recommend for me? Thanks!
What do you do when you have so many interests?
When it comes to choosing your career, most people apply to the major they're interested in, right? So how do people usually deal with many interests like you wanna be an architect and a scientist and maybe do business. Do they choose one career path, stabilize it and many engage with other interests as side gig? Or what happens when, for example, you want to do something but it requires a lot of knowledge and you can only have time for one? Share your experiences! (Not personally experiencing this, but I will eventually)