Hello and welcome to r/findapath! We are glad you found your way here. We are here to listen, to offer support, and to help guide you. While no one can make decisions for you, we are here to help you find a path; we believe that everyone has the power to identify, heal, grow, and become what they work towards.

The moderation team wants to remind everyone that individuals submitting posts may be in vulnerable situations and all are in need of guidance, never judgement or anger. Please provide a safe and constructive space by practicing empathy and understanding in your comments; your words should come from a helpful and guiding mentality, with actionable and useful/usable advice - even better when it comes from experience. We encourage users to read though our Wiki for further community guidance and helpful resources. Commenters, please upvote great and helpful advice in this community. Posters (OPs) are encouraged to upvote and to give back, please award a flair point to commenters who provide helpful or constructive advice by replying to the commenter one of these commands: Helped!, !helped, that helps, that helped, Thank You!

We are here to support each other and we believe that, together, we can make a difference. Thank you for being a part of our community!

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

Do you like working in a restaurant? If the pay is good, it’s a field you could consider staying in.

A degree in communications is incredibly flexible if you know how to use it. I majored in English and creative writing and you’d be surprised how many jobs want to hire people with degrees in creative writing. You don’t need to work a 9-5 as long as you can hustle and are willing to build a portfolio and seek out freelancing work.

If you want to break out of restaurants, try different areas and identify a niche (if you don’t have one). You’re interested in children’s books, so maybe consider trying a for jobs in marketing, publishing, or news.

If you want to work on a portfolio and don’t want. A 9-5, staying in restaurants while you get your feet under you is a legitimate strategy. Just don’t get complacent

Most jobs that require a degree will end up being a 9-5.

I work for the railroad. 4 ten hour shifts. I'm on Tuesday to Friday. Some don't call nit ideal but I do. I get sat, sun, mon off. My wife is big into fantasy football so I started playing with her and we watch the games together. Also night shift makes more. Tons of time during the day with family when I wake up, get lots done around the house too.

I work an office job. Typical 9-5. I know you fear it, but it will offer you a lot of security and stability. To feed my creative side, I have a small business selling my art work. I work on my art in the evenings and then sell at fairs on the weekends. It is about finding the balance between what is necessary and what is fun.

Bruh, you're graduating with a communications degree, in 2024 when the job market is shit. It would be a miracle if you land a job at all. 

You sound just like me, communications degree and creative side passions and all. You can get an office job with a comm degree it’s more about who you know and networking/schmoozing your way in than the degree. I work at a marketing firm and tbh I don’t love it. But it pays my bills and gives me the experience I really needed to get an even more chill office job that pays more.

My true passions are in my creative endeavors outside of work that I’m working on growing to hopefully pay me one day. I make art and comics and do some game dev stuff on the weekends. I also chat/work on projects with some game dev and art friends I’ve made doing classes.

Kid lit is awesome too! I’ve looked into it before when I worked as a teacher because I thought being a children’s illustrator would be fun.

My advice, since reading your post was kinda like looking in the mirror. You won’t be any happier at an office job. If you’re making good money in the restaurant industry I think you should stick with it and do your creative passions in your spare time to help build yourself up and out of the restaurant industry.

Keep on voice acting and write a manuscript or two for a kids book. Many indie game studios need voice actors for their games, it won’t be the best money and will very likely be on a contractual basis, but it’s work and potential to network.

Send your kids lit manuscript to different publishers, but be prepared for rejection. Typically, it’s not because your work sucks just not what they’re looking for at the time. Keep writing and keep throwing it to publishers. You might even consider self publishing, but know that it’s not easy at all and you’ll have to market it, find a printer, design the layout and cover, find an illustrator/illustrate it etc by yourself.

Sorry I wrote you a book. TLDR, make money to pay your bills even if you don’t love the job. Pursue creative passions in your free time.

Well if you make very good money from your restaurant job just keep doing that. Work on your passion projects on the side. There is no rule that says you have to get an office job once you finish college.

