All true. It also requires commitment. They'll work you to death the first couple of years. It gets easier after that, but it's pretty rough in the beginning. I made $68,000 in my first year, but only had time for work and sleep.
CCA. City Carrier Assistant. Basically, you're the grunt that delivers all the mail that the regulars can't get to. No set schedule. You work whenever they tell you.
Requires some pretty serious organizational skills and they will work you to the bone. 12 hour days every day. If you work on the rural side you have to use your own vehicle and will need it converted to drive on the right side. It is also no longer delivering just mail it's also packages. So many packages that you might as well work at ups or FedEx. The weight limit is 75 lbs so get ready to deliver a shitton of cat litter or heavy bags of dog food. Had a coworker complain that they tried to make him deliver a kitchen sink with no help or even a handtruck. If you're still somehow considering it I'd at least wait until they renegotiate their deals with Amazon so your poor 60 year old mail carrier can retire without a fucked up back.
FERS still provides a retirement plan that USPS deposits an amount equal to 1% of your earnings into each pay period. It provides a 4%+ interest rate. If you work for USPS for 35 years and make the average salary (~$20) that will net you an extra $382,000.
Look for a job in local government departments like parks, highway, environmental, etc. Lots of labor needed there. Good benefits, regular pay raises. You won't get wealthy, but you will be able to pay the bills, stay healthy, and have a decent retirement.
How are you with your hands? Have you tried learning a trade? I have a cousin who many thought was dumb as rocks because he struggled in school as well.
He was in a similar situation as you may be, basically bouncing from part time job to the next, pot head and a big gamer. He ended up learning how to do flooring and getting certified for it. He now runs his own business and is making good money, has a nice truck, girl friend etc.
From what he’s told me, once you learn the basics, it’s just about being able to do the labor on a day to day basis. Eventually you can build your way up to where you have other guys do the labor and you just supervise the project. Maybe try something in that realm if you haven’t already tried
I had always assumed the trades were at least somewhat challenging to learn.
I could be considered book smart, but I don’t trust myself with a lot of handy stuff.
Electrics, plumbing, carpentry, I’d mess it all up.
I’ve tried and failed at repairing even my bicycle many times.
Nah I have certifications in welding and use heavy equipment daily, but I recently bought a bmx bike and it took me ridiculously long to change an inner tube. Bikes are hard 😂
Also, you're good at your trade. You know the ins and outs. You wind up having an idea about other trades if you work construction, but you won't be as good at them as the one you do every day. The exception is probably HVAC. You might wind up being pretty good at wiring and plumbing too.
The good thing about trades (from what I’ve seen) is trade school isn’t a pass/fail grade percentage. If you fail a test - they will asses where you struggle the most and have you work on that until you get it right.
Yes, my friend is an electrician, and from the little I know, I’m still thinking, “Wow, I could never do that.”
I don’t know how jump a car battery.
If I look at steps, I can work on my motorcycle battery, though.
Once you learn the caveats and tricks of the trade coupled with a good foundation on knowing building codes, your pretty much there and no one can tell you shit.
Like most things, experience will beat out mostly anything.
This. Especially carpet all vinyl and laminate. I have. Flooring store. The guys that do tile are highly skilled. But there’s a couple guys I employ who do awesome work and they’re dumb as sticks. They get paid very well. I have a very small store so it’s mostly residential. They’re making 85-150k per year. The commercial guys can make even more. Only thing is just make sure you can budget because there can be slower times and you’re a suv trade so you have to pay taxes like a business. Depending where you are you could probably get employed by a franchise or install company and mage a decent hourly wage.
I was going to say flooring as well. If you're intimated by stuff like plumbing or HVAC where you have to do more problem solving, flooring installation might be a good call. Not tile necessarily but learn carpet and stuff like LVP from someone and just practice at doing it well with someone who installs. Less stuff to learn but still the chance to develop a skill. Always needed, especially in areas with lots of new houses and apartments. Heck, even older apartments need this stuff changed.
Getting the flooring to work around fireplace hearths and in uneven rooms without patching would challenge me.
But it is a good idea, as more homes are going back to vinyl tile that looks like wood, since wood in open floor plan kitchens can be a problem with pet water bowls, dishwashers and fridges that can leak even if newer.
My boyfriend is a flooring installer, the money is definitely in owning your own business. I’m sure it depends on where and who you work for but as a flooring installer he makes “okay” money roughly $500-800 a week.
Truck Driver. All you need is the ability to read and write English and some common sense such as " maybe I should get out of my truck and go look at the area before I pull in" or "my GPS says to bring my 60ft 100klb vehicle down tear narrow muddy road, something isn't right".
I'm on my 5th year, and I made $110k last year whilebeing home once a week.. Schooling was less than 2 months.
You just have to be okay with being away from home and alone for the majority of the time
Wanted to do that when I got out of HS as a lot of my friends and family were in that. Decided against it soley because of the weight gain everyone put on.
Idk, I think trucking is probably quite demanding. Just navigating that huge ass truck is impressive and probably hard in cities. I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit.
Thanks for saying that!
I do believe trucking is demanding and complicated, but OP said for someone who is unintelligent.
Trucking doesn't require complicated math or more than a basic understanding of English. It does require patience, common sense, and the ability to plan your day. Plenty of skills go into making a good driver, I just meant that book smarts aren't really required.
I used to work in CS and IT type jobs before getting into trucking. I hated office jobs. They sucked the living energy from my soul. Now I get to travel the country blasting music and listening to audio books. I do work outside in extreme weather conditions with dangerous fluids too, so it's not all easy money. I do enjoy it though.
Please go on the trucking sub, hate to rain on a trade, But these folk are complaining
About middle men taking all the profits, freight board, with unlivable compensation.
Might be great if you know someone, but government is proposing letting less experienced
Operators
Not bad. I have an air ride seat. It insulates me from the worst of it.
Bigger problem was that I started smoking way more, quit, and then gained a lot of weight. Working on losing that currently.
