Ever successfully embarked on a new career?

[MVal]

I'm curious how many of you Mustachians have ever started a 2nd career that was totally different from what you did before. What was the impetus to push you in that direction? What motivated you? How difficult was it for you to leave your current job? Did you just quit without something else lined up, or did you exit with a careful plan? Did you have to rely on savings for an extended period of time?

Lastly, how satisfied are you with your new career compared to your old job?

[2Birds1Stone]

At the end of 2014 I became tired of retail management. The pay was so so and the career path was stale for me after nearly 5 years.

I took a leap of faith and applied for a bunch of B2B sales positions, ultimately landed my current job in December of 2014. Since there was no gap in employment I was fairly safe as far as savings went. At first I had to live with the lower base salary vs my total comp at the previous gig. Once I ramped up and started earning commission by June 2015 my income effectively doubled from what it was the previous ~4 years.

[Rusa]

Twice. First I moved from doing biology research (failed to get PhD) to being a copy editor for medical/science/research journals and books. Did lots of different publishing roles and ended up as a freelance copy editor. This transition was painless after I gave up the PhD and got married and moved to a new city and got a JOB! And made MONEY! After 5 years of eating ramen noodles (only there weren't really ramen noodles around much in those days so it was beans and rice) and never buying anything, not even a new razor when mine was lost (couldn't even afford $5 extra in the budget). I more than tripled my income ($5000/yr grad student stipend to $17K/year salary - back in 1982 this was good money for entry-level). In this case, I quit to get married and had nothing lined up but found a new job instantly. It was just random that it happened to be science editing, but I have a talent for spelling and grammar and that combined well with the science knowledge for this career choice.

The second was going from the editing job (which didn't pay much after 10 years) to becoming an attorney. I went to night law school at the age of 36, took the bar exam at 40, and practiced as a patent attorney and then trademark attorney for 20 years. Made a lot more MONEY! This change was carefully planned to use past skills in a new career (reviewing and amending contracts is not all that different from copy editing, and you have to have a science degree and pass a second bar exam to be a patent attorney). I already knew I had the writing and logic skills to excel in law school. After law school I more than doubled my income (way more).

In neither case did I have to rely on savings. Instead, I relied on my spouse, the doctor ;-) .

In both cases I was completely satisfied (at least, until I needed more MONEY to make it worthwhile to get up and go to work).

If you look carefully, you can see that each change used the knowledge from the former career in the next career and so forth. But my main motivation (besides failure; see PhD above) was MONEY.

Now I have enough MONEY and retired at age 59 (not terrible early as Mustachians go, but better than some folks).

[KMMK]

I had a transition job that helped a lot.
1. Vet tech
2. Pet insurance (the first got me the second)
3. Insurance, (general and life) and financial planning (the second helped me get the third). I'm still climbing the ladder in third job. And I did have about 7 months just doing my own thing, living off savings, between job 2 and 3. I got job three as a result of random timing and location.

[Miss Piggy]

I did. I loved my previous career, but I maxed out on the salary pretty quickly, and it wasn't much. So I went back to school and got a master's degree in a new field. The master's program came with an internship (which included free tuition and about $600/month stipend), and the internship company hired me full-time when I finished the program, so that was a huge advantage. It took 18 months to get the master's degree. 

[Gray Matter]

I did about two years ago.  Left a job in the financial services to become an executive director of a non-profit in the mental health field.  Different role, different type of organization, different field!  I contemplated such a move for a few years and thought I'd have to go back and get another graduate degree in social work, psychology, or community and public health to make the transition, but I lucked into this position by volunteering with this organization and therefore being on their radar when the ED role came up.

It has not been all easy, I will admit, and I miss the bonuses of the financial services, and I don't love fundraising.  BUT, I have zero regrets, have loved being able to be challenged and stretch and grow so much at this stage of life/career (45), and feel incredibly blessed to have this opportunity.  And, it feels good to be making a difference in the world in a way that is more meaningful to me, though I will admit that also comes with its own challenges (balance, boundaries, etc.).

[BlueHouse]

I did, but I tried and succeeded at making it look like it wasn't a complete departure. I worked in software as a nobody, and during that time I taught myself some project management tools.  As I left that industry and segued into a completely different industry, I made the case that my skills were relevent because I had used some of the same tools and therefore was well versed in the new field. I started off low, but it got my foot in the door. And I kept learning and now it just seems like a natural evolution from one field into the other. If you can use technology or software or any piece of what you've done before, use that as the link that makes your past relevant to the future.

[SandyBoxx]

Following...DH is just beginning this transition now. 

He has been an HD mechanic for 20+ years and has completely burnt out (physically and mentally.)  He is off to London, England in a few weeks to begin his training as a barber!  180 degree shift - We will see how this plays out  :)

We are hoping that he can transition from this one world to the next over the course of the next 16 months until our youngest goes to school full-time.  We are not FI yet, but so thankful for discovering YNAB and MMM which has led to this switch being WAY less stressful than it would be otherwise!

