All articles tagged with #careers
BuzzFeed compiles Reddit-type anecdotes about 21 jobs that pay surprisingly well, many without a degree—from poker dealers and train conductors to funeral-industry roles, MRI technologists, nursing-home administrators, UPS drivers, and plumbers—illustrating six-figure potential through skilled trades, seniority, or specialization, often with long hours and overtime.
A 24-year-old forward-deployed engineer at Rippling explains how FDEs blend software engineering with direct customer work to tailor AI-powered solutions, a role pitched as the hottest in AI and popularized by Palantir. Success hinges on both technical coding ability and strong communication to understand client problems, with frequent context-switching between meetings, debugging, and product discussions. The path is seen as founder-bootcamp training for entrepreneurship, and the role is expected to persist due to growing enterprise AI demand even if overall profitability fluctuates.
Vox’s Your Mileage May Vary column argues that AI will reshape many knowledge‑worker roles, but the answer isn’t to panic‑switch into a trade. It recommends identifying your “mattering project” via Rebecca Goldstein’s mattering map, leaning into what makes you uniquely human, and developing a fallback path (even something like becoming a rabbi) while staying in your current career. It suggests using AI to augment rather than replace your work and notes that some fields (caregiving, nursing, performance art) may be safer for longer, but the broader takeaway is to plan ahead with meaning in mind rather than fear.
A scientist recounts a five-year gap without first- or corresponding-author papers, arguing that slow, formative work and supportive mentors can lay the groundwork for later success, and offers strategies to resist 'publish or perish' pressures by valuing long research timelines and providing sustaining support for researchers.
A second-year PhD student in environmental science in China reports chronic verbal abuse and lack of guidance from a supervisor, triggering severe depression. Nature’s Careers panel advises prioritizing mental health (via trusted peers and university counseling), documenting exchanges, and seeking help from anti-bullying networks like the Academic Parity Movement. It also suggests clarifying expectations with concrete, structured feedback to obtain actionable guidance, while acknowledging cultural power dynamics that can complicate the relationship. Depending on the situation, options range from improved communication to formal reporting or changing supervisors, with well-being as the primary priority.
Switching research fields can spur innovation, but timing and fit matter: early pivots may hurt productivity, while later moves can be more successful as interdisciplinarity grows to tackle complex problems. Three UK leaders—Mary Collins, Paul Nurse and Jenny Read—offer practical advice: gain exposure to the new field through a secondment or travelling fellowship; identify a resonant question and the skills you’ll need; choose institutions with flexible cultures and open hiring practices; and be bold in pursuing opportunities, including cold emails. Build resilience with self-teaching and networks, and use AI as a learning aid, all while staying aware of your limits and aiming for environments that support cross-disciplinary work.
A Nature Careers column argues scientists can boost audience engagement by borrowing stagecraft from actors, comedians and musicians—start with a gripping opening, own the space, check tech in advance, vary pace and voice, use movement, and blend images, jokes and narrative to keep audiences informed, inspired, and more likely to collaborate.
BuzzFeed Community gathered anonymous anecdotes from people in seemingly dull industries, revealing that behind ordinary shifts there’s wild drama: inter-office romances, power struggles, theft, and confidential scheming across banking, IT, healthcare, libraries, museums, retail, and more. The piece shows how “boring” jobs can hide high-stakes behavior and invites readers to share their own behind-the-scenes stories.
A 2025 Pew Research Center study finds men are more likely than women to live with parents, and The Washington Post examines how the rise of stay-at-home sons reflects shifting economic realities and cultural expectations, highlighting examples like a Jeopardy! contestant who jokes about staying with family to illustrate a broader national conversation about work, family dynamics, and masculinity.
Ian Carter, a former Microsoft technical program manager, has been unemployed for five months following a layoff amid a challenging tech job market, and is considering relocating to live with family if he doesn't secure a new position soon. Despite efforts in networking and skill development, especially in AI, he faces difficulties due to market conditions and specific job requirements, highlighting the broader impact of recent layoffs and hiring slowdowns in the tech industry.
A Reddit thread on r/AskOldPeople highlights various jobs that have disappeared over the years due to technological advancements and societal changes. Some of the jobs mentioned include telephone operators, Fotomat attendants, gas station attendants, elevator operators, secretaries, toll collectors, VCR repair technicians, and travel agents. These roles, once common, have largely vanished as automation and digital solutions have taken over their functions.
A new survey by the National Society of High School Scholars reveals that Gen Z's job preferences are shifting away from tech giants like Google and Amazon towards healthcare and government roles, driven by a desire for job stability and meaningful work. The pandemic has highlighted the importance of frontline healthcare jobs, and the recent tech layoffs have tarnished the industry's appeal. Additionally, many young people are showing interest in entrepreneurship, using traditional jobs as a safety net while they explore their own ventures.
New data reveals that many employees quit their jobs shortly after receiving a promotion, highlighting a trend of dissatisfaction and disengagement in the workplace. While promotions are often seen as a sign of success and advancement, they can also bring increased responsibilities, stress, and a misalignment between expectations and reality. Factors such as lack of support, limited growth opportunities, and poor workplace dynamics contribute to employees seeking new opportunities elsewhere, despite their recent promotion.
A former economics educator examines Barbie's various careers over the years and discusses what they reveal about real-life women in the workforce, coinciding with the success of the new Greta Gerwig film centered around the Barbieverse.
AI-generated images by BuzzFeed writer Angelica Martinez depict professionals in various careers, showing a polished and youthful vision of what an average person looks like. While some professions are accurately represented, others have odd choices that raise questions about the source material used to train the AI. The images reinforce stereotypes and remind viewers to take AI visuals with a grain of salt.