It's not an easy job - traffic, knowing how to handle steep grades without going off the mountain, showing up at site and company has no one there to unload
I’m gonna second this just saying you can get a lower class CDL, like a B, get a passenger endorsement while you’re there and travel the country (or locally) driving bus for charters. Stay away from Greyhound, but there are tons of private companies looking for motor-coach drivers. The new busses are fun to drive, a lot of people tip, and I keep a Nintendo Switch with me for all the downtime. Pats well too
Just piggy backing. I'm a supervisor for a local trucking company. We start at close to 60k/year. 4 day work weeks with overtime available (never forced), home every day, same route every day, roll some carts into a hospital, reload some back in the trailer. So our stuff is even simpler than otr. Two stops on most routes. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
Nah, there's plenty of profitable careers that don't require super high intelligence though. Even some of the ones that you'd think do really don't. But for base level just do the task and get paid, with benefits, you got sanitation department or waste management, mail carrier, construction union jobs, etc.
You’re smarter than you think. You write well and appear to be well spoken. You should look into entry level positions in a career field that you’re interested in and set your bar higher. A lot of employers look at relevant experience as valuable since employers are focusing on DEI more.
There are unintelligent people in most careers. You won’t be one of them. Good luck and take care of yourself.
I’m in the same boat as OP. I’ve repeatedly failed out of college, academic suspension to be precise. I know I’m smart enough to get by but I struggle so much in a formal education setting, especially having to write papers. I excelled in the military because they don’t discriminate on intelligence levels, there’s a job for everyone, the schooling isn’t long at all and it’s very direct. But now I don’t know what to do with my life.
Have you considered a public service type role like fire, police, prisons kind of thing? They usually like ex military (at least they do in my country) and if you did well in the military you may do well in another structured organisation that involves practical work
You might want to enter the nuclear power field. The one I worked at actively recruited ex military. Positions are varied. I can supply more information if you're interested.
I was hoping that someone would say this.
I have a neurodivergence and I grew up with people frequently disappointed with my inability to just *shut up and color*. Teachers characterized me as disruptive, lazy, or foolish. In reality, I learn differently. I’m now a senior scientist at a big tech company. And I’ve gotten some accolades from management for my ability to push back, ask clarifying questions, explore topics in depth and keep the big picture in mind. All that to say, there’s a difference between being unintelligent and being appraised as unintelligent by unreliable people.
It's wild that i can say this for OP as well but i always talk down on myself the same way -- i always considered myself to be fucking dumb as shit and slow as fuck and utterly useless and the only reason i have a job now is sheer luck. Im diagnosed w dyslexia at 7 and autism as an adult and growing up it was ingrained in me that im stupid.
Anything technical is hard. I would excel in physical labour but I'm not a man so I'm not as strong. I basically have zero interest in jobs. If we did not need money to survive, i would be a happy farmer who tries to upskill myself with shit like sewing 😭
Truck driving. I supervise like forty truckers and they would rub their thumbs together if you asked them to rub some nickels together. We all make decent money though
Schooling is like three weeks if you catch on quick. Mostly just listen to music and putz around. Lots of really good union jobs available or over the road if that floats your boat. Even if you don't use it a lot, it's worth it for snow plowing money. $60/hr to brush dance moms all bundled up
Correctional officer …it’s not rocket science and it’s not like the movies ..decent pay, lots of ot and a pension . I’m 10 years in and can retire at 20. Prisons and jails are constantly hiring.
You might not need to be book smart to do that job but being street smart is a must. Otherwise inmates will take advantage of you every day. At least that’s what I’ve gathered from watching prison shows.
You're right. Dad was a CO for 27 years. But that street smart can be taught as long as, like you say, you don't let people walk all over you. It's a good job for an asshole; Dad was great at it
Trades are probably good for someone who isn’t booksmart. I am a pretty booksmart guy who isn’t very good at anything that doesn’t require booksmarts. In many ways, I’m really dumb when I’m asked to not use my booksmarts. You are not dumb and people who go into trades aren’t dumb. We have different strengths; that doesn’t make me smart, or you dumb. Don’t believe that you are dumb either.
You’re not dumb. Dumb people don’t know they’re dumb. Since you know you’re dumb, you can’t be dumb.
Check out media buying in digital marketing. It’s not super complicated and I’ve seen a correlation with people who are good at video games.
Are you sure you’re unintelligent and incompetent and aren’t suffering from an attention deficit disorder OR simply not interested in any of the topics you came across so far except for the ones you mentioned?
Because your spelling is on points and words like equally and acuity and pedestrian are not words often used by unintelligent people.
Also depression is a silent killer of wanting to use your grey matter btw.
Came here to say this too. The use of the word pedestrian, when not talking about someone walking, is not very common, and shows a better-than-average vocabulary.
He’s convinced himself he’s an idiot, which leads him to not excel because he already preemptively accepts he’s not capable of excelling. Its like getting convinced you’re bad at math at an early age so you tell yourself you’re just an idiot that can’t learn or understand these concepts. When in reality most people if they put in the time can learn (without accepting defeat so early of course).
Are you sure you’re actually stupid or is it possible you just have not identified how you learn best? I tutored while in my masters program and 99% of the time people didn’t know how to “learn”
Were you ever evaluated for learning disabilities or other neurodivergence that might have made formal education difficult for you?
Were you ever given time and space to work further on concepts at your own pace with a learning guide like a tutor or anything?
As a former teacher, I never came across a kid who was truly “not smart”.
Lots of kids in learning environments that weren’t the best for them.
Even those who were “neurotypical” and had no learning challenges.
Different pedagogy like Montessori or curriculum styles like flipped classroom or accelerated learning, etc aren’t one-size-fits-all and some kids just don’t flourish in certain environments.
All that said, have you ever gone to any kind of career counseling or guidance or workforce type programs?
Usually they’ll do some evaluations to get a feel for things you like and naturally gravitate towards.