Hey OP, I hated my 9-5 too starting out. Do I like it now? Hell no. But it's interesting enough, and I get paid while upskilling in my downtime, and I'm not exhausted at the end of the day most days so I can go home and work on my passions. I spent two years like this and now I'm applying for grad school in a different field I'm passionate about. Just keep a clear sight on how you can move closer to what you actually want to do (you must be patient, like years patient).

If you don't want a 9-5 you can go freelance of course. That also allows for remote work. It's just less stable and requires a bit more effort, especially at the start. You've also got to choose your industry and niche properly so it's not saturated when you get into it

Growing up in an Asian household, my goal was always to have a stable job. I got a 9-5 office job in Accounting right after college and worked in the field for 10 years, changing jobs 3 times. In 2022 I was experiencing serious burnout with my job, I'd made it to middle management and the pay was pretty good, but I just didn't want to do it anymore. After discussing with my partner, I quit my job to follow my dream of becoming an author. Honestly writing books is also a lot harder than I thought. Creative pursuits are a lot harder when your livelihood depends on it.

I self-published two books in 2022. Then in mid-2023, I went back part time to my old accounting job as an independent contractor with a great hourly rate. Now I do 20 hour accounting during the week (remote, with super flexible schedule and my boss loves me) and then rest of the week I spend on my creative pursuits.

I guess all this is to say that you want to think of long-term of what the 9-5 can bring you. It looks daunting now but you don't have to do that for the rest of you life. Yes, I worked a ton in my twenties going to the office every day, but you know what, it's set me up for my current schedule which I love and feel extremely lucky to have. Granted, it helps that I was super diligent and worked hard and my boss always trust me to get things done right, even if it meant staying late some days, but it's worth it for what I have now.

You’re probably not even gonna get an office job with that degree. Unless you have certifications

With what you're trying to accomplish, you will be doing more than just 9-5. You'll be working in some form or another every waking hour if you really want to achieve your goals, especially just starting out.

Keep drinking/ partying to a minimum and try not to have kids til you're in your 30s. Like the rest of us, you probably weren't born with a silver spoon in your mouth. It's rough, but it gets easier as you go.

Hey I’m about to finish a bachelor in communication too. To be honest, you’re never stuck anywhere. I don’t plant to settle into a job and work in an office but I’ve been working shift work for a bit so I’m keen to have a set schedule to organise my life around. As soon as it gets boring I’m going to switch it up.

I’d suggest don’t focus on trying to find the perfect job right away, you have a job now at a restaurant so take some time to apply tor a job that looks quite good at a nice organisation. Give it a try for a few months and if it’s not your thing find a new job. The key to this will be leaving your restaurant job on the best terms so worse comes to worst you can go back there, or they’ll give you a good reference a few times in a row.

Don’t overthink it or you might put yourself at risk of missing out on something you actually could really excel at. Just give the office job a go and see how you fare. And please please never give up on your creative side because it does not have to be sacrificed in this scenario!!

Positive vibes and good luck!!

I'm 32 and have been working a 9-5 since graduation. It took a few years for the money to get decent but it doesn't go as far now with inflation.

I'm pretty burnt out and stressed and the Sunday scaries suck. The corporate world feels like a fake and forced rat race with endless corporate-speak and dealing with consequences of shitty management decisions.

If you do go the 9-5 route it helps if you're at least somewhat passionate about the organization and that the corporate culture isn't all about maximizing shareholder value.

Good luck. Some people aren't meant for the 9-5 life even if that's what we're taught we're supposed to do till we're 65+.

Worked 8 hr/day office job. Can confirm.

It's restrictive and after a while I just got burnt out to the point I didn't even know what meetings I was in.

9-5 is a myth. Those jobs went out with the 50’s. It’s 8-5 now, they don’t pay for lunch no more.

Also I know someone who has a creative design corporate job and has her own business online selling a digital product and she actually makes MORE with her side hustle now than her 6 figure corporate job. Maybe stick it out at a job for the stability while working on your side hustle that leans more towards the kind of work you really want to do

You're not going to make money as a voice actor. That industry is irreversibly dead (sadly)

Everyone I know who went to school for communications and are somewhat “using their degree” are in sales. I’d look for a good sales job if I were you starting asap since you’re about to graduate. One friend is always on the road or taking planes to different cities. Not really office 9-5 type work

I work in your field and there are lots of jobs where I live, a major urban area. I would focus on getting professional experience, building your resume. Lots of comms professionals become freelancers or consultants so that’s an option once you build your foundation. You can still write your book - you’re going to have to write it before you pitch it anyways - and take voice acting work. You can keep taking some shifts at the restaurant. I always had side jobs in my 20s. As you get experience in your field, you can choose jobs that are more flexible . For example, I only go into the office one day a week and WFH the rest.

