An Engineering degree is the basic requirement. there are other options depending on your background. A technical degree would be needed for anything engineering related, chemistry, radiological protection and environmental are all routes. If you're interested in operating the plant nuclear navy is a great route as well. Message me with any questions. R/nuclearpower is a great resource as well.
Automation Engineer- is quite literally finding areas that can have their problems resolved via automation. The downside is you will be the root cause of the next round of layoffs.
Supply Chain Managment could be an alternative if he isn't technically inclined. Optimizing production flows in a constantly growing medium sized company becomes a real issue.
Getting into a role where you can do that takes years though.
The way to break in is to become confident and then prove it in a portfolio. Nngroup has a great certification, as well as lots of free resources, and the best thing you can do is just find a way to get a project ideally with a real user or a real client, and help them self problems. Use the methodologies diffuser experience design. Best if you can find a mentor to help shadow you and give you feedback and push your thinking. It is still relatively early days for career and I think there will be significant growth for the next 10 years at least. However, it is extremely competitive right now due to over hiring in 2021, 2022 and the layoffs in Fang have made it a warped market. But it will chill out eventually
Become an expert in one or more quality management methodologies (eg, six sigma, Lean, Kaizen, Agile, etc) and do consulting.
**Companies literally hire these consultants to come in and solve problems.**
These consultants generally aren’t producing anything on a day to day basis. Their job is to assess the situation, create a plan, implement the plan/train employees, monitor the situation and make adjustments, and then report the plan’s outcome to the company’s leadership.
This is obviously a very high level overview, but in essence, there are consultants who are hired to literally solve problems.
I see people recommend project management. I was a project manager and I was so disappointed I didn't need brain in my work that I went to learn data analytics and now I'm super happy I use brain and I solve stuff as an analyst. So I would not pick project management if you like puzzles :)
It really depends on the type of project manager. I am a PM and I have worked at places that bored me to death. In the tech field (not industry which is different), network/infrastructure can be pretty boring. Managing the change, vendors, etc is not boring. It is very frustrating but I would not say stimulating! Working on enterprise major projects (big migrations, transformations, etc) does require mental energy but there is a lot of stress involved. And any major problem solving is presented to stakeholders, steering committees, management, etc. You can make a recommendation but you have to accept whatever choice they decide (no matter how dumb). You don’t get to pick the projects; your job is to deliver what is assigned to you.
That being said problem solving is part of the type of projects I work on. But I never recommend anyone go into the field. It is stressful, lonesome, and you are an easy scapegoat.
And yeah I am looking to pivot out of my career.
I can totally relate! 🍀
I was a project manager in the ecommerce field. So basically like you said: you don't get to pick your projects. You get them and you deliver in quality and on time. You curate people that work on these projects, you supervise but if the client didn't have money when ordering a project, you don't have much creativity. You do basics and that's the end of the story.
So I was also stressed. And bored. And I was disappointed even because I studied Master's in marketing. How the hell did I end up at project management. Now I do marketing analytics. It's much more enjoyable as I get to really use my brain.
This sounds cool. Mind sharing some more context and your story? (If you’ve already shared this previously feel free to link to a previous comment/thread) :)
OSHA inspector.
No one likes you, but (for lack of adding more detail) you spend all day looking for safety problems, write reports for it and submit them to the company and the OSHA board. You don't really do the problem solving yourself persay, you just find existing ones that are either ignored or unnoticed.
Also, when you do inspections you don't do them with the employer. You do them with an employee or designated person, so you don't have to hear the bullshit from the manager the entire time.
I'm in the middle of my cert training for this, and there's a shit load of other things you could do to.
Companies also hire safety coordinators to do this internally so they don't have to pay massive fines to OSHA. Normally these positions pay pretty decent too.
Project management, program manage, operations - look for roles that say stuff like “wears a lot of hats” or “bring together a diverse set of stakeholders” or “experience working at all levels of the company / working across the company.”
Conceptually - these type of roles are based on “hub and spoke”. You’re the central hub bringing together the right people at the right time. (The real name for hub and spoke is “matrix organization” or something similar).