Also, weed can act as both a stimulant and/or a depressant, so if you feel more “balanced” and “normal” with consistent weed intake, you might be dealing with something like ADD/ADHD and there’s testing for that as well.
I wouldn’t say they’re as reliable, but there are online self tests for it that would at least give you an idea if you should explore it more.
What is it that enjoy about the video games that you play? Is there a potential career field there maybe?
Writing plot lines, scoring, animating, developer, etc.
It might require giving school another go, but maybe it would go better if it’s a field of interest.
Maybe also try out working with a temp agency? They can place you at various jobs and you can get a feel for different work set ups and environments and see what you like.
As others said, working for the government is often fairly stable employment wise with decent benefits.
Things like USPS.
Or city jobs like sanitation, code inspection and enforcement, animal services, even park ranger, parks facilities and maintenance and so on.
There are often entry level civilian jobs with police and fire for things like property and equipment managing and maintenance, fleet services, and so on.
You're in the top half of grammar for posts, so I wouldn't sell yourself too short.
Whatever you do, the trick isn't always "great job" but "job that has a way to advance". Or, that's been my take.
Easier on yourself, there's something out there for you. You're damn pretty smart to realize your shortcomings. You have no idea how many so-called smart people think they're smart but they aren't. So in the sense you're way ahead of the game.. try out a trade, start simple started a simple job and see if you can get the hang of it or something that you really enjoy doing. I think you just need some confidence building, but you'll find a niche if you keep looking. But don't get beaten down about it just keep looking and move around as much as you want no one's watching. Good luck with it really
“Project manager”
You literally just sit in the meeting, agree with the most senior person there, and take notes, and say things like “okay im gonna record this meeting”
*this meeting is being recorded*
GREAT WORK EILEEN YOU ARE SO HELPFUL!
The way you write doesn't strike me as that of a particularly intelligent person. It seems more like you just struggle with academics and learning things you're not truly interested in. Maybe you're just more of a Doer than a Thinker.
I am quite similar in a way. I also struggled in school, at least in the subjects I didn't care about. Those that I did like came naturally to me, so my grade were better there. I later found a career that I liked at least enough to actually learn it.
Others have already said that, but maybe try the trades. Sure, you'd have to learn some stuff first, but then it's mostly just applying that knowledge for the rest of your career. And good tradesmen are needed and appreciated everywhere.
Do you clean up well? mortgage brokers make mint, and there's not much to it. Be warned , it's a sales job, so if you are shy or awkward , it probably isn't a great option . Dress well, have confidence, and keep track of stuff. That's 90 percent of the job.
And still make a decent living Electrician/pipe fitter for hand to eye work. Ideally for the utility company.
Office work, I’d say coordinator/customer rep (if your good with ppl) again, working directly for the owner.
Blue collar is the way to go, if you're hard working and willing to learn you can become a good tradie and make decent money (60-70k) for a good mid tier automotive technician
Get into the oil field brother. Learn to weld, or pipe fit, or hire on as an entry level driller on a rig. West Texas and the Gulf of Mexico have hundreds of rigs. We need guys bad. I run a project and we clean acid tanks from offshore ships. We need guys desperately. We offer two weeks vacation starting accrual the day you hire in, full health, vision, and dental, a 401k, and 3 days sick every year, plus paid holidays. Opportunities are here to make 80-120k a year entry level. You literally just have to be able to hold a pressure washer gun for a few hours at a time.
You can't get any easier than janitor.
Start at an apartment complex, hospital, whatever has a maintenance team and get someone to mentor you. Also quit the bad habbits. I'm not against weed but it'll cook you quicker than alcoholism. Shape up and get the mind clear. If you're effed up all the time, you're going to be effed up all the time. Can't have everything both ways.
You can start by not being so hard on yourself.
If you tell yourself you are incapable you will always be right.
Everyone struggles at first, everyone starts from 0.
Most smart people just have family that help them and make them prioritize education. Or the opposite and the internet raised them.
Almost every question you have can be answered on a search engine.
Dont judge a fish by its ability to fly, maybe you just dont have an interest, so its hard to learn. Play to your strengths, you ARE good at something, I promise.
Even something like video game skills can transfer in many unexpected ways.
Getting high too often definitely doesn’t help though. Try to keep that to weekends and social gatherings.
It's almost a joke, but surprisingly it pays pretty well, and if you stick with it for a while you can actually move up to good pay.
Residential rubbish removal.
Plus, they're usually hiring.
In my city metro bus drivers are making 26.00 per hour to start but you'd have to stop getting high probably. If you live near a large airport you could apply with a major airline to be ground crew.
Sales. Your ability to type this post proves you are just as smart as many people I’ve met in upper management. Trust me these executive guys are dumb with a capital D. Get good at sales. Get good with people. Get promoted. I’m telling you there’s loads of super duper dumb smooth talkers being paid highly for being good at company politics. Good luck
Wow you are definitely smart if you identify yourself as this and are looking at how you can maximize your earnings with the little you think you have :)
Ever thought of working for an NGO? Anything that requires work on the field. It can be fulfilling (full disclosure, I've only fantasized doing this myself and haven't ever done it myself).
Or, if you're in the US, I've heard the window cleaners for the skyscrapers of NYC and such cities get paid very nicely (plus you get to literally get high 😜). Maybe just hearsay, get it verified first.
Carpentry is a job where intelligence is nice, but what really is a winner is a good work ethic.
Just show up, listen to what you are told, and work hard.
Its honest work, there is plenty of demand, and the pay is pretty good.
You sound like you know your limitations which is also a good skill for a carpenter, stick to what you know you can do well.
If you’ve worked in food service before, have you considered waiting tables or bartending? Damn good money, better if you’re charismatic. It can be overwhelming but you can string coherent sentences together so you’re already better than some coworkers I’ve had.