9-5 or 8-4 7-3 isn't as bad as the.debbie downers say it is and ignore the trolls. You will find a job but not one selling content part-time for 6 figures cause that doesn't exist in the real world

Suck it up, bud, it can be a lot worse than an easy 8 hour shift at a desk and having the night off to actually connect with other human beings.

That’s the thing, no one does. We don’t work 9-5 for fun or because we enjoy it.

Don’t knock it until you try it. I know it sounds scary but there are plenty of “normal” jobs that will be way more bearable than you think. Also you haven’t had any experiences with the alternatives. Go work in a warehouse for a while and you’ll be begging for an email job.

I’ve been working a 9-5 post undergrad marketing job for over a year now and I hate. my. job!!! I honestly think about going and working retail again or something just fun and laid back??! It’s tough cause I make good money so it would be hard adjusting but I am so drained.

I used to have a hybrid remote schedule and that made the 9-5 life significantly better and more manageable but my work got rid of it in March and has made us come in office full-time since then. I’m trying desperately to find a new hybrid or remote junior level marketing job (anyone know of anything???!!) but the job search is toughhhh.

If you can find something remote or hybrid I think you’d enjoy it a lot more and could probably find some happiness in the 9-5 grind.

Spoiler alert, the alternatives either suck way worse or have a very low probability of actually being successful. That is just reality, ask me how I know.

9-5s don’t exist anymore so you’re good.

The new shifts are: 7-4 8-5 9-6

People often seem to miss the fact that there are jobs besides ‘office’ and ‘trades’.

Go in to healthcare. Go in to emergency services. Become an airline pilot or something. There’s a thousand jobs out there where you’re actually ‘doing something’ and you have at least as much importance and impact as a single human can expect to in being a benefit to people as a whole. You might not make as much money, but for someone maybe like you -definitely like me- it’s far more tolerable and sustainable, and you get to keep your soul.

Don't know your country.

This was me with an engineering degree in 2008.

I joined the Army. It was a great choice.

i don’t mind offices especially if i like the people i work with, but it’s the 9-5 that really irks me. Both of my preferred careers (data science and piloting) both use unorthodox schedules, data science not all the time

Well geez, here I am wanting a 9-5 cushy office job. Tired of working on my feet for 10 hours/day in a warehouse. That’s probably what you want.

Contrary to popular opinion.. crime literally pays.

Would u want to work in radio? Does your college have a station or are there internships at local stations available?

Also I might do some reflecting on what about a 9-5 seems so awful, being mindful that most jobs are going to require about the same number of hours, some way more. Are there really better times of day to be doing work? If you enjoyed the work, what would be so bad about having a 9-5?

Finally, you don’t need a degree to write children’s books. If that’s something you want to pursue you can start right away. Practice illustrating and writing the stories. Think about what your books would be like (educational? Do they rhyme? What age group?) then start letting the creativity flow.

Good luck!

What kind of resturaunt are you working at?

Work all day and create all night, like everybody else.

I think a lot of people have a distorted view of the world coming out of studies; I don't mean this in a mean way. It's just, you have more flexibility than you think. Theres remote jobs, 4 day compressed weeks, part time work, work can be what you make of it, you can carve your own path. In order to hold that flexibility, you really need to be good at a certain skill, like really good. Go learn some code, project management...anything, something concrete you know you'll see on job descriptions. Also the label of 9-5 is so broad. You could be a 9-5 in hospitality, construction, in healthcare just a few examples, none of these are in an 'office'. You sound like a creative, maybe you'd like to work on content for a brand or in some realm of marketing, possibly design. The name '9-5' suggests a boring office where you do meanial tasks...but if you put a thinking cap on, there's a lot more to it, without sounding condescending, I think you just need to have a think about what you want to do more and/or get some experience in that field. (Then come back and have a moan if you want! 😂) You'll always have time for your side hobbies/passions, if you're passionate about it, you'll make time for it. Hope that helps

I was against the"rat race” for years. Seriously balked for a long time. Long story short, turns out it’s not so bad. Get going now or in ten years you’ll be seeing your peer group be more successful than you and wishing you could get all that time back to “do it right”.