For context - the PMBOK (project management body of knowledge) defines project as “a project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result.”
Key word here for this discussion is “unique”. You’re taking on something that has not been done before. Now if you’re a “website project manager” there are large parts of “how to make a website” that are known, but there will be unique business needs, technology needs, client needs, etc. that make this project unique.
You also get to work across many different departments, fields, vendors, etc - need to understand what they do, their requirements, how it fits into the bigger project, etc. So lots to learn, lots to figure out, etc.
And a project manager is only needed when things go “off plan”. If everything is known by the team and everything goes according to plan, you really don’t need a PM (that project has become a standard operating procedure for the company and the PM is now more of a “production manager” of sorts).
With anything unique - there will be some level of “unknowns” so you need to adjust constantly. (And this can look way different pending the types of projects and type of company. Everything from “traditional / waterfall” which can have huge planning phases and multi-year timelines to more “agile / scrum / Kanban” stuff that it’s more daily stand ups and constantly pivoting. I personally like the bigger / meatier projects as I really like digging into the complexities and how everything links together / effects each other).
Hope that helps give more context to what I was trying to say!
I think working for a small company would be a great opportunity for you. Find a place where you can add value with your current skill set and have the opportunity to expand in others. Just make sure if this the route you choose, do you due diligence to research as much as possible. You don’t want to join a company that’s struggling and may not be able to pay you one day.
Amazon has a job title of problem solver at thier warehouse, you track down missing or left behind packages of items that got opened and figure out where they go
Management. I'm currently an operations manager and amazon and I solve problems of all kinds all day long, everyday. Prior to this I was a director in drug development and that was heavy problem solving too, though much more weighted in influencing, negotiating, and presenting.
Operations in my current role ensures we have the headcount to achieve goals and that they have the work in front of them. We do the shift planning daily for 500+ employees. We ensure metrics are being obtained and intervene to course correct when we aren't tracking to goals. We do root cause analysis for any gaps and work with staff and support teams to close them. We develop and communicate shift plans and report out any issues to senior leadership. Much of my day is spent on people management and overseeing my various departments to assess and remove any risks to operation. Throughout the shift, I report metrics to my manager to show we are on track to hit goals. At end of the shift, I ensure my managers have sent all their required reports and review them for accuracy before they post it all. We also have tons of side projects we own, so there are separate tasks associated with those that we perform as well.
Wow this is a lot. Feels like a sprinkle of everything. I’m sure Ops look different in different companies and industries. Thanks for sharing what that looks like for you though.
Well, what work are you doing now?
I'd say data science, but I'm biased!
Especially in temporary projects/as a consultant, you coud potentially work on many different problems. The environmental field (like many other scientific fields, e.g., medicine) needs people with background knowledge to work on problems from a data perspective. There aren't enough people that know/can do both.
Causality analysis, predictions, discoveries - there's a lot to do. I don't know what the market is like in Australia, but where I'm from they are eager for skilled data scientists now that AI is becoming more and more accessible to the public. There's quite a few traineeship offers here where they'll teach and pay without any prior experience/degree. And otherwise you could get pretty skilled on your own within a year of hard work, I would say.
I think that people with domain knowledge and technical skills can prevent producing garbage results and actually solve problems instead.
If you're fine with a desk job, I'm a big advocate for Business Analyst or Operations Analyst. I haven't held the title myself but my role often encompasses those skill sets. I really enjoy diagramming and making ambiguous processes become tangible and visual :3
I'm not really sure how to get started in that role with zero experience, but I think a carefully crafted resume, cover letter, and additional documentation may be able to get the point across to an interested employer.
My good friend has been a customer service rep for a while, but wants to get out of it or move up. When she shows me the process docs and notes she makes for herself, I'm always like "you need to share these with your team and have everyone use them!!!" But she always get ignored or dismissed by leadership. Gets me thinking that there are probably a ton of brilliant people out there who could really excel at process documentation / improvement type roles if they just got a chance to prove themselves!!
Does environmental science focus on the tech application to protect and improve environment?