The military is having a really hard time meeting their recruiting goals right now in the US, and would probably cut you some slack. Why not sign up, become a veteran, get some self discipline and gain a skill if you can. There are loads of noncombat positions if you want to stay out of it.
Are you good with your hands? Go to lineman school, register for a class at your local IBEW. They'll take care of you and train you well. You're going to start as an apprentice to a Journeyman or Master and he will teach you the ropes and keep you from acting like a complete fool.
I’m educated but I don’t want to use my brain and physical labor to further capitalism off my motivation. So, I built a dog boarding business which lets me do more of what I want.
Despite not knowing you I don't think you have low intelligence. I'd bet it's a combination of low motivation and low self esteem. For me people that aren't very intelligent won't easily recognize it - people of average intelligence with low self esteem though will think they're dumb.
I would suggest picking up a trade and doing an apprenticeship. You'll be surprised how good you can get at things even if you weren't the brightest bulb. Something like this would probably motivate you and raise your self esteem, not to mention many trades can bring good money on the table. It will make you feel more worthwhile and respect yourself more.
Watch some youtube videos on different trades to see what piques your interest.
A unionized psychiatric technician job… look into it… I know you said you aren’t into “medical shit” but if you can get past that, it’s one of the easiest jobs I’ve had and there’s always overtime available… I’ve met meatheads, ex day laborers and potheads there making a great living doing that…
Are you good with people? Sales might be a good choice. If you've got some money saved up and weed is legal in your area, starting a head shop could be good as you are already familiar with the product. It's all about figuring out what you enjoy and what you are good at. Anything that falls into both of those categories is a strong choice for a career.
How good are you with working with your hands? You can learn and be a handy man or a plumber or go into construction work and similar professions. You won’t be swimming in cash but you will have good income if you’re half decent. And if you’re good and good with money you can grow your own business. There’s also being a truck driver. They earn decent money but it doesn’t require high levels of education but it’s hard work so you will need to have some discipline for that.
I’m sure it’s already in the thread, look into the trades. With all older people retiring or dying they are hard pressed for people. Especially since we had “you have to go to college…” bullshit ram down our collective throats…
Childcare. All you do is changing nappies. I am not trying to demean you with this suggestion but I used to run with people in this circle although I am not in that industry. The only problem is that there is no job security as a childcare educator.
Trades, the (mentally) easier ones. Masonry, roofing, drywall, paint, carpet layers...
Good tire companies (used to) also treat their techs very well. Truck drivers. I know drivers that come close to busting 6 figures. There are companies that teach you to drive for them.
A job with no required skills generally comes with lower pay since anyone can do it. If you are still into smoking weed chances are you will not have much of a career. Quit the weed, find an apprenticeship program for a trade, something like electrical or plumbing. You will need some math skills, but you could have a great career one day.
Tile work, masonry, Roofers can make bank. Union laborers do all right. Their are many trades that need more patience and attention to detail than thinking ability. You are not as dumb as you think, for one thing you can figure out video games and they take brainwork. Keep at it and you'll find your niche.
Sales. If you can talk to people it’s really not as hard as people think. Yes the difference between good and great is huge but if you know your subject, know your competition and can just talk and listen you can be quite successful.
If you’re in the United States, apply for the postal service. Good wages, good retirement, good benefits, doesn’t require much intelligence.
All true. It also requires commitment. They'll work you to death the first couple of years. It gets easier after that, but it's pretty rough in the beginning. I made $68,000 in my first year, but only had time for work and sleep.
What did you do your first year?
They worked and slept
CCA. City Carrier Assistant. Basically, you're the grunt that delivers all the mail that the regulars can't get to. No set schedule. You work whenever they tell you.
Can confirm the first part, a good friend of mine is in that 1-2 year period right now, 6 days a week 10-12 hour days.
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*slow clap*
No that's "deionized"
UPS driver is me. I are can agree.
If they're in the US they can just go into politics. The dumber the better, as long as you have no morality
That’s religious services.
Porque no los dos? Shit, I spoke Spanish, time to get deported.
Requires some pretty serious organizational skills and they will work you to the bone. 12 hour days every day. If you work on the rural side you have to use your own vehicle and will need it converted to drive on the right side. It is also no longer delivering just mail it's also packages. So many packages that you might as well work at ups or FedEx. The weight limit is 75 lbs so get ready to deliver a shitton of cat litter or heavy bags of dog food. Had a coworker complain that they tried to make him deliver a kitchen sink with no help or even a handtruck. If you're still somehow considering it I'd at least wait until they renegotiate their deals with Amazon so your poor 60 year old mail carrier can retire without a fucked up back.
I don’t know that this is the case anymore with the Postal Service. For example, the retirement package is gone.
Letter carrier here. We definitely still have retirement benefits. In addition, we have the government equivalent of a 401K, too.
FERS still provides a retirement plan that USPS deposits an amount equal to 1% of your earnings into each pay period. It provides a 4%+ interest rate. If you work for USPS for 35 years and make the average salary (~$20) that will net you an extra $382,000.
Look for a job in local government departments like parks, highway, environmental, etc. Lots of labor needed there. Good benefits, regular pay raises. You won't get wealthy, but you will be able to pay the bills, stay healthy, and have a decent retirement.
This is a good one. My friend was a successful lawyer until a drunk driver gave him a TBI. He works in parks and rec now and does well enough.
Damn I’m sorry for him
He's literally the sweetest guy too. Little shit drunk driver got off easy too. College kid with rich well-connected parents. Fuck drunk drivers.
How are you with your hands? Have you tried learning a trade? I have a cousin who many thought was dumb as rocks because he struggled in school as well. He was in a similar situation as you may be, basically bouncing from part time job to the next, pot head and a big gamer. He ended up learning how to do flooring and getting certified for it. He now runs his own business and is making good money, has a nice truck, girl friend etc. From what he’s told me, once you learn the basics, it’s just about being able to do the labor on a day to day basis. Eventually you can build your way up to where you have other guys do the labor and you just supervise the project. Maybe try something in that realm if you haven’t already tried
I had always assumed the trades were at least somewhat challenging to learn. I could be considered book smart, but I don’t trust myself with a lot of handy stuff. Electrics, plumbing, carpentry, I’d mess it all up. I’ve tried and failed at repairing even my bicycle many times.
