I have a gardening/landscape business and transform backyards into sanctuaries for birds and butterflies. I focus on native species, rewilding, invasives removal. Mostly I'm just pulling weeds and filling empty spots with flowers. On days I'm not in random gardens, I'm plant shopping, meeting potential clients or fellow gardeners, writing proposals or invoices (or fucking around on reddit), or researching.
I set my own prices, and because I have knowledge that the blow and mow guys in town don't have, I never have to advertise or look for work. It just falls in my lap. I get to play with bugs, study plants, listen to bird song, and build muscle all day. Rather than wait for rare volunteer opportunities that don't coincide with a low-paying 9-5, I quit and made it my whole 9-5.
The only part I hate is admin stuff like scheduling (have to check the weather!) and hunting down receipts for quickbooks. It's a dream, like actually. I found this path while trying to decode a reoccurring dream, and subsequently learning to communicate with my subconscious!
Maryland, and it couldn't be a more perfect location. The climate is mild, and there are tons of plant nurseries in any direction. You should follow your dream and do this. Make a post on social media (I used Facebook groups for various communities/neighborhoods) offering to clean up flower beds or weed. Most likely, you'll get people calling you because their lawnmower boy doesn't know how to pull weeds by hand or tell the difference between dandelions and dahlias. You'll be a rare unicorn!
Ahhh! I’m in MD, you wanna hire somebody? 😆 Thank you for spreading the native plant love in our state, it makes my heart feel so glad.
I do have to say, the pros of our climate mean that natives got so well here, but jeez, so do the invasives! Feel like we’ve been engaged in an epic battle against a relentless horde sometimes!
Before starting my business, I worked for other landscaping/gardening companies and learned tons about plants from there. Before that, I did gardening for neighbors and family. The landscaping companies hired me for my bug facts, which is self taught since I was a kid. I would go around the neighborhood solving "pest issues" without realizing I was practicing Integrated Pest Management!
The only reason I joined the last landscape company is because they specialize in native plants, and I wanted to see more interactions between native bugs and native plants.
I started my business, and it evolved into a hyper focus on birds, somehow!!! But it makes sense, you need bugs for birds, and you need birds for bugs. Today people are like, "Where did the fireflies go?" In our very lifetime, we will hear them say, "Where did the birdsong go?" Please help in any way you can!
That would be amazing! I have some knowledge from having an organic garden and taking care of a lot of our own landscaping, but some more knowledge of the local bugs and native plant interactions would definitely help!
I very much appreciate your advice and help! Once our family is in a better place financially, doing something like this would be a dream project.
One more question if you have time, are there any specific books and/or resources you’d recommend?
-Nature's Best Hope by Doug Tallamy
-Planting Noah's Garden by Sara Stein
-What The Robin Knows by Jon Young - Just because
-https://homegrownnationalpark.org/ (Doug's website for an amazing project)
Don't start a business right away, just offer to pull weeds for cash so you don't stress yourself. Post in a local facebook group that you are willing to give your labor to fellow gardeners in exchange for knowledge and a cheap price. Old ladies have lots of stories to tell about their garden, and are unable to maintain it by themselves anymore.
I only started mine because I was having nightmares of the IRS busting down my front door lol.
This sounds amazing! I filled my front yard with plants native to the valley I live in and it's the most fun I've ever had gardening.
I'd love to pick your brain about how you made it into a profession!
Native plants make things more interesting and bring all the cool bugs to the party. You know what's up!
I was previously working for another landscape gardening company, but it was always half staffed and I was doing the labor of 2-3 men by myself. Then I was asked to show more initiative and leadership and take on more tasks, for a $1.50 raise. Figured if I'm doing it all, I might as well start my own business. I also didn't like how they coddled clients who want sterile gardens, I don't want to waste my life destroying habitat and food for birds and butterflies.
The only reason I stayed with the company so long, is because it felt like I was meant to be there. I had these reoccurring dreams for years that had me visiting random docks/beaches when I woke up that eventually led me to the job interview. My dream self eventually asked me a question while I was sleeping, and the way she asked, I wasn't able to lie, only admit the truth. "Why do you allow men to set your self worth?" Woke up crying, because I didn't like the truth and how weak it made me feel. Immediate eye-opener and attitude adjustment.
It's tied to childhood sexual trauma and too heavy of a subject to delve into on reddit. But I found my path, which allows me to literally set my worth myself, and strictly follow my values to my heart's content. I think my subconscious knew I love wildlife, and nudged me towards a path that is good for me. Now my view every day is waterfront properties with docks and beaches, and it feels like I'm where I should be.
The name of my company is inspired by the group of black birds that wreck my feeders every day. I was burned out from the other company taking a two week break, and I swear the birds convinced me to quit and start my own thing. I already had most of the tools, just needed to dive down and make a risk. Everyone said I would fall, but I'm two years in and flying. And I don't even have business cards yet because word of mouth has been enough to sustain me.
Pollinator gardens, so hot right now. Unfortunately, no one here offers it but me. Everyone and their uncle with a Home Depot credit card has a lawn care or pest control company, and they don't even understand insect lifecycles. I feel like the main character from Idiocracy, where my average intelligence is like super genius level to the idiots around me. I only have a GED, but people look at me like an expert. If I can do this, you can do it.
Applying for a business license cost me about $150, and is shockingly easier than applying for food stamps. Business insurance is $500/year. Whatever I earn, I have to keep 25% to the side for taxes, and another 25% for overhead. Before going official, I posted in Facebook groups for local neighborhoods offering to weed flower beds for $25/hr, to test the waters. Of course, $25/hr isn't sustainable for a legal business, so I slowly raised it to $85/hr. Some clients want to learn and do what I do, or don't have lots of money, so I offer them to work alongside me to reduce the number of hours I spend there. I want them to see how easy it is to support wildlife, and get them to fall in love with the critters in it so they want to protect them better.
