I am not sure this is the proper place to post this, but if not, please point me in the right direction…
TL;DR: I feel I need to go back to school & settle on a career for myself. We struggle to keep our heads above water & I feel like a loser working dead-end or lousy jobs just to get by. I can't decide between teaching, graphic design/web development, or criminology. Advice?
I am going to be 24-years-old in less than a month. I have a son who is nearly 2-years-old. I've dropped out of 2 separate colleges, first while attempting a nursing degree & the second while just working towards an Associate of Arts. I have no idea what I really want to do or what I should do in regards to a career, but it feels like I've approached “crunch time”. I know I need to find a path/job that will allow me to support myself/my family without making me want to blow my brains out, or without feeling ashamed of what I do (currently I clean houses).
I want to go back to school to earn either a certificate or a degree, but I'm not too interested in pursuing a Bachelors unless I'm able to speed-run the program online or something like that (I have found accredited programs that will make this obtainable).
Anyway, I have a job now that pays me decently. I don't really hate it, but I don't feel very good about it. I have narrowed down my interests & picked out a few fields — I am unable to decide if I should pursue teaching (kindergarten or early elementary), criminology, or graphic design/web development.
I know none of these careers will earn me a hefty income, but I'm just trying to find work that will not make me miserable & will be a sufficient supplement to what my fiancé brings in. I want to make ~$50k annually. I am so unhappy bouncing from shitty job to shitty job & I feel like a loser. I want to spend my work hours doing something that I see purpose in or that caters to my innate interests/skills. All I've done since I entered the workforce is just grind for a check & become increasingly pessimistic.
I'm wondering if anyone has advice in regards to which field I should settle on? Would teaching be a mistake–I have a few friends who earned their degree, taught for a year, then left the job. My family warns me that working in law enforcement is dangerous & that I should consider the risks being that I have a child. I worry that web development or graphic design may require too much “self-advertising”.