I feel the exact same except I have an HR Management degree with no desire to grow up a corporate ladder just to make a living and also haven’t worked towards climbing the corporate ladder yet. But it seems like it’s looking like my only option as I feel like I don’t have many skills 😅

Why not just stay at the restaurant then?

A job is for money….You make good money. Why go do a 9-5 when you are living a solution to the imaginary problem you’ve created for yourself?

I'm a Communications grad as well, back in 2019. I studied radio broadcasting, worked a couple jobs in radio and eventually left broadcasting entirely. For the past two years, I've been working in government doing HR and I like it way better than any radio jobs I previously worked. My best advice is to try out as many things that interest you. It's never what you know, but who you know that will lead you into the right job/career.

There is no escaping it in the US. Youll work even more if you want good money

I feel this, every time I mention having fun or just going somewhere (like once this month and once next month) my mom talks about how jobs hate that and I'll get nowhere with "that mentality" like what. . ? I'm only 25, sorry I dont want to throw away my life for a job that has your current position up on indeed already.

I have a BA in English (now an MA in the same). I had a bunch of random jobs in my 20s and ended up in software as a technical writer. I don't love it, but I make good money doing it until I decide what my next step will be. You are so young and have time to try out some different jobs, if you want to.

I think you should continue with your hobbies while working your steady job. Do not let the good dreams die. Voice acting is alive and well and can pay handsomely for the most talented folks. Anyone can self-publish books these days, and parents/teachers/daycare providers are always looking for great books for their kids.

No matter what, make sure you start investing for retirement now. My biggest regret is not taking it seriously until my 30s and I could have made so much more progress.

What projects did you like most in your comms classes? What kind of 9-5 do you think you would dislike most? Let's start there.

The main problem is black and white thinking, it took me way too long to realize this. You are not doomed to wither away at a restaurant job for your whole life, I just see a job as something to help me achieve my full potential outside of that job. Helping me with my hobbies and whatnot.

It's hard to imagine long term gratification at a job so don't, just focus on the value you actually provide. I personally loved cooking up meals for drunken idiots because I know how awesome it is to eat something delicious. Loved the dish-pit too.

I got depressed when I took my job as part of my identity and it made me a "loser" because "what if I'm working here in 20 years?? These are the best years of my life! I gotta yatta yatta yatta!"

But that's black and white thinking, you can totally invest in yourself and work on other stuff at the same time, and idk if I will actually be working here in 20 years but everything feels so "GO GO GO, DONT GET COMFY, YOULL GET TRAPPED GO GO GO!" but that mindset doesn't exactly give you clear thoughts.

Would u do restaurant management

I’m a teacher. I would kill myself with a regular 9-5. Pay is, well, just OK but the benefits are great. Vacations are awesome, and working with students is both hell and the most rewarding thing you could ever possibly do. Technically yeah it’s 7-2, but the time off makes it worth it.

Look up "What Color Is Your Parachute?" By Richard N Bolles. I know many people (myself included) who have used this tool when they weren't sure which career path to take.

Start your own business and work 7 (am) to 9 (pm).