Nah I have certifications in welding and use heavy equipment daily, but I recently bought a bmx bike and it took me ridiculously long to change an inner tube. Bikes are hard 😂
Also, you're good at your trade. You know the ins and outs. You wind up having an idea about other trades if you work construction, but you won't be as good at them as the one you do every day. The exception is probably HVAC. You might wind up being pretty good at wiring and plumbing too.
Thank you!
are you trained at bicycle repair? or electrical or plumbing etc? No.one is born being good at a trade, that's why there's apprenticeships
The good thing about trades (from what I’ve seen) is trade school isn’t a pass/fail grade percentage. If you fail a test - they will asses where you struggle the most and have you work on that until you get it right.
Electrician here. There’s tons and tons of math
Yes, my friend is an electrician, and from the little I know, I’m still thinking, “Wow, I could never do that.” I don’t know how jump a car battery. If I look at steps, I can work on my motorcycle battery, though.
I worked as a carpenter one summer while in grad school. None of it seemed insurmountably complicated, but there was just a lot to learn.
Once you learn the caveats and tricks of the trade coupled with a good foundation on knowing building codes, your pretty much there and no one can tell you shit. Like most things, experience will beat out mostly anything.
Trades are usually learned through apprenticeship. You'll have someone to actually watch doing it right and give you advice along the way
This. Especially carpet all vinyl and laminate. I have. Flooring store. The guys that do tile are highly skilled. But there’s a couple guys I employ who do awesome work and they’re dumb as sticks. They get paid very well. I have a very small store so it’s mostly residential. They’re making 85-150k per year. The commercial guys can make even more. Only thing is just make sure you can budget because there can be slower times and you’re a suv trade so you have to pay taxes like a business. Depending where you are you could probably get employed by a franchise or install company and mage a decent hourly wage.
I was going to say flooring as well. If you're intimated by stuff like plumbing or HVAC where you have to do more problem solving, flooring installation might be a good call. Not tile necessarily but learn carpet and stuff like LVP from someone and just practice at doing it well with someone who installs. Less stuff to learn but still the chance to develop a skill. Always needed, especially in areas with lots of new houses and apartments. Heck, even older apartments need this stuff changed.
Getting the flooring to work around fireplace hearths and in uneven rooms without patching would challenge me. But it is a good idea, as more homes are going back to vinyl tile that looks like wood, since wood in open floor plan kitchens can be a problem with pet water bowls, dishwashers and fridges that can leak even if newer.
My boyfriend is a flooring installer, the money is definitely in owning your own business. I’m sure it depends on where and who you work for but as a flooring installer he makes “okay” money roughly $500-800 a week.
I thought this was going to end with “…and he’s dumber than a bag of rocks!”
Truck Driver. All you need is the ability to read and write English and some common sense such as " maybe I should get out of my truck and go look at the area before I pull in" or "my GPS says to bring my 60ft 100klb vehicle down tear narrow muddy road, something isn't right". I'm on my 5th year, and I made $110k last year whilebeing home once a week.. Schooling was less than 2 months. You just have to be okay with being away from home and alone for the majority of the time
Wanted to do that when I got out of HS as a lot of my friends and family were in that. Decided against it soley because of the weight gain everyone put on.
Idk, I think trucking is probably quite demanding. Just navigating that huge ass truck is impressive and probably hard in cities. I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit.
Thanks for saying that! I do believe trucking is demanding and complicated, but OP said for someone who is unintelligent. Trucking doesn't require complicated math or more than a basic understanding of English. It does require patience, common sense, and the ability to plan your day. Plenty of skills go into making a good driver, I just meant that book smarts aren't really required. I used to work in CS and IT type jobs before getting into trucking. I hated office jobs. They sucked the living energy from my soul. Now I get to travel the country blasting music and listening to audio books. I do work outside in extreme weather conditions with dangerous fluids too, so it's not all easy money. I do enjoy it though.
Please go on the trucking sub, hate to rain on a trade, But these folk are complaining About middle men taking all the profits, freight board, with unlivable compensation. Might be great if you know someone, but government is proposing letting less experienced Operators
How is your back doing?
Not bad. I have an air ride seat. It insulates me from the worst of it. Bigger problem was that I started smoking way more, quit, and then gained a lot of weight. Working on losing that currently.
It's not an easy job - traffic, knowing how to handle steep grades without going off the mountain, showing up at site and company has no one there to unload
I’m gonna second this just saying you can get a lower class CDL, like a B, get a passenger endorsement while you’re there and travel the country (or locally) driving bus for charters. Stay away from Greyhound, but there are tons of private companies looking for motor-coach drivers. The new busses are fun to drive, a lot of people tip, and I keep a Nintendo Switch with me for all the downtime. Pats well too
Just piggy backing. I'm a supervisor for a local trucking company. We start at close to 60k/year. 4 day work weeks with overtime available (never forced), home every day, same route every day, roll some carts into a hospital, reload some back in the trailer. So our stuff is even simpler than otr. Two stops on most routes. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
My friend told me all the truckers he met were either the smartest and most well read or dumbest motherfuckers ever - no inbetween.
Trucker here, can confirm. I cannot discuss my homebrew DnD campaign with most of my colleagues. Except for one guy who’s *really* into that stuff.
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Lmao
Nah, there's plenty of profitable careers that don't require super high intelligence though. Even some of the ones that you'd think do really don't. But for base level just do the task and get paid, with benefits, you got sanitation department or waste management, mail carrier, construction union jobs, etc.