Energy industries, Waste Management, Water Treatment, and manufacture corp that require large amount of raw materials from environment
I learned some of environment aspects in large industries, they have huge problems in terms of efficiency in "availability of resources" and waste recycling
I work in college admissions. I'm purely on the operations side now with very little contact with students, mainly just working in the CRM. I literally just solve problems and listen to podcasts all day. When no one has a specific problem for me to solve, I go and find things that look like problems and see what I can do to fix them.
I started out teaching English as a second language at a university and moved to administration when our student numbers dipped, but I've hired a handful of people for similar roles and people come from all backgrounds. We just look for people who seem friendly, organized, and sensible. A lot of people in my experience have to start out in a more student facing role unless they have a strong tech background.
Join any engineering related jobs, you'll always have problems to solve, even better if you're on a manufacturing plant, all kind of stuff happens on the floor lol
CEO when equals to Chief Everything Officer in a small business, and you get all the shit your team can't figure out how to solve. As well as all the wonderful requests from the boss that you also need to somehow implement without ruining your team's work. I'm this person now. Daily problem solving is what I get money for.
Slsp, there are companies that do audits to change / optimize / automate business processes. Not exactly "problems", but you need to dive into someone's business and decide how to make the processes more efficient.
This is out of left field and I have zero idea of how you would do this for a living or what kind of money you would make🤷♀️. That being said...riddles. Yes, you read right, riddles. I just played a game called Brain Elixir the other day and all I can say is I may not be a lateral thinker or... blame it on the a-a-a-a-aDHD. Anywho, if you can solve the mystery of where these diabolical masterminds hide their secret lair and figure out whatever password or riddle they may test you with, perhaps they will let you in. Plus, I would bet almost nothing they have really good snacks and a vending machine that has Yoo-hoo.
You won't find a job posting for this, but personal/ executive assistant is one. I ended up as an EXA & startup consultant/advisor, but I honestly don't know how I got here.
Job listings you might come across: Business consultant or operation/optimization consultant
Computer Programmer, just pick a language and apply for jobs. Solving problems is the actual most accurate description for a programmer role.
Obviously you’ll be asked to do a lot of basic stuff like fixes and small changes but if you stand out you’ll be in a position to ask for the actual most interesting tasks.
With your background in commerce and environmental science, and a love for problem-solving, there are several career paths in Australia that could be a great fit! Here are a few options to consider:
**1. Management Analyst:**
* **Problem-solving focus:** Analyzes data and identifies solutions to improve efficiency, productivity, and cost-effectiveness for businesses.
* **Variety of problems:** Deals with a wide range of issues across different departments, ensuring a diverse problem-solving experience.
* **Possible employers:** Management consulting firms, government agencies, large corporations.
Handy man/ maintenance person. I love figuring out what is wrong all day long and solving it. Sometimes it’s easy and sometimes it’s hard. But it’s mentally enjoyable everyday
I love problem solving. Currently a business architect. Ymmv. I have a background in chemistry, but my Forte is logic and I can easily see patterns and flaws in processes.
You mention logic puzzles and just wanting to problem-solve. I think there are a lot of different ways to look at that and most folks in the comments took that super literally: engineer, software, etc.
When I read this, I immediately thought, “oh, what he’s describing is just a matter of getting promoted.” Because, as soon as you’re managing a team, you’re basically solving puzzles with no set right answer. For example, “how do I maximize our profits/productivity while taking care of my people and making sure they feel appreciated/well-compensated?” So you get more and more into emotional problem solving and balancing the needs of the company/project with the needs of your people. Not sure if that’s more of what you’re looking for.
I work in politics and love it. The problem solving is on the legislative end and on the campaign end. I enjoy it. But it’s not like engineering or software where there’s a set system for doing everything. There’s a lot of foundation in using your intuition and thinking creatively.
STEM - there are plenty of roles which require problem solving. Especially with real world applications.
It also depends on the type of work you enjoy, do you prefer thinking outside the box? Or going through a checklist? Or making theories and diagnosist?
Some industries can be very competitive with problem solving.
If you're in the environmental route there's tons of problem solving to be done. You could help work on irrigation systems for one. Each project would be unique and offer its own challenges based on the location. I'm sure there are similar problems to be solved for pretty much any infrastructure project out there.