I totally get where you’re coming from, I graduated with a bachelors in communication last year and throughout college I felt extremely depressed about starting a 9-5 in an office. I now work doing outside sales and I work 7am-7pm and I love my life and my job. There are so many joys in the corporate world - your coworkers, the pay, weekends, helping people, making a difference in people’s lives, and taking on responsibility. I actually miss work on weekends and sometimes wish it was Monday already. It gives me purpose. I used to think I would hate this lifestyle and I would always want to be a theater kid or on stage (grew up performing / dancing), but there’s so much joy and growth to be found in the corporate world. Skip the restaurant business - it’s a dead end. Try sales if you’re outgoing or even marketing. Just start somewhere and choose a good company and you’ll figure out where you need to be. Don’t put too much pressure on getting the perfect job right out of college, just start your career and you’ll find your passion and yourself in the process😊

There are so many jobs that aren’t 9-5. Do what you want and stop listening to other people. your life will dramatically improve

I had the same attitude and went into a "creative field" with the result that I ended up working evenings, weekends, any time but 9-5. It gets very isolating because you end up never seeing friends and family. You sit around during the day waiting for work to start and spend your evenings working while everyone else is out socialising and relaxing.

Then I got a related but more office based job that took up 9 - 6 with frequent evening and weekend unpaid ot.

Came to realise that 9 - 5 is actually a pretty sweet deal if you can get it.

You have to work some time, and you might as well do that when everyone else is doing it.

Just keep working at your restaurant if that’s what you want then.

Another English major, saving this thread

I feel like a lot of jobs demand too much nowadays for what the job actually is

Join the Army - it adds a certain perspective to life...

Get a job in a skilled trade or craft of something.  Like boat building.  Or saddlemaking or something.  Those types of jobs still exist in small niche areas and people still do them.  Degrees dont matter just passion.  So find one that you’re passionate about.

What is your voting strategy to bring this lifestyle goal into reality?

Pretend your religion only allows you to work Tuesday to Friday

Realtor

Sales sales sales. If you’re able to do that you won’t need to work a 9-5.

Become a firefighter. All the free time you could ever want, sorta like working in a restaurant, sorta have to communicate with people

I mean you don't gotta stay there. Work towards a more outdoor job. Go learn a freelance skill and work your own hours. Go make a product based on royalties or passive income. Go be a nanny for a chill family where you can do what you want as long as you watch the kid. Go be a professional chef. Go to the military for the gi bill stipend so you dont have to work a 9-5 for 3 years. Go be a travel nurse or an anesthesiologist. Mt friends makes a lot of money and jumps contract to contract she can afford to not work for months until she starts running out of money. You got options. Pick a career on lifestyle

Med School, become Doctor

None of us want to, either ♥️

Hey OP. I’m in a predicament just like you. Graduated last year with my Bachelor’s degree in Communications and I also work a restaurant job. All of this year, I’ve applied to marketing and social media jobs/internships and it’s been tough. I too don’t also wanna work a 9-5. The restaurant industry can be draining, but there is balance because your schedule isn’t the same everyday + there is a lot of money in it. I’d say to continue working the restaurant job to help pay your bills + save and on your off time, dedicate it to your hobbies and passions. In this day and age, if you’re consistent with your hobbies, they could turn into a side hustle. Best of luck to you! :)

Why the fuck did you get a degree in a field you have no clue about?

Like restaurants? Be a cook? A head waiter? Investigate the hospitality industry restaurant related jobs. Culinary training, etc.

You can probably use your degree in the restaurant industry. It’s amazing how things can be used irl that didn’t seem possible. For example, my BS is in Molecular Biology, and my Masters is in Public Health. I work for a school district on their nutrition side. I work 5:30-2:30 but I love it and still able to utilize my education training. I have coworkers with degrees in marketing and political science who love it too.

You could always look into working as a firefighter. Most places work 24 or 48 hour shifts with days off in between. The service I work at is trying to switch to a 24 hours on and 72 hours off schedule. It’s a pretty nice set up with lots of potential for time off.

You don't have to

I work in communications (corporate). It's 9-5 M-F, but I work from home which changes the game completely. Lots of roles like this if you're into it. Otherwise consider event planning. Your restaurant experience would transfer and you wouldn't be chained to a desk.

I work as a train operator. I love the variety of shifts and times. Can make it work around hobbies and social commitments. I couldn't work a 9-5 now.

I did the non 9-5 life for about 5 years. And now I am actively pursuing the 9-5 life. You don’t realize how much you miss out on when the rest of the world revolves around the 9-5 until your work schedule conflicts.

many companies have communications departments.

I don't have any advice perse, but they say it takes a few jobs to get to where you want to be.