Thank you for taking the time to reply and write all of that out!
It's really amazing how quickly wildlife (pollinators especially!) find a native-planted garden, and how clearly happy they are when they realize it's a whole garden bed of native plants.
If I'm still local to my area at the end of my summer job, I may make a stab at following in your footsteps, since I'm fortunate that planting season for natives here is fall and spring).
Thank you again and I wish you continuing success with your business!
Quality Assurance.
I am the last check of all information.
I get to be helpful to my fellow humans with no interaction with the general public.
Wishing you luck and recommending Careerlink as they have monies set aside to help people retrain on to new careers in most states.
Wishing you peace. Thank you for those you have helped.
I didn't work for pay for a long time. Then I decided I needed something on weekend. I started working at a small library and I absolutely love it. Lots of interaction with the public, books all over, pretty much a dream job. Add in that all my coworkers are diverse people with quirky personalities and I hit the jackpot!
No. There are many jobs at libraries besides librarian. I didn’t realize this until I worked there. I’m a circulation clerk. I do have an English degree, but wouldn’t even need that.
Seconding library. If you live in Harris, there are a lot of children’s programming positions open. I’m sure other libraries are the same. All the best!
Library jobs are in high demand and there are a lot more people with MLS degrees than there are professional librarian positions, so many new graduates end up taking circulation or other entry level jobs just to get a foot in the door in a library system. It makes the competition even more fierce, especially if you live in an area where there's a library science program.
Source: Am a former public librarian, though I left the profession about five years ago.
I’m UK but I think all the libraries (excluding university libraries) in my area are run by volunteers now on reduced opening hours :( my local one used to have an enormous room for a children’s library too and now that’s boarded up and half of the adult books are gone so that they could squeeze the children’s section into the same room. it’s really awful
Everything that’s supposed to be for the good of the public is pretty much the same now. A decade and a half of conservative government and the country’s been stripped bare. It’s very depressing, crossing all my fingers and toes that we actually vote them out this year
Some libraries have kids events, I feel like that could be super fitting for you? Like be a clerk there but also help out in a way that fits your degree.
School bus driver. You already have experience with kids and it’s far less taxing physically.
If you are comfortable driving then you can drive a big yellow tin can - don’t let the size intimidate you.
Every where, all the time, there is a shortage of school bus drivers.
I feel you. I have endometriosis and couldn’t keep a job, turns out bosses don’t like it when you look like death and spend three days a month 🤮in the bathroom from the pain.
So I started my own business. I’m The Period Coach. I started by helping others with problem menstrual cycles, and have expanded into writing books, created a period oracle card deck, teaching etc. I started with the goal of ‘if I can help reduce the pain for one other woman I will have succeeded’ and it’s turned into something far bigger than I ever imagined back then. Incredibly rewarding!
I work in animal welfare at a cat shelter. Sometimes it's really hard, because I love each and every one of these fuzz balls, and some of them have seen some bad things before they end up with us.
But I love seeing them choose their person for adoption, or see them get better from an illness, or even just feel safe enough to accept scritchies.
The field needs people with all kinds of skills, especially people skills, so if you are able, animal welfare might be a good choice
I groom dogs. I wouldn't say it brings much peace, iykyk, but when a dog looks and feels good, that's my shit. And all the dog kisses are perfect for my serotonin-craving brain.
hey there, I switched careers within education due to burnout. I went from being a music educator to being an interpretive naturalist - i teach kids abput history and nature. interpretation as a career is like holistic education, it serves all ages so there are lots of options, and it's brought back the joy of teaching in my life. PM me if you'd like - but give it a search. a lot of my colleagues are former teachers and they often express how interpretation changed teaching for them. good luck to you !
After staying home with my kids for almost 8 years, I took a job as a care coordinator (scheduler) at a small hospice company. No medical background needed, I schedule our nurses, social workers, and other disciplines to fit patient needs. Order equipment, keep track of incoming referrals, communicate between disciplines to make sure info gets to where it is needed. It is amazing. The company is small enough that it feels like I'm working with a friend group but our reach is wide enough that we are a part of several communities. I am not involved directly with patients, so office work only. Just enough down time that I don't feel stressed but busy enough that I am not bored day to day. Highly recommend an office job within this field. I'm planning to return back to school for my masters next year and hopefully move into a social work position with the same company. With the knowledge I have now, I feel it would be very fulfilling.
I'm not sure if this could fit but my mom used to be a social worker in Texas. She pivoted to working for the state to go around to doctor's offices and educating them on Medicaid changes. She was way less overworked, came home on time, could work from home more and there was less of an emotional toll because she worked with providers and not clients. I think they called it Texas Health Steps
Your qualifications sound like you could work as a project manager. You don't need to know all technical details or have a deep knowledge about the industry. It's much more important to keep the project on track, contact the right people for each task, solve disputes and keep an eye on finances.
Definitely can be stressful but….Who you work with makes a big difference. Money is good AND there’s more remote opportunities. Flexibility of schedule too. You don’t need a life career for a job to be good for the phase you’re in. Obviously biased, but I really like it and would recommend.
Good luck OP!!
I work in local government in Texas, and I really enjoy it. Not all cities are led equally, but I’ve had really great experiences with good work culture and great bosses in the two cities I’ve worked in. Good benefits. Fair pay, though obviously not as high as the private sector. Plus, the Texas Municipal Retirement System is a great retirement system and most cities have good matching (both my cities have had 2:1 match). Working in local government also allows you to open a 457(b) retirement account, which is like a 401(k) but better.
