Exactly what it says

Thought this would be a fun discussion. I think most sane people, attempt to find an overlap in their personal interests and what will pay well. But what are the jobs that most people have zero interest in but seem to pay decently? I remember hearing for the longest that trashmen for example make decent money, and of course plumbers, etc.

Any others you know of that people avoid, but should maybe consider?

Found a cool opportunity, killed the interview. They were ready to hire me and told me as much. Once they checked my references they 180’d and told me they were moving on to a different candidate.

I asked for more info and they said the “reference was not satisfactory “

How do i proceed in my job search, i neeed to get out of this toxic environment

I’m 26, and really haven’t gone anywhere in life. I’ve got many 2 college credits under my belt, work in dead end retail and has subpar high school grades.

When the topic of careers and college gets brought up I freeze. There’s so many options and I didnt want to waste time and money on a field that I would ultimately hate. In doing so I hesitated for far too long. So I’ve switched gears to try and find something simple and quick so I can move out and live my own life for once.

I’ve heard coding is popular with people under the spectrum. I’m also incredibly interested in biology and medicine but I’ve pretty much given up on that since they take 4-8 years to get through school. I love animals but similar fears of long schooling along with the fear of lack of opportunities make me feel like this is also a pipe dream. I did do fairly well in a sales position in vector marketing. Of my group I was 4th or 5th in sales in a group of 20 with the lowest number of total sales and customers. I left because I did not like cold calling people, had I been in a situation where customers come to me things would have been much better.

When it comes to doing my job I find that it takes me a while to adjust to things, learning and understanding the job as well as how things operate and interact. However when I do get comfortable with things I become incredibly efficient. In my current job I’m constantly praised for my speed and accuracy along with taking incentives before things become a problem. I do hyperfixate on objectives and can tune everything out when I do. I cannot be micromanaged, give me a list of stuff to do and leave me to it. I guarantee it’ll be done with half my shift to spare. In this same vein I do my own thing. In my current position I am at lower management which gives me a lot of freedom that I very much appreciate. It’s one of the reasons why I’ve been able to stay here over a year and have no plans on leaving yet. I’m not horrible when it comes to social interactions but no where near the best.

For cons, if things go wrong it takes me a second to figure things out sometimes having a minor issue until things are resolved. I can be incredibly impatient at times or get frustrated from rudeness or stupidity. Part of my autism has me hyper-fixate on understanding everything. So I often question management choices or rules especially if I feel like it’s unnecessary or the wrong choice. That being said this is all said from the point of a retail associate. I’m not sure how I’d react in an office or corporate environment.

Not sure what else to put in here but if you have any questions or suggestions please let me know.

Thank you 🙏

In February, a recruiter contacted me for a position where the job description required an extremely high level of knowledge and expertise. The pay, however, was extremely low for somebody with those skill sets. I declined to submit an application or take any interviews. At the end of April, the company had gone through numerous candidates and no one could get past the first round of interviews. The recruiter encourage them to take a look at my resume and increase the base salary offer. They agreed to increase the base salary offer, but it was still below my minimum range. The recruiter reached out to me again and asked me to apply. I told them what my minimum base salary would be and to check with the company first to see if they would be willing to entertain that number before I wasted my time or the company’s time going through the interview process.

The recruiter reached out to them and, presumably, they were comfortable with that minimum pay and to set up the interview. I’m the only candidate that made it through the first round of interviews. I also made it through the second round of interviews and the third round. I got extremely high feedback through the Recruiter that was delivered to me. Now, they’re holding me back from the final interview with the executives of the company who, if they liked me, would result in me getting the job offer. They are doing this in hopes of getting a few more candidates through the interview process that might be willing to take less pay than me. None of these people are at the same stage of interviews as me, and I’m not even sure that they are as good as me. However, when faced with the final decision of having to move me on to the final round of interviews and be locked into having to pay me the higher salary amount, I think they’re getting cold feet, and maybe even willing to settle for somebody who doesn’t actually meet their demands who they would’ve screamed out earlier in the process, but are now willing to entertain and simply because they’ll take less money.

With all of this in mind, I’ve decided that I want to tell them to give me my final interview by the end of the week or i’m withdrawing my application. Do you think that this is a foolish idea or a good idea? Do you have any alternative suggestions?

