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[LRW]

Ok - so who has done it?

I fell into the career I'm in. I never had any desire or career path I followed from school (thats a whole other beef, and thread, I have about the school I went to and my perceived failure to reach my own potential). But now Im at the stage where I am so bored of my job, my career and my industry. I think I need a complete change. But I have a few things holding me back:

1) I earn a relatively good wage, and if I changed career I know i'd have to take at least a 50% paydrop to start in a new industry.
2) How can I be sure I wont just get bored again in 5 years (ok, I know that cant really be answered) ?
3) Can I really do this, especially with the part-time study that might be needed, when I have my first child due in Jan?
4) Maybe Im just being selfish, and should count myself luck I have a job with an ok wage, and should just suck it up and get on with it.

Id be interested to hear peoples thoughts and/or experiences.

[Hammer278]

Well mine is a short and messy one.

>Graduated in Mechanical eng (though by the 2nd year I felt I don't really fancy balancing equations and running software programs for the rest of my life)
>Started work immediately in an event management firm (blinded by the money/commissions) for 2 1/2 years
>Shifted to another IT security firm (with an event management biz div) due to offer of higher pay/comms
>In the meantime (since the first company) I was attending conferences and workshops of real estate investments/options tradings/etc (and doing some by myself), and became really interested in the field
>Almost completed my msc in finance now...and I did this to switch out of whatever I was in, and into the financial sector and stay there for the rest of my life...since I feel its my true calling.

I took a while to find what I really like but better late than never I guess.

[Denthúl]

I haven't done it myself, but I've known quite a few people who have, some successfully and others not so much. The latter group never really analysed their current situation and planned properly. Do you know what it is you want to do? The more passionate you are about the field you want to go into, the less likely you are to get totally bored of it (that's not to say you won't tire of working for the same employer during that time, mind you). Is there a healthy demand for workers in the area you're interested in?

With regards to doing this with a child on the way, that depends on how much you expect to earn once you're in the job and how this affects your family's overall finances. Have you any friends or relatives you can talk to who have already had a baby to see roughly how much it's likely to cost you? If you can put together a rough estimate of what will be required, it will be much easier to determine whether or not this move is financially viable in the near future.

On your fourth point, never let this be a reason to hold you back. It's good that you have a job and you are more fortunate than some in this climate, but that should not be a reason to stop you wanting more, because whether or not you're happy at work has a significant impact on your life (having just started a new job, I can definitely vouch for this!).

[LRW]

Do you know what it is you want to do? The more passionate you are about the field you want to go into, the less likely you are to get totally bored of it ...... Is there a healthy demand for workers in the area you're interested in?

I suppose thats my biggest stumbling block. I haven't a clue what I want to do. And I dont really have any hobbies / interests that I'm passionate enough about that could become a career (......unless you think I could make a career out of arguing with Hammer278?).

[1Lemon]

I'd love to offer some advice from myself but my career history is literally leave sixth form -> get apprenticeship -> get job.

All I can say is that always go for what you'll enjoy; at the end of the day money is just a thing, but happiness and job satisfaction gets you up in the morning.

But I agree with Denthul, you need to financially plan and make provisions and adequate savings before pursuing this with a sprog on the way.

[LewEngBridewell]

I'm probably too young to offer any reasonable advice

All I can suggest, is not to rush into any impulsive decisions. Keep on with your current job, while carefully considering other viable options, talking them over with friends and family to gauge different ideas. If you want to go along a different path, you must have confidence it is the right choice.

[Jabberwocky]

I am in a similar boat. Have a look on the entitled2 website, it tells you what benifits you might be entitled to if you take a cut in wage which might make the decision easier for you

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[zurich_allan]

I've certainly changed career previously, with varying degrees of success / happiness associated. My career path has been roughly as follows:

1998 - 2001: Degree in I.T. combined with working part time in hospitality.

2001 - 2003: Worked in management within hospitality industry combining general management with I.T. work. Continued studying (Finance) as was not really enjoying the career path, irregular hours etc.

2003 - 2005: Completed professional financial planning exams and worked for Zurich (hence my alias!) for a couple of years in mainly corporate financial planning and advice. Enjoyed the job, but left after a bad experience where someone in our department was discovered to have been involved in a scheme (could never happen now with the systems they have in place), where he was effectively top-slicing commission from work that a number of us had been involved in. I was sickened by the finance industry for a number of reasons (morally), but that was the straw that broke the camel's back. I had continued studying evening classes in marketing, psychology and law part time in the evenings at University throughout working for Zurich and so bit the bullet, gave up full time work and went back to....:

2005 - 2007: Completed my honours degree in law and absolutely loved every minute of it. Graduated with a 1st, and collected an award for second place overall highest average grades in the entire business faculty (2nd!! Grrrr!!!). At least the guy that got the award for the highest was also a law student.

2007 - Now: Was offered a job part time lecturing in law on the proviso that I also registered for a PhD and completed a PgC in teaching in Higher Education. My contract was quickly converted to full time and permanent as our student numbers doubled during my first year of work. I enjoyed the research side of things so much that as well as completing my PgC in teaching in HE, I also completed a further PgC in research methodologies. I also currently hold two external scrutiny posts where I evaluate work for two other Universities (one in Aberdeen and another in London).

