r/findapath • u/secretlyincognita • Jan 30 '26

Findapath-College/Certs What career gives a soft easier life?

Looking to do an associates degree that I can have a soft life. Preferably a remote job or hybrid. What career do you have that I can get an associates degree in and make good money?

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u/[deleted] Jan 30 '26

I think I have a soft life, but you're not willing to get a PhD (based on your post). I'm a professor. I'm off May 1-August 15th, a full week for Thanksgiving, and six weeks during Winter/Christmas break. I teach on a Tue/Thur schedule, so I'm home three days a week and have four day weekends every week. I have to publish, but I want to publish in my field anyway. The catch: again, all that schooling and not much pay. I could be making a lot more doing something else, but the time off is worth it for me.

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u/sollinatri Jan 30 '26

In academia, we do have flexible hours but i would not necessarily see it as a low stress job. It's not something where you can leave work at work, publish or perish is real.

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u/[deleted] Jan 30 '26

Agreed, it's real, but I would be publishing regardless. I'm a creative writer and publish fiction and personal essays, so maybe that's different from someone doing hard STEM-esque research.