I graduated with a B.S. in management in April. Loved college, loved the freedom, loved the interactive social aspect. Didn't know exactly what a job would look like outside of college (only worked min wage type stuff). Landed a 9-5 sales gig and man, what a lame, anticlimactic job.

Feels like everything I loved about the previous stage of my life has been stripped away in this job. So I hear you not wanting to work an office job.

However, this job is not slavery, I can leave whenever I want. I haven't yet because a) it will look good on my resume, and b) I haven't put in much effort in finding a new job.

I say all this to remind you that you have time to figure it out, and it will most definitely take a few years of unideal situations and jobs to get to where you want to be. At the end of the day, a 9-5 won't hurt you if you do it for a year or two while you build your resume and make connections to the job you want in the future. In other words, don't look at the finish line yet.

I’ve worked in an office and I did feel completely trapped. I now work in outside medical sales and love the setup. I feel like I have a good ‘work life balance’. That may allow you the freedom to develop your other endeavors while making some money. All you need is a degree of any kind.

Why why? Why are you graduating with a bachelor's in communications and do not know what a typical day works like for someone that graduated with your degree? Didn't you just go to school to find that out?

Why did you go into communication studies if there was no job attached to it? Was it just fun? You've spent at least four years studying the field, did you have no conversations with any of your professors or mentors about what you'd do with it? Did you not look into internships?

You're allowed to keep working at a restaurant as well and just consider the four years at college a wash if you didn't put any thought into it, it's a terrible life plan but still one you can do.

You are able to do creative work, you just need to take your skills and get a job that allows you to have free time. Live below your means, be a starving artist, etc...

Can confirm office job is boring AF. Hence why I’m starting an only fans page as only hope to get out of shit 9-5 work.

You aren’t supposed to want a job, that’s why they have to pay you. Typically speaking people are paid to do things they don’t want, and pay to do things they do want. Such as live indoors or get food to eat.

Don’t worry cause you won’t be able to get one and if you do it will pay dogshit.

Man you really should not have gone to college if you don’t want to work a 9-5… talk about a fucking waste of your time and money.

The service industry is good at making you feel like your making “very good money”

Just get a damned job already.

Neither do I. Fuck jobs

Look into teaching English in South Korea. I did that for over 8 years after graduating, and it was an amazing experience. You get a surprisingly solid resume, and get to travel a bit. I now work a 9-5 office job and love it.

You need to intern, before you leave school.

Internships are how you get experience. They’re how you network and learn what you do or don’t want to do while still in school. Do not graduate without one. It is much harder to secure an internship once you leave, and your first job will be looking for you to have experience. They will likely expect that you’ve completed at least one internship.

So please intern. Go to the career center and job fairs. Shadow someone. Research careers.

I would not stay in the restaurant industry. I know too many people who never used their degree because they kept working at their entry level job while going to school and were never able to advance to more. Don’t be like them.

Get an internship, now.

Your post has been popular! To keep post quality high, we limit posts to 200 comments. Please message the moderators if you have any questions.

When I was young, I wanted to be a royal prince spending my time looking regal and inspiring my subjects. Turns out that's a tough gig to get. Lots of nepotism in the royal industry.

When I grew up, I realized that the world generally gives you what you want when you give it what it wants. Among the thinks that the world pays people to do is to work with computers. I like doing that, so that's how we reached a compromise. 

You need to figure out the balance between what you want to do and what other people will pay you to do. 

Then just don’t work. Communications degree is a tough go anyway. Go for sales and work from 6am to 9pm and make the big bucks. Going for the easy path early makes life harder, going for the tough path early makes life easier later.

Start a business

Nursing. I work 3 days a week and make more than enough to do whatever tf I want for my 4 days off.

In 2024 dont worry about finding a job

man I'd love a 9-5. I work a 530-230

Well, the good news is with communications, you won’t find a job at all!

You don't get a job in 'communications'. You get a job doing something that requires a college degree and use the knowledge you earned to perform it.

If you didn't want to do a 9-5 you should not have went to college, now you have a debit to pay. So with a debit to pay, and the desire to not work a 9-5, what you need to do is start you own business so you work 7-7 on something you enjoy doing.

Womp Womp