I think you are probably right and that this is really good advice. Being on this side of the fence has totally clouded my judgment for a long time, and I often fail to see some of the more obvious things at times. Appreciate you sharing very much!

P.S. For whatever reason your prediction of me probably ignoring it now and being forced to do it later is uncannily accurate. I hope I can break the chains and get that "normal" job on my own free will though. I really hope so.

I'm currently self-studying web development at home. It's going to take me about a year before I could begin the job seeking process. I am not sure being a developer is something I will enjoy, but ATM it seems like the best career path for me. But the problem with that is it means one more year at home, and I'm not sure I can take that. Every time I see my friends' FB or LinkedIn accounts, and see how successful they are with their careers, I get extremely depressed. I live in the Silicon Valley… most everyone I know here is making good money and is "important" to their respective tech companies. It makes me feel totally left out. I wish I had begun a conventional career path out of college. So I'm doing what I can to get myself in the game, but another year at home is a scary thought. I might be better served just going out and getting a job today--any job. It would have to be something stupid like flipping burgers, retail, waiter, etc. It would also delay my getting going as a web developer, but perhaps it's necessary. And as stated earlier, I'm not even sure web dev is for me. But it seems interesting enough. I'm a good problem-solver/logic puzzle type, and it's one of the only avenues remaining available to me that lead to a "good career". Has anyone else been in a similar situation, that could offer some advice?

Yes, I was in the exact same situation a few years back in SF. Had no idea what I wanted to do but knew poker long term wouldn't make me happy. My direct group of friends were having tons of success in the business world. I ended up getting a job as a bottom feeder at a tech company doing sales, got promoted a couple times and decided to quit to start my own business.

Here's my take on the situation: First off stop looking at peoples social media or Linkedin to determine their levels of happiness or success.It's perfectly ok to not know what you want to do and in most cases you won't know until you just do something. Don't look at getting a job as your next identity, that's not what it is. It's a learning process where you see how businesses operate, meet new people (HUGE), and potentially discover new opportunities down the line. For those of you who say you have no skills that's bs. If you're smart enough to beat online poker then guess what, you're ***** smart! The real question is how much drive and ambition do you have?

Again, my advice is to get out and start applying for jobs in fields that may spark interest (tech, marketing, finance etc). You'll need to get good at the interview process and be able to correlate the skills required in poker to what you're applying for. Be confident in yourself and expect to get declined offers at first. Interviewing is a skill you'll develop with practice.

None of you will regret leaving poker as your main source of income and you'll always have the option to play for fun/side$$

Can't tell you how invaluable it is to hear somebody else's story--somebody that's been through it. Many thanks, and continued success to you!

Update: I've applied to over 50 jobs online. I've carefully selected jobs that require little experience (entry level and such). I was able fill in the gap for the time I spent playing poker for a living. I have a friend who is a business owner and I have done the books for him from time to time (very basic bookkeeping). But I am striking out like crazy. No response in all cases. Some jobs were really basic/low paying too. Is this normal and should I continue to hammer away or are there better tactics? Obviously networking is the best way to get anything in life. I have no real solid professional networks however. Most people I know are dead ends in terms of landing a job (majority are self-employed or teachers). It feels hopeless.

I would look into some kind of meditation. It can open up a whole new perspective on life and ones sense of self.

You need to change your approach to finding work. Hire a headhunter or consider getting your masters or take classes to pull your GPA up.

Youre so ****ing young, youre not behind and we are near full employment in the US, its a great time to find work. I was taking classes in 2010, they were full of people in their 40s....

I would suggest getting in touch with a recruiter since they would be financially rewarded for finding you a job you keep. Also, you can consider joining something like a coding bootcamp if you're looking to get into engineering. They'll set you up nice when you're done.