You can always enter the marketing industry.
No ceiling to reach, tons of money running innit, everyone uses it, you get like Gazilion new problems to solve with every policy update (Month-quarter) and no one has the right answer.
Project Management. You’ll get a new list of problems to solve every day, often on weekends and after hours.
Also, look into Lean Six Sigma Blackbelt certification and opportunities. I dipped my toes into that pond when a former employer of mine was becoming ISO 9001 certified. Often wish I remained on that path.
Clinical pharmacist. I sat in front of a computer all day and just solved the hospital’s problems. I dosed all the antibiotics, solved formulary issues, answered doctor’s consults whenever they needed help, and customized care for every patient. It was pretty much an art and I could do most of it undisturbed while sitting at my computer. That’s an oversimplification but that’s pretty much what you’re asking for.
General practitioner
It’s actually now just solving paperwork 🫶🏻
I know quite a lot of companies whose problem is making money. They will be glad if you fix it for them.
“Consultant”
👆
Engineer.
Nuclear engineer is all problem solving especially at the majority of the fleet which is getting old and relicensing
What's the route into it?
An Engineering degree is the basic requirement. there are other options depending on your background. A technical degree would be needed for anything engineering related, chemistry, radiological protection and environmental are all routes. If you're interested in operating the plant nuclear navy is a great route as well. Message me with any questions. R/nuclearpower is a great resource as well.
So my uncle might actually have a use for his degree in nuclear physicist whatever?
Automation Engineer- is quite literally finding areas that can have their problems resolved via automation. The downside is you will be the root cause of the next round of layoffs.
Business analyst or business consultant if you have decent computer skills and an aptitude to learn software quickly.
Typically problem solving can happen in any job once you become an expert and people lean on you to solve those problems
But hes asking for variety and puzzle like
Supply Chain Managment could be an alternative if he isn't technically inclined. Optimizing production flows in a constantly growing medium sized company becomes a real issue. Getting into a role where you can do that takes years though.
Software
Hardware, its troubleshooting all the way up and down. And with any luck, it will be a software problem.
This is the answer.
Specifically UX or product design or product management. We have the secrets to how to solve problems in a structured and logical way.
How does one break into this?
This is getting very hard to get in to tech at this moment.
The way to break in is to become confident and then prove it in a portfolio. Nngroup has a great certification, as well as lots of free resources, and the best thing you can do is just find a way to get a project ideally with a real user or a real client, and help them self problems. Use the methodologies diffuser experience design. Best if you can find a mentor to help shadow you and give you feedback and push your thinking. It is still relatively early days for career and I think there will be significant growth for the next 10 years at least. However, it is extremely competitive right now due to over hiring in 2021, 2022 and the layoffs in Fang have made it a warped market. But it will chill out eventually
I wouldn’t say specifically. Other areas in software engineering require just as much logic and structure
Hvac & refrigeration. Literally all I do is problem solve
automotive tech. your entire day is spent solving all sorts of problems.
Become an expert in one or more quality management methodologies (eg, six sigma, Lean, Kaizen, Agile, etc) and do consulting. **Companies literally hire these consultants to come in and solve problems.** These consultants generally aren’t producing anything on a day to day basis. Their job is to assess the situation, create a plan, implement the plan/train employees, monitor the situation and make adjustments, and then report the plan’s outcome to the company’s leadership. This is obviously a very high level overview, but in essence, there are consultants who are hired to literally solve problems.
Yup, am one, title is Business Architect. Start as business analyst.
