I started working when I was 17, partly to get off the street. Before that, I was trying to make money in ways that weren’t really sustainable long term. I had a couple of run ins with the law (nothing violent or theft related), and decided to stop before turning 18 and risking more serious consequences.
I got a job as a barback in a cocktail bar and tried to finish high school while working full time. You can imagine how that went... and due to some personal circumstances, going back and finishing school isn’t something I can realistically do right now.
Over the next few years, I moved up pretty quickly. I got my first assistant manager role at 20, and by 23 I was a general manager running two fine dining restaurants, along with a dry-aged meat retail and wholesale showroom. I was involved in operations and the full administrative side of the business.
Now, at almost 25, I’m working in alcohol distribution in Serbia, in a smaller but growing company that already had connections with the restaurants I worked at. The owner actually reached out to me multiple times over a few months before I joined, and I came in to help with operations and to support the next phase of the business.
Since then, I’ve brought in new wholesale clients, helped shape product decisions, and contributed to things that turned out profitable.
The issue is that I’m starting to feel burned out from hospitality and alcohol related work. I’ve been noticing for a while that I’m gradually distancing myself from that world.
I’d like to transition into remote work. One of the main reasons is that without a high school diploma, it’s very hard to apply for corporate, on site roles here. Remote work seems like a more realistic path where I could still use my experience.
At the same time, I don’t feel comfortable applying for senior roles in a completely new field, even though I do have management experience.
So i would really appreciate some advice and would be open to discuss in depth, what kind of roles would make sense with my background and how realistic my transition would be without a formal education, where wouldni look for those kinds of opportunities?