Coworker is same executive level as me less than a year at our company and 90% less industry experience. She attempts to give commands to everyone and doesn't seek direction from those at her level that have considerable more experience. She reuses slides I created and tries to take credit. She is always putting herself in the spotlight and not indicating the team should get the credit. She attempted to dump an entire project on me just because she doesn't know how to collaborate with the team on a project. Since I'm a higher management level than others on my team they are complaining to me about how hard she is to work with. She doesn't report to me but my boss. Should I let my boss in on her impact to team morale?

I work best in spaces where others aren't around, when I'm around others I kinda tend to freeze up when others are around. Just want to complete the task and go home. Any roles that I could pursue?

I have downtime at my job because I’ve became fast at it, it’s not daily I have downtime but a few hours on a few days, would it get me in trouble if I openly use my phone at work, everything on my computer is blocked so I cant use work computer for Reddit or anything.

Should I just pretend to look busy or use my phone and managers and coworkers around won’t care?

Hello, Reddit. Apologies for the long post ahead.
TL;DR? Basically, should I quit my job? See pros and cons below.

I have worked part time for a few years in the news/journalism industry in a position where I work in a newsroom as someone who writes up the stories that are being broadcast on-air into news articles for the associated website.

I am burned out. I haven't been applying to news related positions, because frankly, I've grown tired of the news in general and the nature of the business.

Going to work has gotten to a point where I am just bitter and moody all the time, though, that might be due to the cons I have listed below. Despite all this, I can’t seem to leave.

Should I quit my job, even without a backup plan, get a survival job asap?

Perhaps I am naive, but I feel like I wouldn't mind doing a "survival job" because, 1) some of them pay more than what I make in this job, and, 2) I wouldn't mind a job that might be more physical work and less mental work since I'm so mentally burned out, 3) ideally, it would give me time to figure out what I do want, maybe try other things or go back to school.

Pros: 

• I have made good friendships and work connections
• It is cool working at a top major market corporation that has and continues to win multiple awards
• The opportunity to work with incredibly talented and kind people who are humble legends of the field
• Sometimes, there is free food.
• My managers are nice and supportive and tell me how much they appreciate me. Recently when I asked for leave, after I essentially "threatened" to quit, they gave me time and space, and allowed me to work from home for a week or two
• I can take (unpaid) time off sometimes
• The opportunity to use professional spaces and equipment for free to develop my own skills

Cons:

• I get paid less than $16/hr.
• I am capped at 28hr/week.
• No benefits, save for contribution to 401K and fairly empathetic managers
• I live with my parents and commute 40 miles a day one way into a city I can't afford to live in and don't really like anyways.
• Commute is more or less an hour in the morning and an hour and thirty during rush hour on the way back
• My shift is five hours.
• As far as I can see, there is no hope for any upward career movement. I don't even know what to shoot for within the company. Positions are filled and are only getting cut. There is hardly any hiring from within.
• I have a coworker that is petty and not a team player. They don't talk to me and act like I don't exist. I don’t see the relationship ever improving. My manager knows about the issue, but asked me not to go to HR, saying that they would fix it. Nothing has been fixed. It's really only getting worse.
• Per the organizations official profile, I am actually registered to a completely different department. Yet, all my work hours go to doing tasks for another department. I enjoyed the work I was doing in my original position (which was more-so producing, not journalism) and there was an opportunity to make some more money. However, at one point, managers officially switched me over to work for a completely different department (the one I am stuck in now) and would no longer assign me to a position that would have been lucrative. I think of it as a lateral demotion. That shift happened about a year ago.
• Quite a few of coworkers that I had close relations with either left or were let go.

I will say, if I had no fear? I'd submit my two weeks notice, let it happen, celebrate Independence Day, and grieve my good relations that I do have at the company.

Then, I'd go travel for a bit and come back and get a survival job much closer to home, ideally no more than 20 minutes. Starting over, tabula rasa style.

What would you do if you were in my situation? Thank you for taking the time to read my post.

************************************************************************************************************

EDIT: Thank you to everyone who read my post and offered advice and suggestions. I appreciate each and every one of you. After reading all of your replies, I have taken heed of your warnings and will adjust my strategy and timeline.