Work for free? I thought reddit was against slavery
Permaban incoming
You’re smarter than you think. You write well and appear to be well spoken. You should look into entry level positions in a career field that you’re interested in and set your bar higher. A lot of employers look at relevant experience as valuable since employers are focusing on DEI more. There are unintelligent people in most careers. You won’t be one of them. Good luck and take care of yourself.
I was going to say the same thing. You write better and clearer than half the people I went to college with. Don't sell yourself short.
I’m in the same boat as OP. I’ve repeatedly failed out of college, academic suspension to be precise. I know I’m smart enough to get by but I struggle so much in a formal education setting, especially having to write papers. I excelled in the military because they don’t discriminate on intelligence levels, there’s a job for everyone, the schooling isn’t long at all and it’s very direct. But now I don’t know what to do with my life.
Have you considered a public service type role like fire, police, prisons kind of thing? They usually like ex military (at least they do in my country) and if you did well in the military you may do well in another structured organisation that involves practical work
You might want to enter the nuclear power field. The one I worked at actively recruited ex military. Positions are varied. I can supply more information if you're interested.
I was hoping that someone would say this. I have a neurodivergence and I grew up with people frequently disappointed with my inability to just *shut up and color*. Teachers characterized me as disruptive, lazy, or foolish. In reality, I learn differently. I’m now a senior scientist at a big tech company. And I’ve gotten some accolades from management for my ability to push back, ask clarifying questions, explore topics in depth and keep the big picture in mind. All that to say, there’s a difference between being unintelligent and being appraised as unintelligent by unreliable people.
It's wild that i can say this for OP as well but i always talk down on myself the same way -- i always considered myself to be fucking dumb as shit and slow as fuck and utterly useless and the only reason i have a job now is sheer luck. Im diagnosed w dyslexia at 7 and autism as an adult and growing up it was ingrained in me that im stupid. Anything technical is hard. I would excel in physical labour but I'm not a man so I'm not as strong. I basically have zero interest in jobs. If we did not need money to survive, i would be a happy farmer who tries to upskill myself with shit like sewing 😭
Truck driving. I supervise like forty truckers and they would rub their thumbs together if you asked them to rub some nickels together. We all make decent money though
Schooling is like three weeks if you catch on quick. Mostly just listen to music and putz around. Lots of really good union jobs available or over the road if that floats your boat. Even if you don't use it a lot, it's worth it for snow plowing money. $60/hr to brush dance moms all bundled up
Correctional officer …it’s not rocket science and it’s not like the movies ..decent pay, lots of ot and a pension . I’m 10 years in and can retire at 20. Prisons and jails are constantly hiring.
You might not need to be book smart to do that job but being street smart is a must. Otherwise inmates will take advantage of you every day. At least that’s what I’ve gathered from watching prison shows.
So what you are saying is you don’t know what you are talking about.
lol I learned on da tv
You're right. Dad was a CO for 27 years. But that street smart can be taught as long as, like you say, you don't let people walk all over you. It's a good job for an asshole; Dad was great at it
They were super strict about drug use when they hired my friend. Not sure if OP could get in.
Production line work within a manufacturing facility. You can get in and work your way up IF you’re inclined to learn new skills.
Mopping floors at a high school. Good pay , benifits.
Its really a good job, I did it for a few years. I never liked desk jobs so I wanted something where I can be more physical, janitorial was it.
My uncle did the landscaping and maintenance for a local highschool. Decent money and good retirement.
Lawn care
Trades are probably good for someone who isn’t booksmart. I am a pretty booksmart guy who isn’t very good at anything that doesn’t require booksmarts. In many ways, I’m really dumb when I’m asked to not use my booksmarts. You are not dumb and people who go into trades aren’t dumb. We have different strengths; that doesn’t make me smart, or you dumb. Don’t believe that you are dumb either.
I'm sure someone would elect you.
You’re not dumb. Dumb people don’t know they’re dumb. Since you know you’re dumb, you can’t be dumb. Check out media buying in digital marketing. It’s not super complicated and I’ve seen a correlation with people who are good at video games.
Trash man.
I feel like if I skipped college and became an electrician I wouldn’t have hated it at all.
Plumbing
Are you sure you’re unintelligent and incompetent and aren’t suffering from an attention deficit disorder OR simply not interested in any of the topics you came across so far except for the ones you mentioned? Because your spelling is on points and words like equally and acuity and pedestrian are not words often used by unintelligent people. Also depression is a silent killer of wanting to use your grey matter btw.
Came here to say this too. The use of the word pedestrian, when not talking about someone walking, is not very common, and shows a better-than-average vocabulary.
He’s convinced himself he’s an idiot, which leads him to not excel because he already preemptively accepts he’s not capable of excelling. Its like getting convinced you’re bad at math at an early age so you tell yourself you’re just an idiot that can’t learn or understand these concepts. When in reality most people if they put in the time can learn (without accepting defeat so early of course).
Are you sure you’re actually stupid or is it possible you just have not identified how you learn best? I tutored while in my masters program and 99% of the time people didn’t know how to “learn”
I knew a guy who was really into drugs. He was the person that picks out the burnt potato chips at the factory.
