Ultimately, All jobs and traits currently offered in v1.0 do not have any major significance. This guide's primary goal is to inform newer players to allow them to made educated choices based on their own needs. Optimal doesn't always mean most fun.

• S Rank
  
  
  
  
  
• A Rank
  
  
  
  
  
• B Rank
  
  
  
  
  
• C Rank
  
  
  
  
  
• D Rank
  
  
  
  
  
• F Rank
  
  
  
  
  
• Trash
  

First aid isn't anything special but its also one of the most annoying skills to max out. If you want all of your skills maxed out then this job makes it a cake walk. Extra 50% First Aid XP AND the ability to get First Aid XP just from crafting first aid items. Which is unique to this job. This also potentially allows you to take "Slow Healer" giving you an extra +3 points. +9 Starting points. (3rd Highest)

Fortitude skill takes forever to level up naturally but still something you can do casually at your base. Takes less effort than fishing and can be done semi-idle by enabling shield toggle and running into a chopper till your stamina runs out. +8 Trait Points (Good)

I'll be honest, Crafting is easy to level and can even be done with a simple macro but the issue here is that it still takes forever to level, even while being the only crafter. Throwing is a nice bonus as its an amazing skill but can also be done afk with an auto clicker. +8 Trait Points (Good)

Most people consider this Job an A or even S rank job because it allows for more traits or less negative traits. However, this job only gives 3 points more than Bionomicist and 4 Points more than The A ranks. I feel like their passive XP bonuses easily outweigh any of the "Optional" traits, bringing this down to B. +12 Trait Points

Sneaking is a great skill but also one you can easily AFK level fairly early in game. However it has the 2nd highest amount of starting points and if you don't want to AFK level a skill, then this could easily be bumped up to B. +10 Trait Points

Ultimately, this entire job can be out done by any job for only 3 Trait points, Gardener. Which gives twice as much XP as the job's passive. Overall Agriculture is a great skill to have but can also be done entirely passively and fairly easily as long as you check back on your base frequently. +9 Trait Points so not bad.

This job has the same sad fate as Botantist but worst because the trait that replaces it only costs 2 Trait points. Sure you can double up on the xp bonuses but Cooking is insanely easy to level if you're grilling all of your raw food. +9 Trait Points so not bad.

Construction is a pretty mid skill overall and you can easily level this passively as you loot things as long as you bring a screwdriver with you. As soon as you hit the 3rd chapter, there is a place that makes it absurdly easy to level this skill. +7 Trait Points (2nd Lowest)

Sounds great on paper but automatically gives you "Slow Learner" which makes all other skills level 20% slower and locks you out of one of the best traits, "Wrinkly Brainmeat."
If that wasn't bad enough, the 20% debuff applies before the classes XP buff bringing those 75% xp buffs down to roughly 40%. This job won't be viable without a total rework and removal of "Slow Learner." Only gives +5 Trait Points (Literally the lowest by a lot)

• S Rank
  
  
  
  
• A Rank
  
  
  
  
• B Rank
  
  
  
• C Rank
  
  
  
  
• D Rank
  
  
  
  
• F Rank
  
  
  
  
• Trash
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  S Rank
  Wrinkly Brainmeat
  4 points, 20% XP to ALL skills? Its seriously too good of a deal to pass up.
  
  
  Decathlon Competitor
  Steeper cost of 5 points and only gives 30% XP to sprinting, strength, and throwing. Though in my opinion, those are some of the best skills to have and being able to level them up faster helps a ton! Although you can afk or macro most of these skills, so your results my vary. You're also likely to max these out first while naturally playing the game.
  
  
  A Rank
  Fanny Pack
  The only thing keeping this guy out of S Rank is the 10 point cost. However, it gives you an extra 2 hotbars slots which is a huge deal early game and late game allows you to carry a varity of weapons or utility items. All hot bar items are also 25% lighter! Still...Steep cost makes it a hard sell. Maybe if it were 5-6 points.
  
  
  Buff Brainiac
  Unique benefit of 15% extra carry weight for only 4 points! The only thing keeping this out of S rank is the fact you can carry flatbed carts with you and fill them up whenever your backpack or weight maxes out. You don't even need to push them back, just recall them at the lobby. However, if you're not doing that then this one becomes a lot closer to "S-Rank"
  
  
  B Rank
  Weathered
  Costs 3. The main issue with this skill is that most places are either 3 hot or 3 cold and any temp issues are rare to deal with. Still, when you do have to deal with those, having 1 less piece of cold/hot gear is so nice and disrupts your build much less. Its Ignorable but still a great QoL trait for a good price.
  