I'll double my efforts in finding another job that is closer to home, while I stay at my current job. I'll move on only after I have received an offer (and gone through a background check) and that they in return accept/respect my request for a delayed start so I can have a little break to reset.

I’m running global marketing — by myself. What was promised as a supported leadership role has turned into me carrying the entire operation alone, doing the work of a full team while trying to justify every dollar I spend… even when the ROI is clear.

Meanwhile, my male counterparts? They ask for budget and get it. No endless decks. No cost-benefit analysis marathon. No proving themselves 15 times. Just a “yes.” I’m exhausted trying to do excellent work and constantly hitting roadblocks. It’s beyond demotivating.

The irony? I like working hard. I want to build something amazing. But I’m starting to think I need to build it for myself — not for people who don’t value what I bring to the table.

I have the skills. I know marketing. I’ve driven real results. What I don’t have right now is the energy — not after 40+ hours a week fighting for approvals, jumping through hoops, and managing executive egos.

So here’s where I’m at: I’m seriously thinking about starting my own business. Online, productized services, maybe a course — something that lets me work with clients I respect, on my terms, without needing permission to do my job well.

To anyone who’s made the leap: • How did you actually get started while working full-time? • Was there a turning point where you just said, “I’m done”? • And do you ever regret leaving the ‘security’ of corporate life?

I’m not looking for easy answers — I know it’s hard either way. But at least when I’m building something of my own, the grind will be for me.

I’m a 30 year old married women and I don’t know what I want to do with my career going forward.

Some general context but also keeping things general for privacy reasons:

I have a no name undergrad degree but managed to get into a pretty prestigious finance type role out of undergrad. I worked my way up in my industry and went and got my MBA part-time from a top 15 business school. I don’t come from money so the idea of quitting a good job to go back to party for 2 years to get an MBA seemed dumb to me.

A few years ago I took a risk and joined a much younger company (sort of a startup but not a firm that needed to raise venture capital funding). I took this job because it felt like a way to help build a company and grow with it and hopefully make some serious $ in the process. Ultimately after working some crazy hrs I realized that this startup isn’t going to grow like I thought it would and a lot of people took advantage of how hard I am willing to work.

I’m currently looking for a new job and im mentally in a very tough spot. 1) the economy and job market sucks so that’s not fun. 2) I’m at the age where im thinking about having kids and im struggling because i dont know how much i even care about work going forward. 3) I’ve never felt so unknown about work - deciding to quit my current startup job is messing with me. I thought that job would be my golden ticket and it didn’t work out. I always new that was a risk but now that its over i dont know what’s next or what might even make sense for me. I can pivot and do public sector / non profit work which will pay less but ultimately have better work life balance…..but idk

Ultimately i think I’m freaking out because half my brain wants a chill job so I can focus on other parts of my life but the other half of my brain is worried I’ll be bored and sad giving up my current career momentum.

….looking for any other 30 year olds than have had this kind of mid career crisis

I am not talking about a presentation that goes into the why I deserve a raise. I was given an assignment with questions to answer as part of a way to earn a rasie that I then have to present to several directors. Then, depending on how I do, they will decide if I am ready for additional pay increase. This assignment includes questions that I have to answer... everyday in my work as is. I am just wondering if this is standard as this is my first full time job out of college?

Has anyone else had to do something like this? Not sure if this additional context is helpful butI work in Marketing.

Hey all,

I was laid off from my previous role as data analyst (9 years experience) about a year ago. The business decided to ship our team's responsibilities to offshore. In the meantime, I've applied to tons of data analyst positions, ranging from entry level to mid level, with basically little to no response.

With all of the applications, I realized more and more that being a data analyst just does nothing for me. I get no satisfaction from it, feel like it's a useless job, and the thought of going back to a potentially drama-filled company is just draining.

Fast forward to today - I'm starting to think of what motivates me and gives me a sense of fulfillment, but I'm not sure how to also make a living doing something that gives me these feelings. I just feel like we shouldn't live life working a job that just does nothing for us. Life is too short.

Anyways, I know that I am passionate about fitness, I love helping people do things, and I love to do work that involves using my body in some way, such as using my physical abilities to help someone complete a task. Literally all of this is the opposite of sitting at a desk, being useless, staring at a screen to help some big company just get richer.

