u/Capt_Charming

I’m getting tired of seeing the same posts where people think geology is a dead end just because their applications are going into a void. I was in that exact spot for months and it honestly felt hopeless until I realized the problem wasn't my degree. It was that I was treating the job hunt like a lottery instead of a geography problem.

I had to stop applying for "Geologist" titles and started looking at tech roles I originally thought were "beneath" me. I’m talking materials testing, mudlogging, and environmental tech work. It’s not glamorous, but it actually got me on a site.

I also had to face the fact that if I stayed in my hometown, I’d never get hired. I eventually just went where the rigs actually were, which sucked for my social life but finally got me a paycheck.

My resume was also a mess of academic fluff that no hiring manager cared about. Resumeworded highlighted how many useless buzzwords I was using and forced me to swap out "sedimentology lab" for actual field skills like chain of custody and daily logs. It basically translated my college experience into "I won't be a liability on your job site," which is all these firms actually care about.

Once I stopped acting like a student and started acting like someone who could survive a 12-hour shift in the mud, things finally clicked. It took a lot of swallowed pride and a U-Haul, but it beat sitting on the couch complaining that the industry is dead.

Geology isn't dead. I hope this helps. Good luck, everyone.

I cringe a little every time I see people putting “INTJ 5w4” or “ENFP-T” at the top of a resume like it’s a certification. A hiring manager doesn’t care what color your personality chart is. They care whether you can solve problems without creating three new ones.

That said, MBTI actually helped me a lot privately while rewriting my resume. Not for labeling myself, more for figuring out the stuff I naturally do that I kept overlooking.

Like, I used to write vague garbage like “strategic thinker” or “good communicator.” Which means nothing. Once I started translating those into actual examples, my resume got way better.

Instead of “good at seeing patterns,” I wrote about building a reporting system that cut duplicate work for my team. Instead of “empathetic,” I wrote about handling angry clients without losing accounts. Boring? Maybe. But at least it sounds like a real person who’s done things.

I had this giant messy Google Doc where I dumped random stories from old jobs, side projects, college stuff, everything. I bounced between ChatGPT, notes from the Coached career test, and my own old performance reviews just trying to figure out what themes kept repeating. It was weirdly helpful seeing the same strengths show up from different angles.

The funny part is I realized I’d been ignoring half the stuff I’m actually good at because it came naturally to me. Like conflict resolution, simplifying messy systems, calming people down when everyone else was panicking. I never counted any of that as “real” work because it didn’t feel technical enough.

Meanwhile some dude with “visionary leader” on his resume can barely answer emails.

Now whenever I see personality descriptions, I mostly use them as prompts. Like okay, cool, “detail-oriented.” What did you actually keep from exploding? “Creative”? What did you build that people used? That’s the part employers care about.

I've noticed my resignations always happen in two parts. First, I completely stop believing the place will get any better. Then Part 2 hits: I just keep showing up for months because I hate making big moves without a clean, logical rationale.

That gap used to drag out for nearly a year. I’d get weirdly calm, stop arguing in meetings, and start treating the whole job like a temporary inconvenience. People around the office thought I was being "stable," but in my head, I had already checked out.

Taking an online career test called coached while waiting on laundry ended up being the wake-up call I didn't know I needed. Seeing those recurring patterns in my test results made me realize I was just cycling through the same emotional exhaustion across different companies.

It forced me to set an actual rule: if I lose both my energy and my trust in leadership for 30 days, I stop negotiating with myself and start planning.

Now I just build a quiet exit ramp instead of waiting until I'm so angry I torch the bridge. I quietly update my resume, apply to a few roles, and keep my reasons for leaving as bland as possible when I give notice.

The trickiest part is that detaching actually makes my performance look better on paper, but I’ve finally stopped falling into that trap and mistaking emotional distance for actual satisfaction.

Three years ago I was that person lurking on "I feel boxed in" threads, scrolling until 2 AM then closing the tab because, well, rent is due on the first.

I played it safe. Big company, okay pay, clear ladder. But I was bored out of my skull. Every Sunday night was just pure, heavy dread. The advice online was always either "quit and follow your passion" (yeah, let me just tell my landlord that) or "just be grateful," which is honestly such a slap in the face when you’re miserable.

I didn't do anything dramatic. No "I quit" emails. I just started treating my job like a base camp instead of a prison cell.

First thing - I stopped obsessing over my "dream career" and started just ruling shit OUT. I tracked every single task for a week. Which ones made time fly? Which ones made me check the clock every four minutes? Turns out I absolutely loathe compliance paperwork but I’ll go down a rabbit hole for hours to solve a weird technical glitch. That’s actual data, not just "vibes."

Then I started sniping projects that had more of the stuff I liked, even without a promotion attached. My manager literally didn't care as long as the tickets got closed. Over six months, I basically re-sculpted my job from the inside. Same title, same pay, but I didn't want to drive into a lake every Monday.

Lastly, I talked to people. Not that gross "networking" stuff, just asking what their day actually looks like. I realized two roles I thought I wanted were actually 90% stuff I hated. Dodged a massive bullet there.

I also threw my resume into stuff like resumeworded just to see if I was even marketable outside my tiny niche. It was a huge reality check. It scored my experience and showed me exactly which skills actually translated to other industries and where I was coming across as too "company-specific." It gave me a ton of confidence realizing I wasn't actually trapped.

Eventually, I did jump ship, but it was into a role I’d already "beta tested" while I was still getting a paycheck. No terrifying leap. No pay gap. Just a bunch of tiny pivots that finally added up.

Bottom line: You aren't stuck, you’re just paralyzed trying to plan a 10-year map. Just pick one small thing you can test this month without blowing up your life. See what happens. Hope this helps! Good luck, job hunters!