  
  Night Owl
  Costs 4 points and makes you 50% less sleepy. I find sleeping to be a hassle that doesn't really add anything to the game but its also incredibly easy to deal with. This is a great QoL trait but also largely ignorable
  
  
  Thick Skinned
  Bleeding is a huge pain in the butt but the fact you still need to carry banadges means that this doesn't do much for you. The only time bleeding was a huge issue for me was when I was hit by things I shouldn't be getting hit by. Still, not terrible for only 3 points.
  
  
  C Rank
  Hobbyist Chef & Gardener
  The only reason these are C rank is because they're cheap and literally do a better job at two of the starting jobs you can pick (Gastrologist & Botanist) but the skills themselves are super easy to max out with minimal effort. Still, if you feel like you want to take on the "Cook and Grow" role, these are for you. Otherwise I can't recommend them.
  
  
  D Rank
  Lead Belly
  Costs 8 points, which is steep. Water is also a non-issue once you figure things out. However, if you're new and want one less thing to worry about. Or are in a huge group that sucks down water, this can give you some peace of mind. The only reason this isn't "F" is because you can still take "Dry Skin" to balance it out. Still, basically just barely above F
  
  
  F Rank
  Inconspicuous
  Costs 4 points and locks out "Painfully Obvious", which is +3 points. One of the better "Negative" traits to take. Spoiler: There is also an item mid-late game that makes stealth obsolete.
  
  
  Light Eater
  Hunger is brutal early game but after the first few hours of game play it shouldn't be more than a mild concern, unless you're playing with a large group that never contributes to the base. Even then, 20% less isn't a lot and it locks you out of the +3 point negative trait "Hearty Appetite"
  
  
  Naturally Moist
  Costs 4 points and i've honestly never had an issue with clean water. If you carry a bucket and fill it up at every sink you find and steal every water cooler then you shouldn't have an issue, either. If you're playing with a huge group then you might as well take "Lead Belly." Also locks you out of the +3 negative trait "Dry Skin"
  
  
  Trash Rank
  First Aid Certification
  Some early ranks in first aid and 5 whole bandages for just 3 points?! Pass. Hard Pass.
  
  Bladder of Steel
  The main reason this one is bad is because it locks you out of the negative "Weak Bladder" which is a buff in disguise. As weird as it sounds, poop is a great early-mid game source of fertilizer and soil, which is good for so many things.
  
  Self Defense
  This is great early game as it basically doubles your damage. The only issue is it doesn't scale and it only effects melee weapons. Late game when your weapon is doing +80, an extra 3 damage isnt' going to even be noticed.

• S Rank
  
  
  
  
• A Rank
  
  
  
  
• B Rank
  
  
  
  
• C Rank
  
  
  
  
• D Rank
  
  
  
  
• F Rank
  
  
  
  
• Trash
  
  
  
  
  
  
  S Rank
  Weak Bladder
  Bathroom stuff is hardly a bother if you have an "accident", then its a great early game source of an important crafting materials. The fact that you get +1 point for this is golden.
  
  
  Dry Skin
  Once you figure out how to deal with thirst and to avoid early farming, water is a non-issue and the fact its only 20% for 3 points is nothing. Easy "free" trait
  
  
  A Rank
  Heavy Eater
  The only reason this isn't S Tier is because early game, food can be harder to deal with, Especially in a group. +%60 is also way more than Dryskin so you will really feel it early game, especially if you're a new player. Still, once you figure things out then its an easy 3 points.
  
  
  B Rank
  Painfully Obvious
  Easy-ish 3 points but not my first choice. Stealth is one of the few skills thats almost entirely AFKable so its super easy to level before even leaving the first sector. That being said, that's boring and this skill effectively gives you a -9 in stealth. Which has an interesting effect of having enemies snapping around instantly once you get close enough, even if they're neutral or you're completely obscured. That being said, most of you will likely be using this at ranged so not a huge concern.
  
  
  Slow Healer
  This one can suck pretty hard at all stages of the game but a high first aid or fortitude make this almost forgotten about. If you carry any healing items at all this becomes dramatically easier to deal with and helps level up your first aid, quicker.
  
  
  C Rank
  Hemophilia
  The ONLY reason this is C is because someone pointed out that it can help you level first aid, which is a hassle if you're not a Bionomicist. Other people don't mind dealing with this either but I loath bleed effects so this is a hard pass for me, though I can still see its value for others.
  