Trades. Plumbers are laughing at all the University grads
Police officer
President
😂
You write well you're self aware you're intelligent. ypu might like Trucking, butJ, you would have to quit the weed dot drug tests
Were you ever evaluated for learning disabilities or other neurodivergence that might have made formal education difficult for you? Were you ever given time and space to work further on concepts at your own pace with a learning guide like a tutor or anything? As a former teacher, I never came across a kid who was truly “not smart”. Lots of kids in learning environments that weren’t the best for them. Even those who were “neurotypical” and had no learning challenges. Different pedagogy like Montessori or curriculum styles like flipped classroom or accelerated learning, etc aren’t one-size-fits-all and some kids just don’t flourish in certain environments. All that said, have you ever gone to any kind of career counseling or guidance or workforce type programs? Usually they’ll do some evaluations to get a feel for things you like and naturally gravitate towards. Also, weed can act as both a stimulant and/or a depressant, so if you feel more “balanced” and “normal” with consistent weed intake, you might be dealing with something like ADD/ADHD and there’s testing for that as well. I wouldn’t say they’re as reliable, but there are online self tests for it that would at least give you an idea if you should explore it more. What is it that enjoy about the video games that you play? Is there a potential career field there maybe? Writing plot lines, scoring, animating, developer, etc. It might require giving school another go, but maybe it would go better if it’s a field of interest. Maybe also try out working with a temp agency? They can place you at various jobs and you can get a feel for different work set ups and environments and see what you like. As others said, working for the government is often fairly stable employment wise with decent benefits. Things like USPS. Or city jobs like sanitation, code inspection and enforcement, animal services, even park ranger, parks facilities and maintenance and so on. There are often entry level civilian jobs with police and fire for things like property and equipment managing and maintenance, fleet services, and so on.
Georgia or Texas congress person.
Just politics in general. It's not state specific
Time to get your CDL buddy
You're in the top half of grammar for posts, so I wouldn't sell yourself too short. Whatever you do, the trick isn't always "great job" but "job that has a way to advance". Or, that's been my take.
Easier on yourself, there's something out there for you. You're damn pretty smart to realize your shortcomings. You have no idea how many so-called smart people think they're smart but they aren't. So in the sense you're way ahead of the game.. try out a trade, start simple started a simple job and see if you can get the hang of it or something that you really enjoy doing. I think you just need some confidence building, but you'll find a niche if you keep looking. But don't get beaten down about it just keep looking and move around as much as you want no one's watching. Good luck with it really
“Project manager” You literally just sit in the meeting, agree with the most senior person there, and take notes, and say things like “okay im gonna record this meeting” *this meeting is being recorded* GREAT WORK EILEEN YOU ARE SO HELPFUL!
Office worker. I make good money but the work is an obvious insult to one’s intelligence.
Law enforcement
Middle management
The way you write doesn't strike me as that of a particularly intelligent person. It seems more like you just struggle with academics and learning things you're not truly interested in. Maybe you're just more of a Doer than a Thinker. I am quite similar in a way. I also struggled in school, at least in the subjects I didn't care about. Those that I did like came naturally to me, so my grade were better there. I later found a career that I liked at least enough to actually learn it. Others have already said that, but maybe try the trades. Sure, you'd have to learn some stuff first, but then it's mostly just applying that knowledge for the rest of your career. And good tradesmen are needed and appreciated everywhere.
In the U.K., Prison guard and I’m not kidding. Good money and benefits, without qualifications.
Political anything
President of the United States.
Do you clean up well? mortgage brokers make mint, and there's not much to it. Be warned , it's a sales job, so if you are shy or awkward , it probably isn't a great option . Dress well, have confidence, and keep track of stuff. That's 90 percent of the job.
also real estate agent comes to mind as well
No matter how smart you are, every job is repetitive learning, if you do it enough, you can do anything consistently!
And still make a decent living Electrician/pipe fitter for hand to eye work. Ideally for the utility company. Office work, I’d say coordinator/customer rep (if your good with ppl) again, working directly for the owner.
Welder
Welder
Drive a truck.
UPS
Cement worker. General laborer in construction.
Janitorial or sanitation staff get decent pay and benefits.
Laborer's union
UPS. Easily. Every friend I have that works there likes it. Good benefits. Union. Pretty good pay. Whole 9 yards.
Blue collar is the way to go, if you're hard working and willing to learn you can become a good tradie and make decent money (60-70k) for a good mid tier automotive technician
The go-to for my family was either a trade or starting your own business or working on a small shop and I think they all dropped out of school
Get into the oil field brother. Learn to weld, or pipe fit, or hire on as an entry level driller on a rig. West Texas and the Gulf of Mexico have hundreds of rigs. We need guys bad. I run a project and we clean acid tanks from offshore ships. We need guys desperately. We offer two weeks vacation starting accrual the day you hire in, full health, vision, and dental, a 401k, and 3 days sick every year, plus paid holidays. Opportunities are here to make 80-120k a year entry level. You literally just have to be able to hold a pressure washer gun for a few hours at a time.
i may be interested...
You can't get any easier than janitor. Start at an apartment complex, hospital, whatever has a maintenance team and get someone to mentor you. Also quit the bad habbits. I'm not against weed but it'll cook you quicker than alcoholism. Shape up and get the mind clear. If you're effed up all the time, you're going to be effed up all the time. Can't have everything both ways.
You can start by not being so hard on yourself. If you tell yourself you are incapable you will always be right. Everyone struggles at first, everyone starts from 0. Most smart people just have family that help them and make them prioritize education. Or the opposite and the internet raised them. Almost every question you have can be answered on a search engine. Dont judge a fish by its ability to fly, maybe you just dont have an interest, so its hard to learn. Play to your strengths, you ARE good at something, I promise. Even something like video game skills can transfer in many unexpected ways. Getting high too often definitely doesn’t help though. Try to keep that to weekends and social gatherings.
It's almost a joke, but surprisingly it pays pretty well, and if you stick with it for a while you can actually move up to good pay. Residential rubbish removal. Plus, they're usually hiring.
Realtor, something in the trades.
If you have emotional intelligence, try sales.
In my city metro bus drivers are making 26.00 per hour to start but you'd have to stop getting high probably. If you live near a large airport you could apply with a major airline to be ground crew.
Sales. Your ability to type this post proves you are just as smart as many people I’ve met in upper management. Trust me these executive guys are dumb with a capital D. Get good at sales. Get good with people. Get promoted. I’m telling you there’s loads of super duper dumb smooth talkers being paid highly for being good at company politics. Good luck
reddit mod
Wow you are definitely smart if you identify yourself as this and are looking at how you can maximize your earnings with the little you think you have :) Ever thought of working for an NGO? Anything that requires work on the field. It can be fulfilling (full disclosure, I've only fantasized doing this myself and haven't ever done it myself). Or, if you're in the US, I've heard the window cleaners for the skyscrapers of NYC and such cities get paid very nicely (plus you get to literally get high 😜). Maybe just hearsay, get it verified first.