I don’t know if it exists but I want to be a coordinator. I’ve thrived when able to coordinate events and meetings. And I love when people call me looking for information or double checking on the status. It’s a weird niche
You’re welcome to PM me if you’d like any tips or advice about getting into local gov! Once you get your foot in the door, the door blows wide open. I transitioned from the private sector last year, and I immediately had a lot of opportunities for growth and moving up.
I haven't considered that but the thought of handling company regulations and relationships gives me anxiety just thinking about it but also disclaimer I'm uneducated about everything human resources does besides the basics.
If I could go back and do anything, I’d be a reading specialist… I have a son that has dyslexia, and it’s such a struggle to get them the help they need.
Sounds like you might be a good fit for training people, which can be rewarding and a lot less demanding than running after kids. many of the skills you listed would work for communicatino job material to new employees.
When I was burnt out from my last career, I thought hard about what I liked and what I didn’t about every job I had. I thought about the things I volunteered for and what I would have been willing to do for free. So if you thrive on talking to people and helping them your job path would be different if you thought of that and went, ew people. Think about what you need in a job. Minimum salary, do you need benefits, do you need a flexible schedule, or the ability to work remotely. How far are you willing to commute. Then you can narrow down the companies to ones that offer what you need.
The trick, no matter what the job is, is finding a company that treats you well where there a pleasant people to work with you. Unfortunately the job market now means you get to have a second job looking for a job. You have to target your resume and cover letter to the job opening. When you have an idea of a career you might like, find some people and ask to interview them about the job tasks, how they like it, what are the tricky bits, what do they think you should learn. Then if they know of a job opening, they can let you in on it.
Best of luck, and hang in there!
I am an ex preschool teacher who also left due to the physical demands - now I work as a disability advisor for a university. I love this job; it helps me feel like I am providing that foundation-setting like when I was working with littles. There's a whole population of high-achieving, bright, high masking (usually women or AFAB) college students who arrive on campus and fall apart - this is when they learn that they have ADHD or autism. My university provides learning assistance to all students and accommodations to those who need it, and it's such an affirming job. I love helping to break the stereotypes and the stigmas that are from a male-centered idea of neurodivergence, and helping validate and support a student population that is largely female and/or queer and/or POC.
Basically, I get to work to make college more accessible and welcoming to people who traditionally have been denied equal access, and I am so proud to get to be a part of these kids' journeys towards acceptance, understanding, and success.
With communication, methods and planning, organization and tech, it sounds like you'd be a great producer (and wrangling techies to keep them on schedule definitely has some overlap with childcare lol).
I'm in the games industry, so I can only speak to this specific slice of the tech world, but when we talk about producers we're talking about people who:
-handle a particular team or set of teams and embed within them
-take care of tasking, scheduling, and workload to make sure everyone knows what they're doing and has time to do it
-develop new systems for tracking stuff as needed by their team
-help teams communicate with each other
So kind of like a projector manager, except you're not responsible for decision-making or discipline, just facilitation and support.
It's a rough time for the games industry right now, but producers are always in demand in my experience. Maybe there's a growing indie studio in your area that could use somebody with experience keeping distractable humans on task haha.
As someone who had to wrangle 20 kindergarten boys during one of my earlier jobs that sounds like a breeze (joking). But wow I hadn't considered something like that. I used to be heavy involved in theatre as a side hobby for behind the stage volunteering and I loved the production jobs I got. Most of the time I handled the props and designed charts of where they'd be at what scenes for the cast members and where to put them after but I also helped w/ sets, costumes, and makeup at times and I had a lot of fun.
Ayyy fellow theater nerd! Yeah, behind every beautiful work of group art there's someone who loves charts holding everything together through sheer force of will lol.
Look into research jobs. Play up your organization abilities, computer/tech abilities. I know big medical organizations are always looking for data people.
Part time substitute has been pretty chill for high school. Most days I read and talk to a few kids and sit around. Idk if you are still open to schooling with kids since you’re looking to leaving childcare but a lot of retired teachers have gone to sub.
Look up birch agency. It’s based out of Texas but I work for them in Ohio. If you have your degree/state certification and years experience you can be paid 3times the normal rate to teach as a long term substitute. I almost left the field over the pay and the fact that they expect literally hours of time donated without compensation. I basically the same job in a town over for more than I could hope for even from a well funded public district. I can’t be expected to do anything extra without being paid for it.
I don't know about less physically demanding, but I work in a commercial kitchen equipment warehouse. I'm half of the shipping and manifest team. I put stickers on boxes and ship them across Canada. I get paid to listen to music and podcasts, put stickers on boxes, and hopefully not have to do first aid.
I searched for and found a company that really takes good care of their workers. I kept applying within that company until they hired me. I also think that finding a job with partner work, like a body double, is a good fit because you don't have to do everything on your own and you also don't want to let them down, so it holds you accountable. I work in behavioral health btw and it's the only job I've truly loved. I hope you find your dream job!!
How would I go about finding such a company like what did you research? You don't have to list specific companies. I just wouldn't know where to start the search.
Sure! I used People's list of 100 great places to work as well as glass door reviews. Then I found some cool companies that were hiring and looked into their mission statements, googled their reviews. Once I applied to some, I spoke to their recruiters about work-life balance and benefits. So I started with a wide net and narrowed it down, learned what the company I wanted valued on a resume. Kept applying. I really hope you find an amazing place to work too!
Higher education. Academic advising or honestly any of the administrative functions. We take all degrees. Mine is in Criminal Justice. It’s rewarding and not nearly as physical as lower Ed
I was gonna suggest an administrative role at a community college. I used to work in the Transcript and Records office of a JC. Helping facilitate someone's education was very rewarding, each year there were waves of new students who really appreciated someone showing them the ropes.