  
  D Rank
  Narcoleptic
  75% more sleep? Hard pass, its one of the most annoying mechanics for me to deal with, personally. The only reason its not F rank is because others have argued you can chug coffee to mitigate sleep entirely for a free 6 points. Which I'd agree with if I didn't have to stand in front of a coffee machine, feeding it $1's like a seedy night club. Who wants to deal with that?
  
  
  F Rank
  Feeble
  There are simply going to be times you can't avoid being damaged and all the armor in the world isn't going to make up for 25% less HP for only 6 points. Still, if you want to take a "Non-combat" role on multiplayer then it could have merit but I can't recommend it, otherwise.
  
  
  Trash Rank
  Fear of Violence
  Unless you never plan on leaving your base, being capped at 5/20 for all of your combat skills is a HUGE burden for only 4 Points. Heck, even being capped at 15 would still suck but would still be at least D rank.
  
  
  Asthmatic
  40% less Stamina is rough. Its used for SO many things. Combat, Travel, and leveling other skills. And its only +2 points! That's HOT garbage.

Summer Intern gives you 12 trait points and nothing else. Skill points the other jobs give don't have a huge impact so you've really got to ask yourself if the point loss is worth the XP modifiers. For 3 points you get 50% bonus First Aid and the unique ability to gain First Aid EXP from crafting aid items, which still also give crafting exp (Bionomicist). For 4 points you get either 50%/50% for Crafting/throwing (Paratheoretical) or 75%/50% for Fortitude/Strength (Trans-Kinematic)

Personally I don't find any of the other choices worth their point cost but the idea is for you to decide what works best for your playstyle, not mine.

Using the same principal as before, you're asking yourself "Is the cost of this trait worth the point cost?" for positive traits and "Am I willing to deal with this in order to deal to make something else easier or better?"

For example: If you simply don't want to deal with hunger than "Hearty Appetite" isn't worth the 4 points for having to deal with hunger 60% more often. However, Light eater costs 3 points and only lets you deal with hunger 20% less. So unless you -really- hate dealing with hunger, than its not worth is. But that also means "Hearty Appetite" isnt' worth it to you, either.

If you read the breakdown of the rankings then you should already have a good idea of whats good or bad and my opinion on why. However I'm happy to give some more insight.

Useful for all: Wrinkly Brainmeat, Decathlon Competitor, Weathered, Fanny Pack, Buff Brainiac
Easy Negatives: Weak Bladder, Hearty Appetite, Dry Skin
Quality of Life: Weathered, Night Owl, Light Eater, Thick Skinned
Cheap and good: Weathered, Gardener, Chef
Min-Max: Self Defense, Fanny Pack, Narcoleptic, Painfully Obvious(OR)Inconspicuous, Hemophilia
(You want the "Most" out of your character and are willing to deal with more BS to get it)

Job: Intern, Trans-Kinematic, Bionomicist, Paratheoretical, Lab Assistant.




Starting Points: +8 to +12
Positive Traits: Wrinkly Brainmeat, Decathlon Competitor*, Weathered*, Buff Brainiac* (-16 points)
Negative Traits: Dry Skin, Weak Bladder, Hearty Appetite* (+7 Points)
Free Points: -1 to +5
*'d Traits can be easily ignored or swapped out with your preferred traits to give you more flexibility. Otherwise this is a fairly "Minimalist" build that gives you a good starting point.





Job: Epimedical Bionomicist
Positive Traits:
Decathlon Competitor
Wrinkly Brainmeat
Fanny Pack
Weathered
Negative Traits:
Painfully Obvious
Hearty Appetite
Dry Skin
Slow Healer

Summary: I like maxing out all my skills and a high first aid helps counter the Slow Healer trait, effectively giving me 12 starting points. Wrinkly brainmeat means leveling all skills faster. Decathlon helps level 3 of the most important skills faster. Weathered is just a great QoL trait but you could go without it. I'm a packrat that carries way too many tools and equipment so having 2 extra hotbar slots is a game changer for me. Not worth 10 points but...screw it, I want it.

Every level increases your run speed, stamina bar, and recovery rate. Amazing skill for every aspect of the game.
[5] Chance to not use stamina per action. Not terrible but also not complaining for its entry level
[10] 5% faster overall. Honestly a little weak but again, not complaining about being faster.
[15] % chance for enemies not to hit you while sprinting. Great for melee or running away. Sadly doesn't mention what the % chance is.
[20] Amazing skill. Allows you to sprint while sprinting! Really feels the difference. Although the ability to knock enemies back and the limited range of "Bull Rush" can make getting charge melee attacks timed right.