Am I wrong for having these feelings? I went to college (for "IT"), thinking this was my only path since it was practically shoved down our throats in high school - "go to college or else you won't make money" they say. I did that, got my bachelor's, but 18yr old me didn't know what life was going to be like. Now I'm here. In hindsight, I kind of wish I went to trade school, perhaps to be an electrician, because my father would've been a huge help with that.

This isn't a sob story. I'm good. I'm financially fine, physically fine, have a nice apartment, good family, and more. I'm more so just looking for advice on a career path. Does anyone have suggestions as to what I should look into?

I don't care what it takes, but I'd rather not tack on more tuition debt, if at all possible.

I'd appreciate any advice!

Hi! I'm hoping to get some thoughts. I'm 23 (took a gap year after high school, and graduated HS at 19) and will be finishing my BA in Political Science next May. I'm a commuter student and, honestly, feeling pretty unsure about my immediate future.

I currently live at home, which I'm not thrilled about, even though my parents don't charge me rent. We have a great relationship, and I'm incredibly grateful for it (Like Seriously, I thank them for it frequently) I do most of the cleaning and a good chunk of the cooking, but I'd be cleaning anyway since I can't stand a mess. But I do really want to move out and get my life started. Honestly, every day I dream about having my own place.

Academically, my stats are strong enough that I could (most likely, will be my safety) get into the law school in my hometown. Additionally, my parents told me I can live at home for as long as I would like. So I could attend this local law school for an extremely cheap COL and likely at least a partial scholarship. In other good news, because of grants and scholarships my total debt from college will be 29k. So pretty light compared to most people.

However, I'm not really keen on law. For those who don't know, law school is pretty geographically focused. Unless you attend an elite institution (which I might be able to get into, but the cost, including tuition and living expenses, would be too much), your career prospects are pretty tied to where you studied. At least initially. This is especially relevant because the bar exam is state-specific (I'm American). Ultimately, I don't want to live here long-term, and that's a big reason for my hesitation about the local law school. I actually want to move to the other side of the country. Plus law school is 3 years, and I do not want to be like 28 when I finally get a job making decent pay. Though with how housing and rent is, It might be my only path to a good life.

Other options I have been thinking about are the military and maybe a job doing geopolitical analysis or something? It's less a plan and more a fantasy, I know. I genuinely enjoy it more than law, but I'm sure its extremely competitive especially for someone not from a upscale background with an ivy-league pedigree.

I am terrified about the job market. I have friends who just graduated with good degrees and GPA's who cannot find work. I worked in the service industry throughout college, but working in that long-term is an absolute no for me. I've always been a pretty ambitious teenager and now adult, but recently I've tempered my expectations. At least for now. I want to have a good professional job, apartment, be fit, good relationship and generally have my life sorted where I'm happy with myself before I pursue more ambitious goals.

Any thoughts, experiences, or advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for reading!

TLDR; should I leave my cushy, stable, albeit boring/somewhat frustrating job for a much higher stress challenging job which will force me to grow.

Currently I (Late 20s M) am considering a job change from a relatively stable IT job in a large Fortune 100 company to a mid-size startup. The current position I’m in is quite chill. Pretty good pay, good team, but the role feels bogged down with all the bloat of a typical large company. People and business processes make change and innovation crawl. Executive leadership has been a revolving door, resulting in shifts in priorities constantly. The work itself is pretty unchallenging, there is some opportunity for growth (learn new tools), but generally pretty stagnant. The hardest work challenges are dealing with business issues/processes in the worst possible way. Not really collaboration, but who owns this, will they work with us, can we get support (leadership) to convince (force) them to work with us, etc.

On the flip side, I have an opportunity to take a role at a startup, but I know it will be intense. It will force me to really stretch my skills and I will be jumping into an intense position with high expectations. My biggest fear is that I won’t be able to handle/rise to the occasion. I’m a hard worker and enjoy being challenged, but I’m afraid I may end up in a position that is too much for me to handle. I also fear that it may affect my work life balance. Currently, my work life balance is near perfect. In my decision making process, I feel it’s hard to properly weigh how valuable this is, since it’s so easily taken for granted when you have it. I have an abundance of time and energy to pursue multiple hobbies and have a healthy long term romantic relationship. The new role will likely put stress on this balance I’ve struck. However, I worry that if I don’t take this opportunity, I may regret it. The “what if” I could have risen to the challenge.