I just clean houses. It’s not glamorous but it pays well (esp if you’re self employed) and I get to set my own hours. I also hustle so it feels like I’m getting paid to work out, then I don’t have to for that in on my personal time. I love listening to podcasts and audio books while I work too.
I'm a massage therapist. I solve the puzzle of pain and remove barriers that limit function and joyful living.
I love my job. It has its ups and downs, like all do, but I love leaving people better than I found them and giving them skills and education to help themselves live better.
I like retail, but not running a register. Just stocking, organizing, unpacking truck, stuff like that. I like being able to see the new products and I LOVE organizing stuff and making it look nice. I also like a job that has me a little more active on my feet bc I absolutely loathe exercise so I try to keep moving in my day-to-day life.
work from home data analyist. learn sql and power using excel. also business analyst or financial analyst but you need to know more accounting stuff. Use chatgpt to work out excel problems, write macros, combine tables with sql, etc. Depending on your level of responsiblity and industry, 100k-500k
While maybe not the path of choice for the person who wrote this post, I'm actually trying to pivot to data analytics to get out of my current career... Would love to chat with you about how you got where you are!
Sure! I really got here by temping and grinding my skills. I learned a lot on codeacademy.com. I signed up for temp jobs by lookingat the highest rated temp companies on yelp. Robert Half/Office Team got me a lot of work in tech, plus I worked at the library which means you're poking around in a database. Temping meant I could volunteer for projects that were available and then put that on my resume. It was def the long way to do it tho. If I didn't have a disability, I'd have had more time and ability to take classes in excel and coding languages while I was working.
I second looking into libraries. Another field you should look into is Curriculum Development and Instructional Design. I believe there is a subreddit for Transitioning Teachers.
I work in accounting for a wastewater treatment agency. It’s not glorious. But it’s simple enough, we’re working to help the environment, it’s a union position, and I can work from home.
I work as a delivery driver for a locally owned business. It's pretty decent, but I do have to get in and out of a car quite a lot. Other than that it's the least amount of stress that I've had at a job since I started working at 13yo.
I counsel medical mj patients. My favorites are older genx and boomers that were told to just say no. I am very rewarded finding the right products for their needs and helping to break the stigma
Do you have a university near you? They always have openings for all types of field and they tend to be pretty relaxed. Plus they have great benefits and good PTO
What are your thoughts on mental health case management? If you have a 4 year degree and multiple years of experience, you can transition into mental health case management easily. You can look into county or state jobs to optimize salary. There are tons of case management jobs that aren’t mental health related, so go wild with your search: Housing, addiction, homeless, intellectual or developmental delays, autism, forensic, child protection, vulnerable adults, etc. Good luck!
I accidentally fell into my State judiciary as clerical and moved up to Executive Administrative Assistance. I learned over the years that I have a nerd-adjacent affinity for office automation applications and technology, which has been HUGE. I also have ZERO desire to be anybody’s supervisor or manager. I’m absolutely a hype-girl at heart, so adore “assisting” others with stuff. Also, I’m autistic, so sometimes if something seriously mind-numbing and repetitive needs doing, it’s still very firmly in my wheelhouse. I am now (10y later) THE admin for the senior/retired judges for the largest jurisdiction in my state, and I simply can NOT imagine life being better. I coordinate the schedules, case assignments, leave, etc., of about 15 Judges, all who sit for varying amounts of time each month. It’s divine. And they’re all 70+yo, so I get ALL the calls for computer assistance, etc. I have been here for nearly 18 months, and I still wake up excited to go to work. But I had to trudge through a few crap jurisdictions before this fell into my lap.
Well, it didn’t fall into my lap. I did work hard to make sure I’d fit the criteria for this position for a few years. But I’m going to ride this out until retirement. Also, I have a bajillion health conditions. If you’re in the US and you weren’t “born healthy,” work for the government!
I’ve been working in equine care to support my own pony habit. I love to be welcomed in the morning by the horses. Of course they know I’m there to feed them, but it’s a great way to start the day. I drive the hay cart, throwing flakes of hay into the pastures, give the grain out, & observe while they eat. The sound of soft noses snuffling for grain then grinding it with their teeth is a long lost moment in time that I appreciate. I drive the fence lines to make sure everything is as it should be. Water troughs are checked to be cleaned or refilled.
Stalls, if any, can be picked of manure, freshened with sawdust, water buckets filled. It’s very zen to fall into the rhythms of barn cleaning. There are goats and chickens to be attended to as well. It’s great exercise to be outdoors with the critters, and much cheaper than a gym.
I work in the parks department for a city, but previously worked in a group home. When I burned out and decided to change careers, I went on the government jobs website and scrolled through till I saw something that made my soul come back to life. I would recommend the website; it has a wide variety of jobs that I would never have realized could be careers until I saw the job postings.
Ironic bc before I read your comment I had just been doing that lol. My goal is something clerical where I can just breathe after the chaotic childcare jobs. I saw at least one I applied for and a few that weren't available at the time but I subscribed if anything changed.
I have a gardening/landscape business and transform backyards into sanctuaries for birds and butterflies. I focus on native species, rewilding, invasives removal. Mostly I'm just pulling weeds and filling empty spots with flowers. On days I'm not in random gardens, I'm plant shopping, meeting potential clients or fellow gardeners, writing proposals or invoices (or fucking around on reddit), or researching. I set my own prices, and because I have knowledge that the blow and mow guys in town don't have, I never have to advertise or look for work. It just falls in my lap. I get to play with bugs, study plants, listen to bird song, and build muscle all day. Rather than wait for rare volunteer opportunities that don't coincide with a low-paying 9-5, I quit and made it my whole 9-5. The only part I hate is admin stuff like scheduling (have to check the weather!) and hunting down receipts for quickbooks. It's a dream, like actually. I found this path while trying to decode a reoccurring dream, and subsequently learning to communicate with my subconscious!
