Reddit Career Advice: The Good, The Bad, & The Ingenious

Sometimes the best advice is hidden in the unlikeliest places.

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The Internet is a great place to find advice from real people going through the same issues, and Reddit career advice threads are the perfect example of that.

Searching for career advice can sometimes be a draining process, especially when you’re looking for a quick way to solve workplace issues.

But, some people take to Reddit to ask other users if they have any career advice or tips for problems they are having in their work environment.

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Reddit career advice can sometimes be rather helpful and straightforward — and other times the advice can be quite inadequate and lacking, but still provide a good laugh! 

RELATED: How To Tactfully Tell Your Boss You're Quitting (Even If It's A Job You Deeply Loathe)

The Best Reddit Career Advice On:

How to Find Your Passion/Calling

It can be hard to narrow down what exactly you want to do with your life as well as trying to find the kind of job that will leave you fulfilled. Most people struggle with pinpointing their passion in life and deciding what kind of career they want to pursue that won’t leave them feeling drained.

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Your profession doesn't necessarily have to be your passion.

“When you work, you are doing something you are ok with doing, because it is work after all. Some people's passion has nothing to do with their profession, it is what they use their free time doing. I spent so many years not realizing this very important thing,” says Reddit user, Poediddy. 

Never stop searching for what fulfills you.

“I believe it's entirely possible for you to go your whole life without finding your drive. We humans are naturals at self-fulfilling prophecies, even if that prophecy is to never find your passion. But my advice to you would be to keep on searching, and treat the search as your passion for now,” says Reddit user, Trevchart

Your passion is created, not found.

“Don't find your passion, make your passion. I've always said that it's hard to not be at least a little bit passionate about something you're REALLY good at. So go out there and get really good at something and chances are you'll become passionate about it,” says Reddit user, Scottious

Quitting Your Job

Sometimes it can be difficult to decide when to quit your job and also how to go about quitting a job that isn’t fulfilling you anymore. It can be even more challenging when you don’t have anything lined up for after you quit. 

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Have some financial stability.

“Ensure you have at least 2 - 3 months of expenses covered. Ideally you want at least 6 months. This does not include any money you have in a retirement savings account, and ideally no investments or bonds,” says one Reddit user. 

Take time between jobs.

“If you really hated your job and it affected your mental peace, don’t immediately jump to another one. Take a month off and do a retrospective. In fact try to find out what made you hate it - was it the work or the people or office politics etc. Once you know these, analyze what your mistakes were - were you careless or just lazy or didn’t take up an opportunity to improve your situation,” says Reddit user, Addicted_dude

Don't throw all your energy into a job hunt.

“First of all, find some sort of side project to work on in addition to interviewing. It will help keep your skills sharp and show employers that you are doing something useful,” says Reddit user, IronicFerrousWheel

Dealing with Customers

Working in any job that involves customer service can be draining. It’s important to keep a professional attitude, and some people are constantly looking for tips and tricks on how to continuously deal with customers. 

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Know your limits.

“Don't take things personally, even when it feels you're being personally targeted by their attitude. That said, don't accept outright abuse. Feeling abused is a relative concept for each person, and will change over time with your level of experience. My personal rule of thumb is if I begin to get a significantly elevated heart rate and start stumbling over my words, it's time to hit the brakes and either approach things from a different angle, or get in touch with a supervisor,” says Reddit user, Tallest_Waldo

Don't let your job define you.

“The biggest thing to remind yourself, co-workers and sometimes customers is at the end of the day it's just <whatever you're selling>. 'It's just a cup of coffee, not the end of the world' 'It's just a book' 'It's just a shirt'. Don't get too stressed over a retail job,” says Reddit user, IDontCareAboutUpvote

Keep an upbeat tone.

“If you are a phone rep where the customer can't see you, place a mirror where you can see yourself and always smile while you talk. It legitimately changes the tone of your voice and customers will appreciate your friendliness,” says Reddit user, DisfunkyMonkey

RELATED: 3 Ways Your Body Is Telling You It's Time To Quit Your Job

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Funny Reddit Career Advice On:

How to Prepare for an Interview

Prepping for an interview can be a stressful time. You don’t want to say the wrong thing, but you don’t want to come off as ingenuine. Though, not all Reddit users have helpful advice on the fact.

Make the interview a staring contest.

“Never break eye contact ever,” says one Reddit user.

Ask the wrong questions.

“Interview them,” says Reddit user, Boyerman. Which was followed by a reply in the thread from Reddit user, AustinThompson, saying, “For instance, ask them, "How much money do you make before taxes?"

How to Prepare for the First Day on the Job

Walking into an environment with all new people can be nerve-wracking. Usually, when people start at new companies/jobs, they will sometimes seek out advice for ways to stand out. Just not this kind of advice.

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Don't set the bar too high.

“Don't work too hard on your first day. They'll expect it on all your other days,” says Reddit user, Twh1114

Impress the team.

“Take at least a dozen donuts for your co-workers,” says Reddit user, E42343

Know when to join in.

“My dad told me when I started my working career ‘keep your mouth shut and laugh when the boys laugh.’,” says Reddit user, Okaychalet

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It's important when searching for career advice to find soemthing that resonates with you and the issues you are facing in your work envionrment. 

At the end of the day, only take the advice that will create a positive change and will essentially make you happy.

RELATED: 7 Ways To Cope If You Deal With The Constant Fear Of Losing Your Job

Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Follow her on Instagram.