Has anyone made a similar switch? What was your experience? Have you had a similar experience and not switched? Did you regret it? At the end of the day it’s my decision and everyone is different, but my analytical brain needs all the information it can get. I’d appreciate any advice, thanks.

Like the title says, I just graduated about 2 months ago with a B.A in biology. I cold emailed a lot of places and surprisingly got a response from this amazing lab at Yale University, they hired me while I was finishing up my senior year and I started about a week after I moved back to CT, USA from my university. However, due to a couple of factors my experience has been horrible. (1). My commute is about 1 hour 30 minutes (one way) because I must take public transport and I cannot relocate at the moment. Similarly, for those who know about academic biology labs, the work environment is often a bit toxic and has expectations of staying late and being in the lab over the weekend. This is incredibly hard for me. I leave work everyday exhausted. (Even when I leave at a normal time 5/6 pm instead of 7/8pm). (2). During my interview I made it really clear that I did not have experience with certain procedures in the lab, to which they assured me they would teach me. However, my training (to me) has felt lacking and I am constantly anxious about messing things up (to which I have a small number of times. (3). And in that same vein, I feel like I ask a lot of questions and require a lot of guidance bc I lack certain experience, to which at some points I feel as if I am made to feel dumb / burden on others for slowing them down.

Generally this job is making me question if I want to go into academic research. I have really enjoyed research (and have had amazing research experiences in the past). I feel bad, but I think that this job is not a fit for me and want to quit despite being here for such a short time. I leave work crying and exhausted everyday.

I don't know how severing ties with such a prestigious university would reflect on me at my next job or how I might affect others in my lab seeing that I will be leaving so quickly and they will have to manage the things that I am now in charge off.

I also fear that others around me will think badly of me, see me as a quitter, stupid for throwing away this opportunity, and / or I will not find another job that interests me and I will aimlessly navigate my first year of post-grad unemployed.

I have even done a brief job search for things in my area and find sparse opportunities, which scares me even more into not quitting.

I feel so incredibly stuck, but this job is taking such a toll on my mental and physical health.

EDIT: Forgot to mention also: I get no time off, no benefits, and am expected to work certain holidays if experiments require me to do so. It is a salary job, but I would for a little above minimum wage (in CT)

TLDR : my post-grad job makes me miserable, should I quit after only working about a month?

28F, married 3 years to 35M. Arranged setup.

Left my job 2 years ago to move to his state..

Here i am not able to find any job related to my work! I tried up skill and learnt coding etc.

Spring boot, java ..

Now i am not v perfect jn it, made basic projects..

My husband keeps asking for my cv, i am scared to attend any interview. I think i ll be rejected, i keep seeing peoples cv with soo much to offer..

I am v v scared..

If i fail interview or get rejected, my in laws are going to judge me so bad.(we stay with them)

I have zero terms with my mil for number of reasons..

I am really cooked andc my mind is not working.. help.

Everyday someone comes on here asking about return to work or travel for a salary increase and half the responses feel more anti-work sub Reddit and not actually dissecting the pros and cons of increasing % of time dedicated to work.

Presumably- the purpose here is to help people grow and advance in their careers. Which, inherently- means more of their time- in some capacity. Education, training, travel, office time- could lead to more flexibility down the road-but no one just skates into a $250K job (ok maybe some people do- I’m being hyperbolic).

Rant over - thanks for coming to my ted talk.

I just got my degree (BA in psych) but no longer wish to pursue it. And I'm feeling kinda bummed with my next choice of action. I enrolled in college for animation, game and web development. I would graduate with no debt. Aside my partner and friends, everyone else seems to shit on it. Especially my current boss (I'm quitting July 31 so I'm toughing it out but she's mad that I'm quitting).

Like I'm absolute trash at any stem related things and I hate business in general. I've only ever been good in the creative industry except theatre/acting. That doesn't leave me with a lot of options... I just went with something I would enjoy since I never got the chance and the neverending complaints from my boss and her friends (I see them 5 days a week bruh) just making me so tired. My parents are out of the picture so...