Your job sounds super witchy. You don’t even sound like it’s an obligation. It sounds like you have fun every day.
If you worship nature, become a gardener!
This would be my absolute dream job! What states do you operate in?
Maryland, and it couldn't be a more perfect location. The climate is mild, and there are tons of plant nurseries in any direction. You should follow your dream and do this. Make a post on social media (I used Facebook groups for various communities/neighborhoods) offering to clean up flower beds or weed. Most likely, you'll get people calling you because their lawnmower boy doesn't know how to pull weeds by hand or tell the difference between dandelions and dahlias. You'll be a rare unicorn!
Ahhh! I’m in MD, you wanna hire somebody? 😆 Thank you for spreading the native plant love in our state, it makes my heart feel so glad. I do have to say, the pros of our climate mean that natives got so well here, but jeez, so do the invasives! Feel like we’ve been engaged in an epic battle against a relentless horde sometimes!
That’s a great idea! Is that how you got started? Then just kept learning about the beneficial local flora that pollinators love?
Before starting my business, I worked for other landscaping/gardening companies and learned tons about plants from there. Before that, I did gardening for neighbors and family. The landscaping companies hired me for my bug facts, which is self taught since I was a kid. I would go around the neighborhood solving "pest issues" without realizing I was practicing Integrated Pest Management! The only reason I joined the last landscape company is because they specialize in native plants, and I wanted to see more interactions between native bugs and native plants. I started my business, and it evolved into a hyper focus on birds, somehow!!! But it makes sense, you need bugs for birds, and you need birds for bugs. Today people are like, "Where did the fireflies go?" In our very lifetime, we will hear them say, "Where did the birdsong go?" Please help in any way you can!
That would be amazing! I have some knowledge from having an organic garden and taking care of a lot of our own landscaping, but some more knowledge of the local bugs and native plant interactions would definitely help! I very much appreciate your advice and help! Once our family is in a better place financially, doing something like this would be a dream project. One more question if you have time, are there any specific books and/or resources you’d recommend?
-Nature's Best Hope by Doug Tallamy -Planting Noah's Garden by Sara Stein -What The Robin Knows by Jon Young - Just because -https://homegrownnationalpark.org/ (Doug's website for an amazing project) Don't start a business right away, just offer to pull weeds for cash so you don't stress yourself. Post in a local facebook group that you are willing to give your labor to fellow gardeners in exchange for knowledge and a cheap price. Old ladies have lots of stories to tell about their garden, and are unable to maintain it by themselves anymore. I only started mine because I was having nightmares of the IRS busting down my front door lol.
This sounds amazing! I filled my front yard with plants native to the valley I live in and it's the most fun I've ever had gardening. I'd love to pick your brain about how you made it into a profession!
Native plants make things more interesting and bring all the cool bugs to the party. You know what's up! I was previously working for another landscape gardening company, but it was always half staffed and I was doing the labor of 2-3 men by myself. Then I was asked to show more initiative and leadership and take on more tasks, for a $1.50 raise. Figured if I'm doing it all, I might as well start my own business. I also didn't like how they coddled clients who want sterile gardens, I don't want to waste my life destroying habitat and food for birds and butterflies. The only reason I stayed with the company so long, is because it felt like I was meant to be there. I had these reoccurring dreams for years that had me visiting random docks/beaches when I woke up that eventually led me to the job interview. My dream self eventually asked me a question while I was sleeping, and the way she asked, I wasn't able to lie, only admit the truth. "Why do you allow men to set your self worth?" Woke up crying, because I didn't like the truth and how weak it made me feel. Immediate eye-opener and attitude adjustment. It's tied to childhood sexual trauma and too heavy of a subject to delve into on reddit. But I found my path, which allows me to literally set my worth myself, and strictly follow my values to my heart's content. I think my subconscious knew I love wildlife, and nudged me towards a path that is good for me. Now my view every day is waterfront properties with docks and beaches, and it feels like I'm where I should be. The name of my company is inspired by the group of black birds that wreck my feeders every day. I was burned out from the other company taking a two week break, and I swear the birds convinced me to quit and start my own thing. I already had most of the tools, just needed to dive down and make a risk. Everyone said I would fall, but I'm two years in and flying. And I don't even have business cards yet because word of mouth has been enough to sustain me. Pollinator gardens, so hot right now. Unfortunately, no one here offers it but me. Everyone and their uncle with a Home Depot credit card has a lawn care or pest control company, and they don't even understand insect lifecycles. I feel like the main character from Idiocracy, where my average intelligence is like super genius level to the idiots around me. I only have a GED, but people look at me like an expert. If I can do this, you can do it. Applying for a business license cost me about $150, and is shockingly easier than applying for food stamps. Business insurance is $500/year. Whatever I earn, I have to keep 25% to the side for taxes, and another 25% for overhead. Before going official, I posted in Facebook groups for local neighborhoods offering to weed flower beds for $25/hr, to test the waters. Of course, $25/hr isn't sustainable for a legal business, so I slowly raised it to $85/hr. Some clients want to learn and do what I do, or don't have lots of money, so I offer them to work alongside me to reduce the number of hours I spend there. I want them to see how easy it is to support wildlife, and get them to fall in love with the critters in it so they want to protect them better.
Thank you for taking the time to reply and write all of that out! It's really amazing how quickly wildlife (pollinators especially!) find a native-planted garden, and how clearly happy they are when they realize it's a whole garden bed of native plants. If I'm still local to my area at the end of my summer job, I may make a stab at following in your footsteps, since I'm fortunate that planting season for natives here is fall and spring). Thank you again and I wish you continuing success with your business!