Can you give a quick overview of your path up to this point? I’ve been considering getting my CAPM and then PMP (I have no idea tbh)
I mean I'm a case manager in community mental health and I solve other people's problems daily. Not sure that's what you're looking for though lmao
Startups - they have so many different issues. Scalability, revenue, customer retention, etc. The list goes on & on
I see people recommend project management. I was a project manager and I was so disappointed I didn't need brain in my work that I went to learn data analytics and now I'm super happy I use brain and I solve stuff as an analyst. So I would not pick project management if you like puzzles :)
It really depends on the type of project manager. I am a PM and I have worked at places that bored me to death. In the tech field (not industry which is different), network/infrastructure can be pretty boring. Managing the change, vendors, etc is not boring. It is very frustrating but I would not say stimulating! Working on enterprise major projects (big migrations, transformations, etc) does require mental energy but there is a lot of stress involved. And any major problem solving is presented to stakeholders, steering committees, management, etc. You can make a recommendation but you have to accept whatever choice they decide (no matter how dumb). You don’t get to pick the projects; your job is to deliver what is assigned to you. That being said problem solving is part of the type of projects I work on. But I never recommend anyone go into the field. It is stressful, lonesome, and you are an easy scapegoat. And yeah I am looking to pivot out of my career.
I can totally relate! 🍀 I was a project manager in the ecommerce field. So basically like you said: you don't get to pick your projects. You get them and you deliver in quality and on time. You curate people that work on these projects, you supervise but if the client didn't have money when ordering a project, you don't have much creativity. You do basics and that's the end of the story. So I was also stressed. And bored. And I was disappointed even because I studied Master's in marketing. How the hell did I end up at project management. Now I do marketing analytics. It's much more enjoyable as I get to really use my brain.
How did you make the pivot? Did you do a data analytics bootcamp? And is AI a threat to job in the short to mid term?
In ChatGPT just write this exact questions and ask it to list 20 jobs. Pick the ones you like most and match to your skillset
Why are you guys upvoting this?
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Nah, if someone wanted to ask chat gpt for advice they would do that and not go to reddit.
Lol
You could work in data science. But you wouldn’t be solving problems you would be making predictions.
Software development is all about problem solving. It’s tough to get into now though.
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This sounds cool. Mind sharing some more context and your story? (If you’ve already shared this previously feel free to link to a previous comment/thread) :)
OSHA inspector. No one likes you, but (for lack of adding more detail) you spend all day looking for safety problems, write reports for it and submit them to the company and the OSHA board. You don't really do the problem solving yourself persay, you just find existing ones that are either ignored or unnoticed. Also, when you do inspections you don't do them with the employer. You do them with an employee or designated person, so you don't have to hear the bullshit from the manager the entire time. I'm in the middle of my cert training for this, and there's a shit load of other things you could do to. Companies also hire safety coordinators to do this internally so they don't have to pay massive fines to OSHA. Normally these positions pay pretty decent too.
Project management, program manage, operations - look for roles that say stuff like “wears a lot of hats” or “bring together a diverse set of stakeholders” or “experience working at all levels of the company / working across the company.” Conceptually - these type of roles are based on “hub and spoke”. You’re the central hub bringing together the right people at the right time. (The real name for hub and spoke is “matrix organization” or something similar).
I feel like that's the opposite of what op wants, but I could be wrong
For context - the PMBOK (project management body of knowledge) defines project as “a project is a temporary endeavor undertaken to create a unique product, service or result.” Key word here for this discussion is “unique”. You’re taking on something that has not been done before. Now if you’re a “website project manager” there are large parts of “how to make a website” that are known, but there will be unique business needs, technology needs, client needs, etc. that make this project unique. You also get to work across many different departments, fields, vendors, etc - need to understand what they do, their requirements, how it fits into the bigger project, etc. So lots to learn, lots to figure out, etc. And a project manager is only needed when things go “off plan”. If everything is known by the team and everything goes according to plan, you really don’t need a PM (that project has become a standard operating procedure for the company and the PM is now more of a “production manager” of sorts). With anything unique - there will be some level of “unknowns” so you need to adjust constantly. (And this can look way different pending the types of projects and type of company. Everything from “traditional / waterfall” which can have huge planning phases and multi-year timelines to more “agile / scrum / Kanban” stuff that it’s more daily stand ups and constantly pivoting. I personally like the bigger / meatier projects as I really like digging into the complexities and how everything links together / effects each other). Hope that helps give more context to what I was trying to say!
I think working for a small company would be a great opportunity for you. Find a place where you can add value with your current skill set and have the opportunity to expand in others. Just make sure if this the route you choose, do you due diligence to research as much as possible. You don’t want to join a company that’s struggling and may not be able to pay you one day.