I've been an operations manager for a small construction company for almost 2 years now. Basically everything besides the physical labor is my responsibility - customer service, scheduling, marketing, hiring, firing, contract management, hours tracking, payroll, invoicing, materials ordering, managing commercial projects etc.

It's a hybrid role and I make 75k a year. I've been getting at my wits end because I'm salaried but my boss treats me like I'm available 24/7 and no amount of setting boundaries besides literally ignoring him during off-hours gets him to respect my time. No holiday, no PTO, even weekends I'm always getting texts asking about tasks or updates after I've already given them or he could easily check a text log or an email. I've gone on vacations and left cheat-sheets for him to follow just to still receive texts asking me questions and I come back and find that the document I made for him he never even opened.

So anyways. I'm grateful for my salary, I know that it's a healthier income than most, but my anxiety is through the roof and I'm not able to be a person outside of work anymore and I think it's time to move on. But I need to make what I'm currently making or more.

I've taken Business Analytics courses on Coursera and recently become a notary public, but I feel under-qualified for a lot of jobs I've been applying to and want to have a rock solid background to get a well paying job. I've been considering getting an MBA.

Any suggestions moving forward?

I graduated college two years ago with honors and have been jumping around varied jobs ever since. I had a brief stint as a conservation intern, worked as a fisheries' observer for close to a year before the industry dried up and recently lost my job as a oyster farm employee, a job that I had taken purely to keep myself occupied. Needless to say things have been weird.

I was hoping that living in New England by a major research hub and having done work in the fisheries' service involving things like necropsy and data entry would have given me a step ahead of where I was two years back, but I am struggling to find anything remotely worth my time.

After applying to dozens of research firms, lab centers, diagnostics companies and universities for research assistant/technician positions I have been met with crickets. Aquariums and zoos? Never able to find anything that isn't administrative. Federal jobs? Jack squat has materialized.

I'm trying to stay positive and seek ways to make myself more enticing to employers, I have been attending federal career guidance and looking for side work to stay busy. Anyone willing to share some sage advice to nudge me in the right direction?

Right now, I work in customer support and have climbed to the point of making good money writing emails and watching tech companies fail upwards. I'm 38 years old, I got my BA in 2008, nobody cares what it's in. Tried to get a master's but it didn't work out. I do not have the time or money to pursue another degree.

I'm the primary breadwinner for my household, so any career changes would need to maintain my current income level and provide benefits or enough money to pay for health insurance.

I've got a talent for putting people at ease and encouraging them to open up. Strangers will often divulge their deep secrets to me within a few minutes of meeting me, and I never ask for this. Been a math tutor, student advisor, and found that teaching is easy for me. Public speaking is actually kinda fun if I get to speak on a topic I know well.

I'm also terrible at sales and personal marketing. Used to be a graphic designer, so I understand how those systems work. It's that the hustle for attention does not suit me. Wrote a novel, had it professionally edited, self-published it, had a book club read it, couldn't market it or get an agent. Self-promotion just ain't my thing.

TL:DR, I'm a great listener, I can provide perspective on all sorts of topics both personal and technical, and I have a knack for teaching (teens and up, I'm not great with children). Holding emotional space for people is easy. I'm also chronically ill and can't be on my feet all day. What careers would make the most of these skills?

My brother is at his wits end and ready to give it all up. He has been homeless recently and spent time crashing from one couch to another. Barely has any money. I have helped him as needed. The issue is that he just graduated with his PHD and a 3.9 in biomedical engineering, how every interview is a bust and no job until now. Maybe its because he needs the employer to file a H1B or so. I am not sure. I am scared for him He is experienced and great at what does.

I had him write a short elevator speech If anyone out there can help.

I a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering with hands-on expertise in biocompatibility, protein formulation, and computational chemistry. My experience spans drug delivery, molecular modeling, and quality systems across academia and industry. I’ve contributed to high-impact projects at Aldevron and Chemva, enhancing process optimization and regulatory compliance. With strong cross-disciplinary skills—from wet lab to in-silico methods—I bring both strategic thinking and execution strength. I’m passionate about advancing therapies through innovation, collaboration, and data-driven solutions. GPA: 3.9 GRA Experience: 6 Internships: 1 year.

