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🍿 Her backup plan is four different careers 😬

🍿 Her backup plan is four different careers 😬

She’s two weeks into PT school and already panicking. Now she’s eyeing UX, finance, CS, and business with zero clue where to start.

CareerSnacks Team
July 15, 2025

Inside today’s snack: She’s two weeks into PT school, already doubting everything, and torn between four wildly different career pivots.

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🎟️ Pickle Draw odds: 1 in 14 (7.14%).

🥒 Today’s pickle

Hey guys, 24f! Hope everyone’s having a great day!! I graduated with a Psych degree (neuro minor) planning to be a physical therapist. Classic first gen/immigrant parents story of going the “secure” route. I struggled with my science classes and it hurt my GPA, but somehow still got into PT school?! I didn’t do internships in undergrad because I was focused on building my PT application.

I’m now in PT school and even though the idea sounds great, I’m really struggling. It’s only my second week so I’ll stick it out until the end of the semester, but I want a backup plan in case it doesn’t work out. I already took two years off. Back in undergrad I didn’t know what I liked, but I took a few business classes (financial management, managerial accounting, marketing) and did well. I want something with stability and growth, which PT lacks unless you’re a successful business owner. I’ve been thinking about finance, accounting, MIS, or maybe CS since I like UX/UI and have dabbled in coding a bit.

Should I go back to undergrad? A lot of my old classes were prereqs or already count toward business. I’m used to heavy course loads so I wouldn’t mind adding an extra class to speed it up. But I’m first gen and really lost. Do I go for another bachelor’s or try a master’s with little to no background? I probably sound super lost and I am. Any advice helps. Thank you!

—bumblebee20

🗳️ Chip In

🥒 PICKLE #20: What would you do if you were in their shoes?

What would a career coach say? 🧀 Here’s the cheese:

1. Don’t rush to quit PT yet. Use this time to gather data.

You’re only two weeks in. Instead of spiraling, treat the semester like an audit. What do you actually like or hate about the work? Clinicals? Coursework? The pace?
If you can name what’s wrong, you’ll make a better call on your next move, whether you stay or leave.

2. A second bachelor’s is only worth it if you’re 100% sure of the path.

Otherwise, you’re locking into two more years and twenty grand when a master’s or certificate might get you there faster.
You already have many gen eds and business credits. A post-bacc or bridge program could cover what you’re missing without restarting.

3. Pick a direction and test it before you enroll in anything.

You’re curious about business, MIS, UX, and CS. That’s four different paths. Pick one and go deeper.
Take a free Coursera or edX course. Do a mini-project. See if you like the actual day-to-day, not just the idea.
Don’t confuse “I liked marketing 101” with “I want to do this for 10 years.”

4. Master’s programs will take you seriously if you can show basic skills and intent.

Especially for MIS or UX, schools care more about your story, stats (GPA, recs), and whether you’ve done any prep.
That could mean a bootcamp, certificate, or even just a portfolio site. You don’t need a full business degree to pivot.

5. Drop the idea that there’s a perfect answer. You’re trying to reduce risk, not eliminate it.

Your goal isn’t to know the right path. It’s to choose a path, test it fast, and shift if it sucks.
First gen or not, everyone’s making it up as they go. You just have fewer safety nets, so test before you commit.

TL;DR: Stay in PT school for now, but use the semester to explore one backup path deeply. Don’t start another bachelor’s unless you’re sure. A lighter pivot like a cert, bootcamp, or targeted master’s will likely get you further, faster.

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