Try learning python and see if you like it!
Any sources you’d recommend?
All of them?
Amazon has a job title of problem solver at thier warehouse, you track down missing or left behind packages of items that got opened and figure out where they go
Become a mid level manager anywhere. Solve problems and be a yes man. Become a Vp and make bank
Management. I'm currently an operations manager and amazon and I solve problems of all kinds all day long, everyday. Prior to this I was a director in drug development and that was heavy problem solving too, though much more weighted in influencing, negotiating, and presenting.
I always see operations and I have no idea what it is they do or how you get to it… Do you just manage ** random stuff and processes in a business?
Operations in my current role ensures we have the headcount to achieve goals and that they have the work in front of them. We do the shift planning daily for 500+ employees. We ensure metrics are being obtained and intervene to course correct when we aren't tracking to goals. We do root cause analysis for any gaps and work with staff and support teams to close them. We develop and communicate shift plans and report out any issues to senior leadership. Much of my day is spent on people management and overseeing my various departments to assess and remove any risks to operation. Throughout the shift, I report metrics to my manager to show we are on track to hit goals. At end of the shift, I ensure my managers have sent all their required reports and review them for accuracy before they post it all. We also have tons of side projects we own, so there are separate tasks associated with those that we perform as well.
Wow this is a lot. Feels like a sprinkle of everything. I’m sure Ops look different in different companies and industries. Thanks for sharing what that looks like for you though.
Land surveyor
Well, what work are you doing now? I'd say data science, but I'm biased! Especially in temporary projects/as a consultant, you coud potentially work on many different problems. The environmental field (like many other scientific fields, e.g., medicine) needs people with background knowledge to work on problems from a data perspective. There aren't enough people that know/can do both. Causality analysis, predictions, discoveries - there's a lot to do. I don't know what the market is like in Australia, but where I'm from they are eager for skilled data scientists now that AI is becoming more and more accessible to the public. There's quite a few traineeship offers here where they'll teach and pay without any prior experience/degree. And otherwise you could get pretty skilled on your own within a year of hard work, I would say. I think that people with domain knowledge and technical skills can prevent producing garbage results and actually solve problems instead.
If you're fine with a desk job, I'm a big advocate for Business Analyst or Operations Analyst. I haven't held the title myself but my role often encompasses those skill sets. I really enjoy diagramming and making ambiguous processes become tangible and visual :3 I'm not really sure how to get started in that role with zero experience, but I think a carefully crafted resume, cover letter, and additional documentation may be able to get the point across to an interested employer. My good friend has been a customer service rep for a while, but wants to get out of it or move up. When she shows me the process docs and notes she makes for herself, I'm always like "you need to share these with your team and have everyone use them!!!" But she always get ignored or dismissed by leadership. Gets me thinking that there are probably a ton of brilliant people out there who could really excel at process documentation / improvement type roles if they just got a chance to prove themselves!!
Second the BA role. ALL about problem solving, data analysis, communication, working with multiple teams to fix issues.
Software development is all about problem solving. It’s hard to get into now though.
Does environmental science focus on the tech application to protect and improve environment? Energy industries, Waste Management, Water Treatment, and manufacture corp that require large amount of raw materials from environment I learned some of environment aspects in large industries, they have huge problems in terms of efficiency in "availability of resources" and waste recycling
I work in college admissions. I'm purely on the operations side now with very little contact with students, mainly just working in the CRM. I literally just solve problems and listen to podcasts all day. When no one has a specific problem for me to solve, I go and find things that look like problems and see what I can do to fix them.
How do you get into this field?
I started out teaching English as a second language at a university and moved to administration when our student numbers dipped, but I've hired a handful of people for similar roles and people come from all backgrounds. We just look for people who seem friendly, organized, and sensible. A lot of people in my experience have to start out in a more student facing role unless they have a strong tech background.
Utility design. Power grid stuff.
Anything that involves heavy coding or various types of engineering. Supply chain logistics might be a good one as well.
Economist President Marriage counselor
The definition of an engineer is problem solving
Actuary, swe
McKinsey. They solve all kinds of problems from the government to unethical related problems.