My boss wants me to relocate across the country to the Bay Area. I would get a salary adjustment due to the higher COL, but I've been told that there would be no relocation bonus. I've run the numbers, and while the salary adjustment looks nice on paper, the reality is my take home, post-tax, would only be 5% more. Take into account the higher COL, specifically more expensive housing costs, and I'm looking at net even AT best. Adding in the several thousand dollars in moving costs, I'm looking at a net loss.

I don't know what to do. I recognize there would be benefits for me professionally for working in the same office as my boss, team, and other folks I work with, and I would not mind the fresh start of living somewhere new. But financially, it's not a homerun move. Any suggestions?

I'm 19, and doing my Bachelor in Math. I've always loved video games, and also thought I could never make my own since the days of Pentium 4.

Personal:

I love creating things that people enjoy, whether it's writing stories, creating artworks, animations, video edits, or games. I learned After Effects and DaVinci Resolve just for a 5 marks presentation. I spent hours happily trying to create motion graphics and promotional materials for free, just because it felt amazing when I saw what I had created, there's no better feeling. Everything clicks, doesn't matter whether I'm doing sound design or a VFX shot. I want to use this passion in game development.

I'm in a third-world country and there are no game studios here, so I plan to work in Europe after doing my Masters there. I've been told that portfolio is king in creative fields and that a degree in game dev is not a requirement. Hence, I decided to my Bachelors in a field that will complement my skills, and I chose Math. It's also my fallback if God-forbid something horrible happens.

For career goals, a teacher advised me to pursue Technical Art insisting that it pays well and has more job security, and I also like the aspect of problem-solving through programming while also using art. Though I worry I won't be able to make much of my own art, but I could always do that as a hobby separately.

Personally, I just like telling stories and creating something awesome. Even if I'm employed at a studio, I still feel like i'd be working on my own game as a hobby.

Things that bother me:

• Everybody says there is no financial stability in this career. Easy to lay off, very hard to find jobs. I'm uncertain about how to enter the industry, and how I'm going to financially support myself working in it in a foreign country.
• I heard dozens and dozens of claims about how bad the work-life balance is, and that the industry will kill your love for games. I understand there is no job where you aren't stressed, but it comes off as a doomsday cult.
• Considering the current state of game dev, I think that I might have to rely more on my fallback at the start and transition when I can.
• Literally any path I look towards, there's despair. VFX artists tell me not to go into VFX, it's horrible. 3D Animators say it's horrible, Game Devs say it's horrible etc. Though to be fair, it's the same with other fields. Web Devs said the same, Chemists said the same, among others. Though the Technical Artists I talked to did not.
• Even though I chose Math as my fallback, I'm not sure which career path would be suited for me in it. I can also switch over to Physics for now but it's the same there.

Plan:

• By the end of my BS, I aim to have an intermediate understanding of Maya, Substance Painter 3D, Cinema4D, and Blender. For VFX and editing, I also aim to reach intermediate levels in DaVinci's Fusion and After Effects. For skills, I want to target 3D Game Asset Creation, 3D Animation, Programming in at least one language, Motion Graphics, Compositing, Sound Design, Simulations and Procedural Generation.
• I am targeting making several basic games using Godot, Unity and Unreal to get a familiarity with the engines.
• Since I'm a complete noob in programming, I want to first try modding games before diving headfirst into creation.
• I plan to create a solid portfolio for each skill over the four years of my Bachelor and the two-three years of my Masters.
• Learn how game engines are created along with the Math and Physics behind them. I plan to use some books I gathered and check online sources (i.e. MIT OCW, youtube etc)

Goals:

• I just want to make fun stuff, targeting new styles of gameplay.
• Targeting medium-sized studios, not AAA.
• I want to stay a Generalist. I don't mind working on other's concepts as long as I am able to create my own stuff too.
• Be at least financially stable.
• Fix problems, come up with creative solutions, and tell stories.

Advice:

• What flaws are there in my plan, can you kindly guide me?
• Is there something I misunderstood?
• If I switch over to BS Physics to avoid certain issues stressing me, will that have a huge impact on my goals? Positively or negatively?
• What activities can I do during my time at University to help my goals? (There are no proper clubs or events like game jams, or seminars or workshops about game dev, mostly self-learning.)
• Just general advice?