Career changers struggle to choose between job and further education
10 posts across 5 communities in the last 60 days; 60% from r/careerguidance.
“I need some advice im very torn at the moment . I have been a carpenter for 5 years and just completed my apprenticeship, I know it isnt for me so I have decided to use my construction experience and go on to do my level 4 in construction management. Now I really hate site and…”
“23F, graduated in 2025 with a B.Tech in Civil Engineering and completed a 1-year apprenticeship. After getting some exposure to the field and trying for Civil jobs, I’ve realized that I don’t want to continue in Civil/construction and want to switch careers. I recently attended…”
“Hello, I'm looking to study a Master's degree different from my Bachelor's for a career change and I'm about to submit the application. My background is in civil engineering, which I have 1 year of work experience of and then 2 years of experience in software. I'm currently…”
Multiple users are conflicted about whether to accept a job offer or pursue higher education. One user weighs a Junior Engineer position against an MS or NICMAR program, while another considers a job versus MTech/MS options. This highlights the challenge of balancing immediate income with long-term career goals and specialized training.
SOURCES (10)
“23F, graduated in 2025 with a B.Tech in Civil Engineering and completed a 1-year apprenticeship. After getting some exposure to the field and trying for Civil jobs, I’ve realized that I don’t want to continue in Civil/construction and want to switch careers. I recently attended…”
“I need some advice im very torn at the moment . I have been a carpenter for 5 years and just completed my apprenticeship, I know it isnt for me so I have decided to use my construction experience and go on to do my level 4 in construction management. Now I really hate site and dont want to be managing people and have found out that there is also a architectural technology HNC and it offers more creative roles . I much prefer the creative side and would like to become a bim technician but also I”
“Hello, I'm looking to study a Master's degree different from my Bachelor's for a career change and I'm about to submit the application. My background is in civil engineering, which I have 1 year of work experience of and then 2 years of experience in software. I'm currently looking to study transportation systems management, which I have always been interested in since I was in university. When I was studying civil engineering, we had some classes related to transportation li”
“Hello, I'm looking to study a Master's degree different from my Bachelor's for a career change and I'm about to submit the application. My background is in civil engineering, which I have 1 year of work experience of and then 2 years of experience in software. I'm currently looking to study transportation systems management, which I have always been interested in since I was in university. When I was studying civil engineering, we had some classes related to transportation li”
“My dream was to become a renewable energy engineer but sadly i didn’t get qualified for it. So now I’m left with lots of majors except engineering ( mechanical, electrical, architectural etc) and medicine. My grades do qualify me to pharmaceutical engineering , biotechnology and computer science. I got accepted for computer science but i just feel afraid? Like a lot of people major in it and im afraid that i wont make a difference. My dream was to help the environment as much as i can and build”
“28M with Mechanical Engineering + IT + 2+ years of Project Management experience — what career transition makes the most sense? Hi everyone, I’m **28M from India** and looking for some honest career advice. My career has taken a somewhat unconventional path, and I’m trying to decide what would be the smartest direction for the next 5–10 years. # My career timeline [B Tech]**in Mechanical Engineering — 2021** After graduation, I spent around **4 months in a production/manufacturing environment**,”
“What’s better to get into cm , construction mangement degree or civil engineering submitted by /u/Crazy-Presence1079 [link] [comments]”
“I graduated with a B.E. in Civil Engineering, but after graduating I realised that I really don't want to build my career in Civil. I'm thinking of completely switching fields and starting fresh, but honestly I have no idea where to begin. I've been unemployed for quite a while now, and the longer it goes on, the more confusing it feels. I've been looking at different entry-level roles, internships and startups, mainly non-tech roles like operations, business, coordination, admin”
“I am a 21M. Currently, I am in my final year of Civil Engineering, and I am a bit confused. My confusion started when I received a job offer through campus placement from a well-known company, offering me 6LPA in Mumbai/Pune (Maharashtra) as a Junior Engineer (on-site). I want to pursue further education, not in structural or environmental engineering, but in construction management or construction project management. I am currently in my 7th semester, so I have a little time to decide what I sh”
“I am currently a sophomore in college at a university in florida I spent my first semester in finance and didn’t like it then switched to engineering. I was thinking about switching out of it but I found it hard to let that thought go bc I feel like I am giving up. In my first semester of engineering I took calc 1, programming, chemistry, and a research english class. I got all As except for programming I got a B. I don’t know if Im making a mistake switching out. I am struggling to decide of wh”