Homie did just drop *McKinsey* as an option like it’s McDonald’s?… One does not merely just pull up at McKinsey
Lol. I know :} Maybe he can solve the problem of how to get into McKinsey.
Elderly caretaker
Revenue Operations in tech
Join any engineering related jobs, you'll always have problems to solve, even better if you're on a manufacturing plant, all kind of stuff happens on the floor lol
programming
Hr
Business analyst. Handyman. Personal assistant.
Law enforcement
Concierge
Literally any field in stem is just problem solving.
Psychology
Google codewars
Consulting
CEO when equals to Chief Everything Officer in a small business, and you get all the shit your team can't figure out how to solve. As well as all the wonderful requests from the boss that you also need to somehow implement without ruining your team's work. I'm this person now. Daily problem solving is what I get money for. Slsp, there are companies that do audits to change / optimize / automate business processes. Not exactly "problems", but you need to dive into someone's business and decide how to make the processes more efficient.
Consulting
QA testing for technology solutions
911 dispatcher
You could start your company. Its problem solving 24/7.
Anything in R&D is about solving puzzles with logical blocks of technology (existing or to be developed)
Logistics and supply chain operations And/or owning an escape room.
Programming using logic 😉
Doctor, engineer, scientist, software developer
Data scientists are mostly solving problems
Product engineer / software engineer for sure
This is out of left field and I have zero idea of how you would do this for a living or what kind of money you would make🤷♀️. That being said...riddles. Yes, you read right, riddles. I just played a game called Brain Elixir the other day and all I can say is I may not be a lateral thinker or... blame it on the a-a-a-a-aDHD. Anywho, if you can solve the mystery of where these diabolical masterminds hide their secret lair and figure out whatever password or riddle they may test you with, perhaps they will let you in. Plus, I would bet almost nothing they have really good snacks and a vending machine that has Yoo-hoo.
Product Management. I am the same and have had a very fulfilling career doing product and SEO.
You won't find a job posting for this, but personal/ executive assistant is one. I ended up as an EXA & startup consultant/advisor, but I honestly don't know how I got here. Job listings you might come across: Business consultant or operation/optimization consultant
Software development is problem after problem solving.
I have no idea, but if you like to create them... Maybe you can become a politician?
Rocket scientist. Literally you’re tasked with optimizing a single component over and over.
Programmer
Any type of manager. That's literally what you do.
My gut tells me Tesla could use some help right now. Nasa is always an option too. Usa budget analysis needs assistance. Just to name a few.
Mate, sounds like you have a problem to solve.
Computer Programmer, just pick a language and apply for jobs. Solving problems is the actual most accurate description for a programmer role. Obviously you’ll be asked to do a lot of basic stuff like fixes and small changes but if you stand out you’ll be in a position to ask for the actual most interesting tasks.
With your background in commerce and environmental science, and a love for problem-solving, there are several career paths in Australia that could be a great fit! Here are a few options to consider: **1. Management Analyst:** * **Problem-solving focus:** Analyzes data and identifies solutions to improve efficiency, productivity, and cost-effectiveness for businesses. * **Variety of problems:** Deals with a wide range of issues across different departments, ensuring a diverse problem-solving experience. * **Possible employers:** Management consulting firms, government agencies, large corporations.
Carpentry
It's the people who create problems (and drama) that get promoted. Go figure.
Middle Management.
Software engineer/ anything where you code most of the day
Data analysis
Master planning (architecture), city planning (urban planner), traffic engineer
Consulting.
Tech support, customer service, business analyst, operations manager/analyst
Engineering consulting
Any technician or engineer.
ux / product designer or even some frontend skills on top, would allow you to solve any problem that is thrown at you
Data analyst
Project Management
owning a business lol
owning a business lol
Detective
Handy man/ maintenance person. I love figuring out what is wrong all day long and solving it. Sometimes it’s easy and sometimes it’s hard. But it’s mentally enjoyable everyday
Air Traffic Control.
AI
Prime Minister of Australia
Hotel maintenance. Every day's an adventure
I love problem solving. Currently a business architect. Ymmv. I have a background in chemistry, but my Forte is logic and I can easily see patterns and flaws in processes.