Every level increases your max weight by 2. Carry weight is very important but the capstones are mildly weak. Still a very important skill to have but not a "Must have at 20" Skill, but certainly worth all 20 levels/
[5] Allows you to shake vending machine and 1-Stomp most Carbuncles. Neither of which do much for you, honestly.
[8] Typically not a good idea to smash machines because they never restock after that, ever. Also, Heavy weapons are so terrible you'll only want to use them with "Bull Rush", which bypasses the need for this, anyway.
[12] +Melee Speed & Damage while bleeding. Feels pretty weak for a lvl 12 skill, especially since you want to stop bleeding as soon as possible.
[15] This is really nice because heavy armor really slows you down...but its also a free source of strength XP which does stack with encumbered XP. So it sucks to lose a free source if you're trying to grind it but great for general gameplay.
[20] Everything weights 25% less! This is amazing if you're a pack rat and want to hoard everything. Still kind of weak for a level 20 cap stone but invaluable.

Highly undervalued skill. There are amazing throwing weapons every Tier of the game and the skill is just incredibly powerful. More on why, below. Oh, Only Throw skill modifies the damage of the throw item, not sharp/blunt/self defense. "Slice'n'Dice" from sharp does work on sharp throwables. Level 12 minimum, level 15 if you plan on using throwing weapons.
[2] Underhand toss. I'm not sure why that's needed or why it isn't just part of the game by default.
[5] Allows you to automatically pick-up throw objects when you're close enough. Amazing skill and works most ranged weapons that have ammo that can be picked up as well. As of 1.0 it doesn't always work on items that get "Stuck" in enemies.
[8] Makes it easier to find where your items went. Not a huge deal since most are cheap and don't go flying anywhere crazy but hey, i'll take it.
[10] This helps a ton while trying to figure out how high to aim your throwable. Though its not super accurate as of 1.0 and doesn't count for object bounce like grenades.
[12] This is an amazing skill. All form of grenades are already amazing weapons so getting an extra 1 per craft is amazing.
[15] THIS is what makes this skill S tier. You can basically stun-lock enemies with starter throwing weapons and chip away at their health. Also just amazing for stealth kills.
[20] Useless in my experience for standard use as it spreads way too far. The only scenario I can see this being useful is with grenades and that seems like overkill.

Stealth is weird in this game from traditional stealth mechanics and feels like it doesn't matter if you're in the enemy cone of vision but if you're not, your stealth skill largely doesn't matter 'cause they won't see you, anyway. However, the traits you get from this skill are amazing. Level 8 minium, level 15 if you like sneak attaks.
[2] 25% to do x2 sneak damage. Starting off strong.
[5] 15% faster sneak and a little "stealth roll"? Should be WAY higher. Amazing skill.
[8] You don't trigger any traps or Carbuncles. Serious amazing and should be -way- higher.
[10] I don't know how much sound plays into stealth but +50% sneak attack chance, only a night feels very weak for this level.
[15] You've perfected the sneak attack, always do extra damage on unaware targets! Also invalidates level 10 just 5 levels later...
[20] % chance for enemies to just miss you? Cool idea but it doesn't mention the % chance and doesn't really fit the theme of the skill or other capstones. Still, I'll take it.

+1 Blunt damage for every level. If it weren't for the level 7 skill this would be a lot lower ranked since there isn't a lot of great end-game blunt weapons. Min/Max is 7
[3] Power attacks allow you to "Wind up" a melee weapon if you're not using a shield. Great for sneak attacks but that's about it.
*[7] SS+, this can be used with most melee weapons and does an insane amount of damage. The timing of this is hard to learn at first and is frustrating when you get it wrong but its one of the strongest traits in the game and you can get it before leaving the first sector.
[12] Power attacks cost less stamina...Yippie.
[15] Ignore blunt resist. Fantastic! Its a shame you won't be using most blunt weapons by time you get to this level.
[20] Chance to explode medium enemies or lower sounds like a LOT of fun. Again, the main issue is there isn't really good mid-late game blunt weapons.

