Author Topic: Anyone do a career change 10+ years in?  (Read 3327 times)

dividendsplease

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 43
Anyone do a career change 10+ years in?
« on: March 30, 2017, 09:16:47 PM »
I'm 11 years into my profession and am feeling burnt out. The first few years I didn't take much time off as my employer let employees cash out PTO so I did that to get ahead on undergrad loans.

I'm not overly enthusiastic with my current position and thinking that I might want a change but cannot risk much as I am not FI, have grad school debt, mortgage, and a relatively young child.

Has anyone just gotten burnt out and done a change? Tell me about your experience and especially helpful if you were in corporate finance.

semiretired31

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 82
Re: Anyone do a career change 10+ years in?
« Reply #1 on: March 31, 2017, 02:45:16 PM »
Commenting to follow.  I'm interested in this as well.  Anyone?

DCW

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 29
  • Age: 36
  • Location: Midwest
Re: Anyone do a career change 10+ years in?
« Reply #2 on: March 31, 2017, 03:05:53 PM »
Without specifics it would be difficult to give a hard answer, but it can definitely be done. I did it, but my circumstances were a little different (no kids or mortgage, but plenty of debt). I wasn't in corporate finance, but I was definitely burnt out. I was also just ready to do something else; I have too many interests to just do one thing for the rest of my life. Aspiring Polymath FTW!

If you've been feeling this way for awhile, then I think you should do what needs to be done to make a change. You DO NOT have to be FI or debt free to make a career change, even a drastic one. Do you have F-you money? If not, start building some. It's just a matter of doing the math for yourself based on your financial situation and risk tolerance. Don't let fear hold you back.

Have you thought of what you may want to do?

 

big_slacker

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1350
Re: Anyone do a career change 10+ years in?
« Reply #3 on: March 31, 2017, 08:34:02 PM »
I don't know the $$ specifics, but I can say this. When you think family and sacrificing for them, remember that you don't do your family any favors by being miserable or resenting them. That doesn't mean you burn everything to the ground in search of a dream, but it does mean you should look for a way to get what you and they need.

phalipi

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 17
Re: Anyone do a career change 10+ years in?
« Reply #4 on: April 02, 2017, 05:19:32 PM »
This is something I kick around almost every week but from bore-out, not burn-out. I haven't reached the top of my field by any means, but being in the emergency services for almost 9 years, I am so sick of the waiting game. I feel unchallenged and stagnant because I can't practice my craft regularly in real life scenarios. We train a lot, but it's not the same. I feel like I need something more hands on and mentally engaging that I can practice all the time. Only problem is I get a lot of time off to spend with family, I make decent money with an excellent pension waiting for me at 50, so leaving would be tough. I know I shouldn't look to a job for happiness, but it has had a big effect on my mental health the last year. I don't want to feel this way for 21 more years.

RobFIRE

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 277
  • Age: 40
  • Location: UK
  • Projected FIRE May 2020
Re: Anyone do a career change 10+ years in?
« Reply #5 on: April 03, 2017, 06:22:47 AM »
To date I haven't, just passed 10 years with same employer. However, it is possible/likely that I will move to another country in the next year or so. At that point I have the obvious option to look for work in the same industry, though I'm also considering a sabbatical with some different part time work and/or switching to contracting rather than full-time employment. I'm in the fortunate position w.r.t. ease of changing employment of having no dependants and no debt.

If a bad job causes stress or health issues, or just takes up so much of your time that your family and free time are significantly affected then I would plan to change. I really think health and happiness of you and those close to you has to be more important than a particular job or career, in most normal situations (if you are serving in a war then there could be a higher purpose than your life, but let's assume that's not the case for the majority of people and jobs). For me if my current job were really unreasonable I could quit tomorrow. With mortgage/dependants etc. I wouldn't quit just like that, but it wouldn't stop me planning and making a change over a few weeks or months. Key would be a planned change though, build savings to cover expenses, ideally find new role first, have a back up plan of how to do some work to cover most of expenses if starting new role is delayed, determine which optional/luxury expenses can be reduced.

kaadalac

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 25
Re: Anyone do a career change 10+ years in?
« Reply #6 on: April 03, 2017, 08:33:47 AM »
Yep. I switched after 12 years of restaurant management into software development.  It was a hard transition and took me almost a year of hard study to become skilled enough to get my first job, but it was worth it. Best decision I ever made

BoneTree

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 9
Re: Anyone do a career change 10+ years in?
« Reply #7 on: April 03, 2017, 09:03:02 AM »
Me, too. I started out in IT, was in that field for about ten years, then became a paralegal for 8 years and eventually moved on when I got tired of that. Both careers were very rewarding but demanded a lot of overtime and weekend work. I've been a simple admin for the past 6 years and I couldn't be happier. Granted the pay isn't great, but I don't need much and my weekends and evenings are my own.

I should mention that every time I made a career change I carried very little debt. I also don't have children. If I had either or both at the time I might have been more cautious like you.
« Last Edit: April 03, 2017, 09:05:14 AM by BoneTree »