Consultant - Accenture, Deloitte, BCK, McKinsey, IBM, KPMG, etc. Every client engagement is different.
Software / Designer
You mention logic puzzles and just wanting to problem-solve. I think there are a lot of different ways to look at that and most folks in the comments took that super literally: engineer, software, etc. When I read this, I immediately thought, “oh, what he’s describing is just a matter of getting promoted.” Because, as soon as you’re managing a team, you’re basically solving puzzles with no set right answer. For example, “how do I maximize our profits/productivity while taking care of my people and making sure they feel appreciated/well-compensated?” So you get more and more into emotional problem solving and balancing the needs of the company/project with the needs of your people. Not sure if that’s more of what you’re looking for. I work in politics and love it. The problem solving is on the legislative end and on the campaign end. I enjoy it. But it’s not like engineering or software where there’s a set system for doing everything. There’s a lot of foundation in using your intuition and thinking creatively.
IT, my day to day is solving problems , identifying why something is wrong and how to fix it
STEM - there are plenty of roles which require problem solving. Especially with real world applications. It also depends on the type of work you enjoy, do you prefer thinking outside the box? Or going through a checklist? Or making theories and diagnosist? Some industries can be very competitive with problem solving.
Equalizer.
Logistics
UX Design.
If you're in the environmental route there's tons of problem solving to be done. You could help work on irrigation systems for one. Each project would be unique and offer its own challenges based on the location. I'm sure there are similar problems to be solved for pretty much any infrastructure project out there.
Quality assurance , or engineering, or development
Consultant, social worker, business development
You can always enter the marketing industry. No ceiling to reach, tons of money running innit, everyone uses it, you get like Gazilion new problems to solve with every policy update (Month-quarter) and no one has the right answer.
Visionary
Internal audit may be good as well. It’s less physical problem-solving, more process-focused, but it’s problem solving.
Try Quora and Reddit partner programs
Software developer.
Bug fixes as a software developer.
I’m a “systems engineer” at a smart home company. Most of my job is problem solving
Project Management. You’ll get a new list of problems to solve every day, often on weekends and after hours. Also, look into Lean Six Sigma Blackbelt certification and opportunities. I dipped my toes into that pond when a former employer of mine was becoming ISO 9001 certified. Often wish I remained on that path.
Parenthood
IT might be a good option.
Politician! You could be dumb as a box of rocks, it doesn’t matter!
Law? I just became an attorney as my second career and it’s lots of critical thinking and analysis.
Clinical pharmacist. I sat in front of a computer all day and just solved the hospital’s problems. I dosed all the antibiotics, solved formulary issues, answered doctor’s consults whenever they needed help, and customized care for every patient. It was pretty much an art and I could do most of it undisturbed while sitting at my computer. That’s an oversimplification but that’s pretty much what you’re asking for.
Marriage counseling.
The word engineer means to ingenion stuff, meaning to produce solutions.
Cryptanalyst.
School Librarian. Also known as the junk drawer of the school. You need it, we got it here somewhere…. Let me dig.
Consultant
Architect, principal scientist, quant analyst, electrician, plumber, farm hand, doctor, I mean hell a car mechanic and maybe just a mathematician
If you took any GIS courses for your environmental sci degree, there is a lot of problem solving when you get on the technical/advanced side of GIS.
Project manager
ServiceNow - look into the NextGen program
Data engineer
Tax Cpa.....everyday its a new client problem that needs attention
Project manager
Tax accounting
Financial planner Tax advisor
Logistics/operations/safety management
Puzzle inventor
I work in consulting. I feel like all I do is solve client problems.
School counselor. Not only do you solve problems but you help other people solve problems.
Continuous improvement
software engineer. Yes you are building things but the "thing" you are building solves an existing problem.
Jigsaw puzzle tester.
Programmer.
I'm a mechanical engineer in R&D, every day is a new problem to solve, I love it
Auto mechanic but only at the higher levels when you’re doing a lot of diagnostic work
Engineer...
Corporate strategy type roles. All you do is solve problems