+1 sharp damage per level and the game heavily favors sharp weapons. Easy S Rank. Also amazing supporting traits. Also have a passive ability to cause bleeding.
[3] You can throw any sharp weapon. Neat but also not super useful, since you don't want to risk losing a good weapon.
[5] +25% of getting loot from bodies and not just bioscrap. Amazing, especially for food.
[9] Some enemies drop to their knees instead of dying, this has a chance to just murder them instead. Neat but ultimate not very useful in most situations since you can just "Double Tap" them.
[12] Higher chance to inflict Severe bleeding on an enemy. Which is so satisfying.
[15] Enemies that laugh at swords, don't anymore. Amazing capstone.
[20] Not as flashy as Blunt's but small % chance to instantly kill Med-small creatures. Nice.

I have a love/hate relationship with this skill because your aim is SO bad at lower levels and its so painful to level...Still, if you plan on using any ranged weapon, its a necessary evil. At least the traits help..Oh and wearing a shield with a 1h weapon makes the aim worse. Min 0 - Max 20. Really depends on how far away from the enemy you want to be.
[5] Allows you to aim. Seems really late for what should be a feature from level 1 but alright.
[7] Unlocks the ability to essentially by pass the bio-locks on the other guns. The issue is that these suck and break SO fast. Also locks you out of other armor bonuses. Could have been a trinket...
[10] Projectiles like crossbow bolts have a smaller chance to break. Most of the ammo is cheap enough that its not a massive boon but good enough.
[15] Upgraded version of 7, lets you use better guns. Still terrible, especially for 15..
[18] Oh hey, they finally made it into a trinket and lets you use the rest of the guns. Completely invalidates level 15 and feels way too late for this to be worth while. Still, you need it.
[20] SS+, I haven't gotten this far myself but being able to stun an enemy with bullets? Heck yeah! This is what I call a level 20 trait.

Every level increases your reload speed but it doesnt say by how much. I don't personally see why this needs to be its own skill but atleast its got 1-2 decent traits. Ignorable overall but [15] is nice.
[3] Craft ammo twice as fast. Yay?
[5] Lets you reload weapons you couldn't before. I assume anything above a pistol? Seems weird..
[10] Less clumsy while reloading. Basically just faster reloading.
[15] Can sprint while reloading. Its wild it took this long to be able to do that but thank goodness we have it.
[20] 10% chance of not using a bullet. Ammo is pretty scarce so 10% less ammo usage is great.

This skill is peak, literally reduces the damage you take from enemies. At 20 with late-game armor you become almost untouchable by most enemies. Fun times! However, the traits aren't great and its a massive pain to level..
[5] Regen health every 4.5s instead of every 5s. Good and what I'd expect from level 5
[8] Sitting on a chair or floor near other players doubles their rest recovery. (Sleep meter) Useless while solo and not great even with a group.
[10] -%10 less fall severity, -25% damage from being ran over by your friends. The fall thing is nice but also a bit far down for that.
[15] Melee attacks have a chance some? of their damage reflects back to them. Doesn't say % chance.
[20] Regen 1 health every second. Seems low but honestly great for recovering between fights. However, the T1 crafting bench upgrade heals 3-6 health per second.

Each level makes crafting 0.01s faster which is nothing but also decreases chance to lose item durability be 2%, which is great for weapon and armor upkeep. Certain items basically won't break at level 20. The traits are ok but you basically want [15] just for the bench upgrades.
[2] The first set of upgrades are amazing. Heater is just ok. At level 2 it feels like they should just be unlocked at start.
[5] 3 levels later you unlock the second tier of upgrades. Weird pacing but the suppression field is such a quality upgrade. Reinforcement can be skipped.
[8] I hate everything about the research minigame so I usually turn it off. Also only useful for MP.
[10] The bonus Durability is nice but the fact you only get it once makes this super weak.
[15] Weird this doesn't come at 10 but Field upgrade is amazing, especially for AFK grinding skills in your base. The materially spawner is mid at best and expensive to craft.
[20] Small chance for recipes that use 2 or more materials to cost 1 less. Honestly seems great especially with items that give you full materials back for scrapping. Though getting to level 20 is a grind, even at x2 exp.

Each rank just makes assembling furniture slightly faster.
[5] Disassemble small? Deployables twice as fast. Really weak but also only level 5
[10] Dismantling Furniture with a hammer gives you 50% more resources. Really unneeded but whatever.
[15] Cost of building barricades, walls, and ramps are cheaper. Decent but feels a bit late for it to be super helpful.
[20] This one is interesting because it gives you a chance to get 2x furniture when disassembling it for the first time. Great for getting unique furniture or bobble heads! But you only get one shot and the chance seems small.