The future: I have absolutely loved the past six years working in Education, however much has changed around me in both organisational culture, personnel, general University and wider sector policies etc. As such, when an offer of voluntary severance came round our faculty earlier this year i signalled that I would be willing to take it on the basis that I can choose my own leaving date to give me time to plan for the future. As such, as things stand, I am due to leave the University in July 2015 (a full two years away!), and am currently exploring my options. As I will be leaving with a healthy payout, I am considering using this money to establish a business and use all of the knowledge I have gained over the years to become self employed, though doing what I have no idea!

I don't like the idea of someone else dictating my working conditions, how much I can earn, how many holidays I can take and when I have to take them etc. and want to have my long term future in my own hands. As far as I am concerned, as long as you have a passion, a good idea and a strong work ethic, you have the potential to enjoy life much more when everything in your life is on your own terms.

Oh, and I too have a baby on the way (due in October), so I am taking a similar gamble, however I'll have some 21 months still in full time employment, being paid to plan and save, as well as the payout at the end of it, so it's not as big of a gamble.

[geetface9]

Ok - so who has done it?

I fell into the career I'm in. I never had any desire or career path I followed from school (thats a whole other beef, and thread, I have about the school I went to and my perceived failure to reach my own potential). But now Im at the stage where I am so bored of my job, my career and my industry. I think I need a complete change. But I have a few things holding me back:

1) I earn a relatively good wage, and if I changed career I know i'd have to take at least a 50% paydrop to start in a new industry.
2) How can I be sure I wont just get bored again in 5 years (ok, I know that cant really be answered) ?
3) Can I really do this, especially with the part-time study that might be needed, when I have my first child due in Jan?
4) Maybe Im just being selfish, and should count myself luck I have a job with an ok wage, and should just suck it up and get on with it.

Id be interested to hear peoples thoughts and/or experiences.

1) Can you afford a 50% pay drop? And also ask why you dislike your current career path and if there's anything within it that YOU'RE doing to cause you to not like it. Or if it's the nature of the work in general.
2) You can't be sure. You could be a b00b man now, and an @$$ man five years from now. You just never know.
3) That's for you to decide. Yes it can be done, but it's up to you to decide if you feel it's worth the tremendous amount of trouble you'll be putting yourself through
4) Not at all. On one hand, yes you are lucky. But if you can't stand going to work day in and day out, that's just a miserable existence. If you just suck it up then maybe it will eventually suck the life out of you and suck all the happiness out of you. Do you feel that having a satisfying, fulfilling job is better than not having to worry about a 50% pay cut? What will stress you out more, the pay cut and potentially living check to check, or working a job you don't like?

I know what you're going through (minus the child). I'm having a lot of difficulty finding jobs that pay more than $12/hr that I'm qualified for. My first 4 year degree is doing nothing for me. I'm about this close | | to going back to school for engineering because I know the pay is good. I hate my current job but I would likely do it forever if I made $25/hr. cuz I would be living quite comfortably with weekends off and a 401k that my company matches at 7%!

[Hammer278]

Do you know what it is you want to do? The more passionate you are about the field you want to go into, the less likely you are to get totally bored of it ...... Is there a healthy demand for workers in the area you're interested in?

I suppose thats my biggest stumbling block. I haven't a clue what I want to do. And I dont really have any hobbies / interests that I'm passionate enough about that could become a career (......unless you think I could make a career out of arguing with Hammer278?).

[Jabberwocky]

I just applied to be a non executive director with William F1 watch this space

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[Denthúl]

I just applied to be a non executive director with William F1 watch this space

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You'll hire me if you get it, right?

[LRW]

Further info:

1) I definitely will not be resigning from this role until I have something concrete to go to. This may hold me back a little, but there is no way my wife and I can afford to live on just her wage with the outgoings we have (and will have come Jan).
2) The company I currently work for are great. A small company growing very healthy, and ALL employees I know very well, have worked with them in different companies over the last 15 years. So I have no issues with whom I work with/for. Its the role and the industry I have the issue with. Ive done it for 15 years, and am now bored shitless of it. There certainly are no other positions within this industry I would want to do - as I feel I currently have the best position available. So I know I have to do something completely different.
3) The one thing working for this small company has shown me is, that working for yourself and starting your own company is much more rewarding than working for a big faceless company.
4) I awlays regret not going to Uni and getting a degree. But I dont think I have the drive/will power to do it part-time.
5) I dont know. Im probably just having a bad day.

I know I have to move forward by working out what I want to do and then how I can achieve that, and set some realistic time frames. The problem is I haven't got a clue where to start and have no direction.

[What's Burning?]

I've always had a simple yardstick. If you're not happy at work, change it, move on.

One of the only benefits of working in a corporate environment is that it affords you the ability to change careers with a little bit of planning, that allows you to keep your salary, seniority, and benefits you've accrued. But the flip side of that is that you're never going to feel as fulfilled as you would if you we're doing what you love in your own business.

We're somewhat transient as human beings and I think we naturally get bored with what we do when it's no longer challenging. Ultimately you want to be at the intersection of vocation and avocation.

[Jabberwocky]

Did you move to sales?

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