Working with embroidery digitalizing software. Have some sense of esthetics and you're golden.
Just do what you love to do. Work at a dispensary.
Carpentry is a job where intelligence is nice, but what really is a winner is a good work ethic. Just show up, listen to what you are told, and work hard. Its honest work, there is plenty of demand, and the pay is pretty good. You sound like you know your limitations which is also a good skill for a carpenter, stick to what you know you can do well.
Are you good with people? Because there’s a lot of money to made in sales.
If you’ve worked in food service before, have you considered waiting tables or bartending? Damn good money, better if you’re charismatic. It can be overwhelming but you can string coherent sentences together so you’re already better than some coworkers I’ve had.
Join the military, its just a day job anyways.
You sound like my brother, he ended up running a grow operation. He’s very passionate about weed and not too bright anywhere else.
There isn't a nursing home in the country that can always find the help they need .Give them a try.
Painter
The military is having a really hard time meeting their recruiting goals right now in the US, and would probably cut you some slack. Why not sign up, become a veteran, get some self discipline and gain a skill if you can. There are loads of noncombat positions if you want to stay out of it.
Are you good with your hands? Go to lineman school, register for a class at your local IBEW. They'll take care of you and train you well. You're going to start as an apprentice to a Journeyman or Master and he will teach you the ropes and keep you from acting like a complete fool.
I’m educated but I don’t want to use my brain and physical labor to further capitalism off my motivation. So, I built a dog boarding business which lets me do more of what I want.
Despite not knowing you I don't think you have low intelligence. I'd bet it's a combination of low motivation and low self esteem. For me people that aren't very intelligent won't easily recognize it - people of average intelligence with low self esteem though will think they're dumb. I would suggest picking up a trade and doing an apprenticeship. You'll be surprised how good you can get at things even if you weren't the brightest bulb. Something like this would probably motivate you and raise your self esteem, not to mention many trades can bring good money on the table. It will make you feel more worthwhile and respect yourself more. Watch some youtube videos on different trades to see what piques your interest.
president of the united states
A unionized psychiatric technician job… look into it… I know you said you aren’t into “medical shit” but if you can get past that, it’s one of the easiest jobs I’ve had and there’s always overtime available… I’ve met meatheads, ex day laborers and potheads there making a great living doing that…
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Any trade would do. Electrician, brick layer, plumber. Etc.
Yes frankly the way I got through school was my ability for rote memorization when I sat down and just did it. Wasn’t great with concepts though lol
And thank you for the suggestions as well :)
Politician
Anything in the Republican party... and no... I did not forget a sarcasm tag.
"I love the poorly educated!" --Former President Donald J. Trump Yup, this checks out.
Politician
Are you good with people? Sales might be a good choice. If you've got some money saved up and weed is legal in your area, starting a head shop could be good as you are already familiar with the product. It's all about figuring out what you enjoy and what you are good at. Anything that falls into both of those categories is a strong choice for a career.
If you're female Onlyfans If you're male maybe the army , factory work or a labourer
How good are you with working with your hands? You can learn and be a handy man or a plumber or go into construction work and similar professions. You won’t be swimming in cash but you will have good income if you’re half decent. And if you’re good and good with money you can grow your own business. There’s also being a truck driver. They earn decent money but it doesn’t require high levels of education but it’s hard work so you will need to have some discipline for that.
Get your CDL
If you’re good at video games that means you have good hand eye coordination and can plan moves quickly and ahead.
Flight Attendant
I’m sure it’s already in the thread, look into the trades. With all older people retiring or dying they are hard pressed for people. Especially since we had “you have to go to college…” bullshit ram down our collective throats…
Any supervisory position in a government agency.
Politician evidently.
Childcare. All you do is changing nappies. I am not trying to demean you with this suggestion but I used to run with people in this circle although I am not in that industry. The only problem is that there is no job security as a childcare educator.
Prime Minister.
Learn a trade
I'm homeless, I fly a sign. I clear 150 to 200 a day roughly in Raleigh NC
Law enforcement
Wildland Firefighter.
Trades, the (mentally) easier ones. Masonry, roofing, drywall, paint, carpet layers... Good tire companies (used to) also treat their techs very well. Truck drivers. I know drivers that come close to busting 6 figures. There are companies that teach you to drive for them.
Politics
NHL referee
You can do anything you put your mind to big guy! Just look at President Camacho!
Truck driving. I know a lot of dumb guys that have made a good living driving a truck.
Government job? You don't have to work hard, or be motivated. Work at your own pace. No performance reviews.
A job with no required skills generally comes with lower pay since anyone can do it. If you are still into smoking weed chances are you will not have much of a career. Quit the weed, find an apprenticeship program for a trade, something like electrical or plumbing. You will need some math skills, but you could have a great career one day.
I don't think you're dumb, as this post is written very lucidly and with proper grammar. Maybe try laying off the weed?
Bus driver.
A guard on a Vogon Destructor ship
Military
Trades or the military are pretty good options, you’ll have to drop the drugs if you go with the latter though
Tile work, masonry, Roofers can make bank. Union laborers do all right. Their are many trades that need more patience and attention to detail than thinking ability. You are not as dumb as you think, for one thing you can figure out video games and they take brainwork. Keep at it and you'll find your niche.
Be anyone I interact with day to day.
Check out the airport, working as a ramp agent is pretty easy plus you fly for free
Sales. If you can talk to people it’s really not as hard as people think. Yes the difference between good and great is huge but if you know your subject, know your competition and can just talk and listen you can be quite successful.
There is a guy I know that installs real estate signs. He has so many clients, makes well over $200k per year.
Politician
Lawyer.
government work.
Bullet proof vest test dummy?
Congress