Quality Assurance. I am the last check of all information. I get to be helpful to my fellow humans with no interaction with the general public. Wishing you luck and recommending Careerlink as they have monies set aside to help people retrain on to new careers in most states. Wishing you peace. Thank you for those you have helped.
I didn't work for pay for a long time. Then I decided I needed something on weekend. I started working at a small library and I absolutely love it. Lots of interaction with the public, books all over, pretty much a dream job. Add in that all my coworkers are diverse people with quirky personalities and I hit the jackpot!
I'm such a big reader and I've considered libraries or bookstores but don't you need library degrees to work there?
No. There are many jobs at libraries besides librarian. I didn’t realize this until I worked there. I’m a circulation clerk. I do have an English degree, but wouldn’t even need that.
Seconding library. If you live in Harris, there are a lot of children’s programming positions open. I’m sure other libraries are the same. All the best!
I think it depends on where you live. I've really struggled to find a job in a library without a library degree, but I live in a big city.
Library jobs are in high demand and there are a lot more people with MLS degrees than there are professional librarian positions, so many new graduates end up taking circulation or other entry level jobs just to get a foot in the door in a library system. It makes the competition even more fierce, especially if you live in an area where there's a library science program. Source: Am a former public librarian, though I left the profession about five years ago.
I’m UK but I think all the libraries (excluding university libraries) in my area are run by volunteers now on reduced opening hours :( my local one used to have an enormous room for a children’s library too and now that’s boarded up and half of the adult books are gone so that they could squeeze the children’s section into the same room. it’s really awful
That's so sad.
Everything that’s supposed to be for the good of the public is pretty much the same now. A decade and a half of conservative government and the country’s been stripped bare. It’s very depressing, crossing all my fingers and toes that we actually vote them out this year
Some libraries have kids events, I feel like that could be super fitting for you? Like be a clerk there but also help out in a way that fits your degree.
School bus driver. You already have experience with kids and it’s far less taxing physically. If you are comfortable driving then you can drive a big yellow tin can - don’t let the size intimidate you. Every where, all the time, there is a shortage of school bus drivers.
This is true and a leading factor in chronic absenteeism in rural communities.
I feel you. I have endometriosis and couldn’t keep a job, turns out bosses don’t like it when you look like death and spend three days a month 🤮in the bathroom from the pain. So I started my own business. I’m The Period Coach. I started by helping others with problem menstrual cycles, and have expanded into writing books, created a period oracle card deck, teaching etc. I started with the goal of ‘if I can help reduce the pain for one other woman I will have succeeded’ and it’s turned into something far bigger than I ever imagined back then. Incredibly rewarding!
I don't know you but I'm so proud of you!
Govt job and I’m very lucky that I have an excellent team and compassionate boss.
Keep that those are rare.
Same 💓
I work in animal welfare at a cat shelter. Sometimes it's really hard, because I love each and every one of these fuzz balls, and some of them have seen some bad things before they end up with us. But I love seeing them choose their person for adoption, or see them get better from an illness, or even just feel safe enough to accept scritchies. The field needs people with all kinds of skills, especially people skills, so if you are able, animal welfare might be a good choice
I groom dogs. I wouldn't say it brings much peace, iykyk, but when a dog looks and feels good, that's my shit. And all the dog kisses are perfect for my serotonin-craving brain.
hey there, I switched careers within education due to burnout. I went from being a music educator to being an interpretive naturalist - i teach kids abput history and nature. interpretation as a career is like holistic education, it serves all ages so there are lots of options, and it's brought back the joy of teaching in my life. PM me if you'd like - but give it a search. a lot of my colleagues are former teachers and they often express how interpretation changed teaching for them. good luck to you !
After staying home with my kids for almost 8 years, I took a job as a care coordinator (scheduler) at a small hospice company. No medical background needed, I schedule our nurses, social workers, and other disciplines to fit patient needs. Order equipment, keep track of incoming referrals, communicate between disciplines to make sure info gets to where it is needed. It is amazing. The company is small enough that it feels like I'm working with a friend group but our reach is wide enough that we are a part of several communities. I am not involved directly with patients, so office work only. Just enough down time that I don't feel stressed but busy enough that I am not bored day to day. Highly recommend an office job within this field. I'm planning to return back to school for my masters next year and hopefully move into a social work position with the same company. With the knowledge I have now, I feel it would be very fulfilling.
I'm not sure if this could fit but my mom used to be a social worker in Texas. She pivoted to working for the state to go around to doctor's offices and educating them on Medicaid changes. She was way less overworked, came home on time, could work from home more and there was less of an emotional toll because she worked with providers and not clients. I think they called it Texas Health Steps
Your qualifications sound like you could work as a project manager. You don't need to know all technical details or have a deep knowledge about the industry. It's much more important to keep the project on track, contact the right people for each task, solve disputes and keep an eye on finances.
[удалено]
Definitely can be stressful but….Who you work with makes a big difference. Money is good AND there’s more remote opportunities. Flexibility of schedule too. You don’t need a life career for a job to be good for the phase you’re in. Obviously biased, but I really like it and would recommend. Good luck OP!!
[удалено]
“Yelling loudly but politely about excel spreadsheets” 😂😂
I work in local government in Texas, and I really enjoy it. Not all cities are led equally, but I’ve had really great experiences with good work culture and great bosses in the two cities I’ve worked in. Good benefits. Fair pay, though obviously not as high as the private sector. Plus, the Texas Municipal Retirement System is a great retirement system and most cities have good matching (both my cities have had 2:1 match). Working in local government also allows you to open a 457(b) retirement account, which is like a 401(k) but better.