Each rank gives extra health from healing items. Does not say how much. The issue with this skill is its mostly for multiplayer, a huge pain to level, and giving firstaid to another player requires being within melee range of them.
[3] +5 Hydration when healing another player but not yourself. Eh?
[4] Basically allows you to craft Iodine Tablets. Not bad if you hate wearing a rad suit.
[5] Another Multiplayer skill. Lets you see Debuffs on your allies when they aren't great at communicating.
[8] Splints heal legs faster. That's pretty good, especially early game when you're breaking every bone just by skipping too fast.
[11] Heal 20% more when reviving a team mate! Another multiplayer trait but this one is decent.
[15] Healing yourself or others twice as fast is great!
[20] Basically allows you to revive an ally twice if they can't survive long enough for the first revive debuff to go away. Hopefully this never comes up for you or your group but a nice team perk. Sadly doesn't do anything for the solo player.

Every 5 ranks your cooking improves, which means all of your dishes give more food/water. Saves so much time and effort scarfing down 13 hunger food.
[3] Lets you make soup! Soup is great for stretching out food and making buffs!
[5] See other players hunger? Seems kind of pointless since your friends are likely able to take care of themselves or at the very least communicate their needs.
[8] This one isn't super clear but I believe it lets you craft raw food, faster but doesn't help you cook it any faster. Not a huge boon but i'll take it.
[10] Gives you access to the Oven which is fantastic. Needed for some crafting but also gives you access to baked goods. Which act like soup, make pretty decorations, and if you burn a pie you can throw it into the face of your favorite enemy.
[12] Upgraded Knife recipe. New knife has zero chance of "ruining" the corpse you're chopping up.
[15] Anything with serving sizes now have 2 more. This is fantastic and makes feeding a group or keeping food buffs up, dramatically easier.
[17] Finally, 25% faster cooking! Though at this point you likely have access to better/more stoves so its not a huge upgrade. Still, I appreciate it.

Each rank makes your plants grow or regrow faster. The reason its so low is because its fairly easy to sustain yourself without growing food and you should actually be avoiding gardening till T2 garden plots.
[4] Fertilizer that speeds up growth and reduces water cost by %20-ish. Not bad but only lasts for 1 growth. Not really worth the effort.
[8] T2 fertilizer. Cost 2 more anomalies for only ~10% upgrade. If T1 wasn't worth it, this certainly isn't.
[10] Plants grow 10% faster when you're nearby. Doesn't stack with multiple players. Its fine I guess but it depends on how often you're just sitting in your base.
[13] Every plant reduces the water consumption of other plants down to a minimal 25% of normal water used. Takes about 7 plants to max that. This trait is amazing. Even after water stops becoming an issue, it helps a ton with upkeep. Oh, only works on plants planted AFTER you get this trait. So you have to replant the old ones.
[15] T3 fertilizer. A better version of T2 but still a steep cost for a 1-time use item. You're better off just planting more plants.
[20] +1 when harvesting plants! It says wild but crops you plant are also effected!

I can't begin to rank this skill because i've never used it. I loath the minigame. However, its a great way to get tons of food that won't irradiate you, early on. For the most part, you can get all the important crafting materials fishing provides, outside of finish. With few exceptions. The main thing this provides is plenty of pretty fishies, Achievements/Journals, and the level [15] skill. Higher skill means less junk and easier fishing minigame.
[3] Hot spots and Fish traps. Fish traps let you catch fish without having to play the minigame and hot spots basically give you more/better fish.
[5] Tacklebox is a chair that while you're sitting it it, makes the fishing minigame easier.
[10] Fishing hat/boots. Hat gives 25% fishing Xp and a higher chance for rare fish. Boots make it so you only catch trash, which is good if you're trying to fish specifically for materials.
[12] 33% chance to not lose your bait to junk. Seems kinda meh but bait is a pain to craft so its not bad for a level 12 trait.
[15] Without any spoilers, there are some water location that becomes much less dangerous with this perk. If you have Thalassophobia, this helps SO much.

Helps within the first hour of the game but honestly the first 5 levels of any skill are the easiest to get. So none of those really effected my rating.

Outside of Defense Analyst, there really is no "Bad" choices, Just Sub-optimal. Ultimately, pick whatever you're going to enjoy most! You'll also have the chance to do your choices in chapter 3...at a cost.

I wanted to make it more obvious that those jobs aren't just under the B Ranks. They're another step below them, in my opinion.

As of v1.0, its literally the same icon in game so I wanted some way to make them distinct from each other.

If you have any questions about the guide or want to voice your concerns or opinions in a respectful manner, you can contact me on Discord @ Tyken132