Interesting points you brought up. I've had a couple of buddies dive into insurance sales straight after college. They did find it relatively easy to break into, but it definitely wasn't a walk in the park. They had to deal with a ton of rejection, which can be pretty tough, especially when you're just starting out.
Personal stock trading has always intrigued me. The whole 'financial freedom' and 'be your own boss' thing sounds super appealing, but it's no joke that it requires a ton of learning and experience. I've made a few decent trades here and there, but it's far from a consistent income, at least for now.
Regarding job research, I absolutely agree that sites like Onet are beneficial. But what I found even more helpful is a bit of elbow grease – good old-fashioned networking, informational interviews, job shadows, and stuff. It's a hustle but worth it to really understand a field. You can
see this blog post I stumbled upon a while back. It has some fantastic tips on how to dig deeper into job markets and find those hidden job opportunities that don't always show up in a standard search.