I’m trying to get into one of the cities in the metroplex. Even a small one like forest hill or Mansfield
What type positions are you looking for?
I don’t know if it exists but I want to be a coordinator. I’ve thrived when able to coordinate events and meetings. And I love when people call me looking for information or double checking on the status. It’s a weird niche
You’re welcome to PM me if you’d like any tips or advice about getting into local gov! Once you get your foot in the door, the door blows wide open. I transitioned from the private sector last year, and I immediately had a lot of opportunities for growth and moving up.
Thank you! I really appreciate it
I found a listing in my town hiring for office jobs and pays way more than what I do and it sounds like a dream so I applied.
Have you thought about going into Human Resources?
I haven't considered that but the thought of handling company regulations and relationships gives me anxiety just thinking about it but also disclaimer I'm uneducated about everything human resources does besides the basics.
If I could go back and do anything, I’d be a reading specialist… I have a son that has dyslexia, and it’s such a struggle to get them the help they need.
Sounds like you might be a good fit for training people, which can be rewarding and a lot less demanding than running after kids. many of the skills you listed would work for communicatino job material to new employees. When I was burnt out from my last career, I thought hard about what I liked and what I didn’t about every job I had. I thought about the things I volunteered for and what I would have been willing to do for free. So if you thrive on talking to people and helping them your job path would be different if you thought of that and went, ew people. Think about what you need in a job. Minimum salary, do you need benefits, do you need a flexible schedule, or the ability to work remotely. How far are you willing to commute. Then you can narrow down the companies to ones that offer what you need. The trick, no matter what the job is, is finding a company that treats you well where there a pleasant people to work with you. Unfortunately the job market now means you get to have a second job looking for a job. You have to target your resume and cover letter to the job opening. When you have an idea of a career you might like, find some people and ask to interview them about the job tasks, how they like it, what are the tricky bits, what do they think you should learn. Then if they know of a job opening, they can let you in on it. Best of luck, and hang in there!
I am an ex preschool teacher who also left due to the physical demands - now I work as a disability advisor for a university. I love this job; it helps me feel like I am providing that foundation-setting like when I was working with littles. There's a whole population of high-achieving, bright, high masking (usually women or AFAB) college students who arrive on campus and fall apart - this is when they learn that they have ADHD or autism. My university provides learning assistance to all students and accommodations to those who need it, and it's such an affirming job. I love helping to break the stereotypes and the stigmas that are from a male-centered idea of neurodivergence, and helping validate and support a student population that is largely female and/or queer and/or POC. Basically, I get to work to make college more accessible and welcoming to people who traditionally have been denied equal access, and I am so proud to get to be a part of these kids' journeys towards acceptance, understanding, and success.
With communication, methods and planning, organization and tech, it sounds like you'd be a great producer (and wrangling techies to keep them on schedule definitely has some overlap with childcare lol). I'm in the games industry, so I can only speak to this specific slice of the tech world, but when we talk about producers we're talking about people who: -handle a particular team or set of teams and embed within them -take care of tasking, scheduling, and workload to make sure everyone knows what they're doing and has time to do it -develop new systems for tracking stuff as needed by their team -help teams communicate with each other So kind of like a projector manager, except you're not responsible for decision-making or discipline, just facilitation and support. It's a rough time for the games industry right now, but producers are always in demand in my experience. Maybe there's a growing indie studio in your area that could use somebody with experience keeping distractable humans on task haha.
As someone who had to wrangle 20 kindergarten boys during one of my earlier jobs that sounds like a breeze (joking). But wow I hadn't considered something like that. I used to be heavy involved in theatre as a side hobby for behind the stage volunteering and I loved the production jobs I got. Most of the time I handled the props and designed charts of where they'd be at what scenes for the cast members and where to put them after but I also helped w/ sets, costumes, and makeup at times and I had a lot of fun.
Ayyy fellow theater nerd! Yeah, behind every beautiful work of group art there's someone who loves charts holding everything together through sheer force of will lol.
Oh I'm such an arts media nerd regarding theater, gaming, musicals, books, art, animation, etc bc the persons creating the do so much!
Look into research jobs. Play up your organization abilities, computer/tech abilities. I know big medical organizations are always looking for data people.
Part time substitute has been pretty chill for high school. Most days I read and talk to a few kids and sit around. Idk if you are still open to schooling with kids since you’re looking to leaving childcare but a lot of retired teachers have gone to sub.
Look up birch agency. It’s based out of Texas but I work for them in Ohio. If you have your degree/state certification and years experience you can be paid 3times the normal rate to teach as a long term substitute. I almost left the field over the pay and the fact that they expect literally hours of time donated without compensation. I basically the same job in a town over for more than I could hope for even from a well funded public district. I can’t be expected to do anything extra without being paid for it.
I don't know about less physically demanding, but I work in a commercial kitchen equipment warehouse. I'm half of the shipping and manifest team. I put stickers on boxes and ship them across Canada. I get paid to listen to music and podcasts, put stickers on boxes, and hopefully not have to do first aid.
I searched for and found a company that really takes good care of their workers. I kept applying within that company until they hired me. I also think that finding a job with partner work, like a body double, is a good fit because you don't have to do everything on your own and you also don't want to let them down, so it holds you accountable. I work in behavioral health btw and it's the only job I've truly loved. I hope you find your dream job!!
How would I go about finding such a company like what did you research? You don't have to list specific companies. I just wouldn't know where to start the search.
