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🍿 I’ve heard nurses “eat their young”

Her art career flopped. Now she’s eyeing nursing.

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CareerSnacks Team
June 20, 2025

Inside today’s snack: Burnt-out illustrator debates nursing school or waiting two years for RadTech. Neither feels great, both cost a lot.

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🎟️ Pickle Draw odds: 1 in 45 (2.22%).

🥒 Today’s pickle

Graduated in 2023 with a BFA in illustration and now back in school. I always wanted to be an artist and managed to find some work in graphic design, but haven’t had a full-time role since graduating and haven’t landed a contract in 6 months. I’m burnt out from the industry and feel like it demands too much for too little. I’ve been told if I’m not drawing all day without seeing the sunshine and getting paid in peanuts, I’m not passionate enough. I guess I’m not, because I value a good work-life balance and getting money.

I’m currently in community college doing prereqs. I originally wanted to go into radtech because I heard it’s a good job with decent pay and balance, but I wouldn’t be eligible to apply to the program until 2027, and there’s no guarantee I’d get in. There’s another school I could apply to sooner, but it’s more expensive. For RN, the prereqs are easier and I could apply faster.

I’m a bit lost on what to pursue. I’ve heard nurses “eat their young,” but also that radtech is a “dead end career.” I don’t want to waste more time and money on another path that leads nowhere. It’s June 2025 and the economy’s different. I’m just at the point where I want a job I can clock in and out of.

🗳️ Chip In

🥒 PICKLE #9: What would you do if you were in their shoes?

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What would a $300/hr career coach say? 🧀 Here’s the cheese:

  1. RadTech won’t trap you, but it does have a ceiling.

  • It’s a stable job with decent hours, but advancement usually means switching into MRI, CT, or management.

  • If “clock in, clock out” matters more than upward mobility, that tradeoff might be fine for you.

  1. RN is harder up front, but opens more doors.

  • Associate’s RN programs are intense, but you’ll have more job options, higher starting pay, and the ability to pivot into outpatient clinics, school nursing, case management, etc.

  • “Nurses eat their young” is real, but not universal.

  1. Apply to the RN program now, keep RadTech as Plan B.

  • The waitlist for RadTech buys you time, but don’t stall if RN gets you working sooner.

  • If nursing truly sucks for you, you’ll still have healthcare prereqs and a fallback path.

  1. Ignore Reddit salary threads unless they include location.

  • Wages vary wildly based on state, union presence, and facility type. Call real employers near you and ask. Don’t let anonymous posts dictate everything.

  1. Don’t over-index on passion.

  • You’re burnt out from low pay and high pressure. That’s not a failure of passion. It’s a signal to pick a job that doesn’t drain you every day.

TL;DR: pick the faster path that gets you paid and gives you leverage. You can always pivot later, but time and tuition don’t refund themselves.

🎁 Snack Drop COMMON

Snack Drop is your career blind box

Recruiting Coordinator

  • What it is: The person who schedules interviews, manages candidate logistics, and supports the recruiting team end-to-end.
  • Pay range: $48K–$62K (US)
  • Good for: People who are organized, responsive, and like being the calm center of a chaotic hiring process.
  • What you need: No specific degree required; admin or HR-related experience helps a lot.
  • Skills: Scheduling, communication, Google Calendar, applicant tracking systems, multitasking

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  • Interview scheduling needs constant human adjustments and judgment calls
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  • Handles sensitive info and keeps the candidate experience human

🥣 Quick Dip

Don’t start your cover letter with “I’m excited to apply.” Open with a fact, stat, or quick story that grabs attention.

🎟️ Pickle Draw

Odds this week: 1 in 45 (2.22%)

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