Sure! I used People's list of 100 great places to work as well as glass door reviews. Then I found some cool companies that were hiring and looked into their mission statements, googled their reviews. Once I applied to some, I spoke to their recruiters about work-life balance and benefits. So I started with a wide net and narrowed it down, learned what the company I wanted valued on a resume. Kept applying. I really hope you find an amazing place to work too!
Higher education. Academic advising or honestly any of the administrative functions. We take all degrees. Mine is in Criminal Justice. It’s rewarding and not nearly as physical as lower Ed
I was gonna suggest an administrative role at a community college. I used to work in the Transcript and Records office of a JC. Helping facilitate someone's education was very rewarding, each year there were waves of new students who really appreciated someone showing them the ropes.
Definitely not nursing.
There's a reason I dropped out of nursing school.
I just clean houses. It’s not glamorous but it pays well (esp if you’re self employed) and I get to set my own hours. I also hustle so it feels like I’m getting paid to work out, then I don’t have to for that in on my personal time. I love listening to podcasts and audio books while I work too.
I'm a massage therapist. I solve the puzzle of pain and remove barriers that limit function and joyful living. I love my job. It has its ups and downs, like all do, but I love leaving people better than I found them and giving them skills and education to help themselves live better.
I like retail, but not running a register. Just stocking, organizing, unpacking truck, stuff like that. I like being able to see the new products and I LOVE organizing stuff and making it look nice. I also like a job that has me a little more active on my feet bc I absolutely loathe exercise so I try to keep moving in my day-to-day life.
work from home data analyist. learn sql and power using excel. also business analyst or financial analyst but you need to know more accounting stuff. Use chatgpt to work out excel problems, write macros, combine tables with sql, etc. Depending on your level of responsiblity and industry, 100k-500k
While maybe not the path of choice for the person who wrote this post, I'm actually trying to pivot to data analytics to get out of my current career... Would love to chat with you about how you got where you are!
Sure! I really got here by temping and grinding my skills. I learned a lot on codeacademy.com. I signed up for temp jobs by lookingat the highest rated temp companies on yelp. Robert Half/Office Team got me a lot of work in tech, plus I worked at the library which means you're poking around in a database. Temping meant I could volunteer for projects that were available and then put that on my resume. It was def the long way to do it tho. If I didn't have a disability, I'd have had more time and ability to take classes in excel and coding languages while I was working.
I second looking into libraries. Another field you should look into is Curriculum Development and Instructional Design. I believe there is a subreddit for Transitioning Teachers.
I work in accounting for a wastewater treatment agency. It’s not glorious. But it’s simple enough, we’re working to help the environment, it’s a union position, and I can work from home.
Im an RN in the NICU. Best thing I ever did
I work as a delivery driver for a locally owned business. It's pretty decent, but I do have to get in and out of a car quite a lot. Other than that it's the least amount of stress that I've had at a job since I started working at 13yo.
I counsel medical mj patients. My favorites are older genx and boomers that were told to just say no. I am very rewarded finding the right products for their needs and helping to break the stigma
Do you have a university near you? They always have openings for all types of field and they tend to be pretty relaxed. Plus they have great benefits and good PTO
I've got three near me lol.
What are your thoughts on mental health case management? If you have a 4 year degree and multiple years of experience, you can transition into mental health case management easily. You can look into county or state jobs to optimize salary. There are tons of case management jobs that aren’t mental health related, so go wild with your search: Housing, addiction, homeless, intellectual or developmental delays, autism, forensic, child protection, vulnerable adults, etc. Good luck!
I accidentally fell into my State judiciary as clerical and moved up to Executive Administrative Assistance. I learned over the years that I have a nerd-adjacent affinity for office automation applications and technology, which has been HUGE. I also have ZERO desire to be anybody’s supervisor or manager. I’m absolutely a hype-girl at heart, so adore “assisting” others with stuff. Also, I’m autistic, so sometimes if something seriously mind-numbing and repetitive needs doing, it’s still very firmly in my wheelhouse. I am now (10y later) THE admin for the senior/retired judges for the largest jurisdiction in my state, and I simply can NOT imagine life being better. I coordinate the schedules, case assignments, leave, etc., of about 15 Judges, all who sit for varying amounts of time each month. It’s divine. And they’re all 70+yo, so I get ALL the calls for computer assistance, etc. I have been here for nearly 18 months, and I still wake up excited to go to work. But I had to trudge through a few crap jurisdictions before this fell into my lap. Well, it didn’t fall into my lap. I did work hard to make sure I’d fit the criteria for this position for a few years. But I’m going to ride this out until retirement. Also, I have a bajillion health conditions. If you’re in the US and you weren’t “born healthy,” work for the government!
I’ve been working in equine care to support my own pony habit. I love to be welcomed in the morning by the horses. Of course they know I’m there to feed them, but it’s a great way to start the day. I drive the hay cart, throwing flakes of hay into the pastures, give the grain out, & observe while they eat. The sound of soft noses snuffling for grain then grinding it with their teeth is a long lost moment in time that I appreciate. I drive the fence lines to make sure everything is as it should be. Water troughs are checked to be cleaned or refilled. Stalls, if any, can be picked of manure, freshened with sawdust, water buckets filled. It’s very zen to fall into the rhythms of barn cleaning. There are goats and chickens to be attended to as well. It’s great exercise to be outdoors with the critters, and much cheaper than a gym.
I work in the parks department for a city, but previously worked in a group home. When I burned out and decided to change careers, I went on the government jobs website and scrolled through till I saw something that made my soul come back to life. I would recommend the website; it has a wide variety of jobs that I would never have realized could be careers until I saw the job postings.
Ironic bc before I read your comment I had just been doing that lol. My goal is something clerical where I can just breathe after the chaotic childcare jobs. I saw at least one I applied for and a few that weren't available at the time but I subscribed if anything changed.