Did any of you slowly transition, or did you just rip off the band-aid and get on with things?

[mskyle]

I've done it once or twice, depending on how you look at it. Right out of college I was a biology research assistant, and I figured I would go to grad school and become a proper researcher, but after about three years, I decided that was not for me. That was only just barely a career though, so I don't know if it counts.

After that I started working in academic libraries, and got my masters degree in library science. I did that for about ten years, but job opportunities were so thin on the ground that I decided to leave - I couldn't see any path forward that didn't involve working at mediocre, dysfunctional institutions in places I didn't want live.

I did one of those software developer bootcamps that are always being touted as a great way to change careers, and it did work out very well for me! (I don't necessarily recommend them for others, though.) I've been working as a software developer for the last three years, I make a lot more money than I did as a librarian, I live in a city I want to live in, and the company I work for is a friendly, reasonably well-run place.

I did have the benefit of having no kids or spouse/partner during those career changes. I think it would have been harder to take the chance if I had had other people to worry about.

[littlebird]

I did. I changed from biomedical research to programming. After I realized that bench research was not for me (low pay, long hours, stiff competition for scarse jobs) I mastered out of my PhD program and started working in science administration. Got laid off after about a year, spent six months on unemployment looking for another job in the industry with no luck. Decided I was tired of hustling so hard to find such a low paying job and went back to school for another bachelor's degree in CS. That took about 1.5 years and $30,000. Getting the CS degree wasn't easy, I struggled mightily and there were many tears shed. But now I'm a programmer in my first position making twice the money I used to make in science admin and 4 times what I made as a grad student.

I was lucky in that I was able to live off my husband's salary during the time I wasn't making any money, so didn't have to take out any loans. I figure in two years I'll be even with where I would have been spending those 2 years in admin plus tuition cost, and from there it's an exponential increase in money made. Assuming I even found a job, which was feeling less and less likely.

I absolutely changed careers for the money, number one and for the feeling of being in demand, secondarily. I want to work for as few years as possible and I want to have the power to negotiate for better work environments that comes from being in demand. I'm only a few months in to the new career but so far, so good.

[warmastoast]

Dental hygienist - dental/medical sales and training-dental health education special needs kids- running my own business of post grad dental  training. Focus group facilitator for dental specialists.
Now in the USA, can't work as hygienist without completely re-training so I 'm working as a consultant for international relocations.  That and a pool service business.

[SyZ]

Currently trying to move into the actuarial field, after passing three exams

Landing interviews is harder than the actual exams are

Trying to find something outside NYC / SF / Northeast is basically impossible

Maybe after I pay my debt down I can just move to a Texas town where homes cost 100 and work inventory at a vitamin store with no stress

[Lagom]

Sort of. Went from teaching, to low level office manager/volunteer coordinator type work for a couple nonprofits, to a much better paying and higher responsibility position (my current one) in university fundraising and alumni relations. Basically talked my way into the position by displaying strong networking, communication, and follow-up skills (found out about the job when I met some university staff at an alumni event), while arguing convincingly why my past experience was highly relevant and transferable.

Honestly, I was kind of surprised I managed to land the job (I had recently relocated and was resigned to finding more boring low-level office work) but the lesson learned is that you shouldn't sell yourself short. If you truly believe you can do a job and can clearly articulate why, it's often possible to make career moves that seem improbable without any new schooling or other job training whatsoever. Now I am kicking ass at this new position and already looking at a much more fulfilling and better paying career path than I thought I could accomplish without going back to school. 100x happier too! :)

[trashmanz]

Looking for my four career change in FIRE. It can get easy to be comfortable but change can be great!

[kaizen soze]

I worked as a "sales engineer" and IT technician for 6 years, then went to law school and worked as a patent lawyer for 10 years.  The patent law job requires an engineering degree (or a hard science degree), but for the most part the law job was not an obvious offshoot of my first career. 

I feel fortunate to have had two six-figure careers.  But to the question of whether I was more satisfied in my second career, I was not truly more satisfied. My two law jobs were more interesting, but also more stressful and more demanding of my time, than previous jobs.   

Did I rely on savings in between?  You bet, three years of law school were financed both from savings and low-interest loans.  It is also worth noting that I did not earn a paycheck during those three years, so opportunity costs were high.

As to what motivated me, it was a layoff that got me thinking about going back to school. I was generally bored in my IT jobs, but the money had been too good to seriously consider leaving.  Getting laid-off was the kick in the pants that got me to make a change.

What would I do differently?  I would have looked for work as a patent agent first.  You can work as a patent agent (in the US) without going to law school.  You have to pass the patent bar, which requires some study and practice, but a properly motivated person can pass it.  If you like the work, then you can decide whether to go to law school (either part-time while working or full-time).  Patent lawyers command a salary premium over patent agents, even though agents can do a lot of the same things as a patent lawyer.  A patent lawyer, since they are licensed by the state to practice law, can advise clients on things an agent cannot -- basically any legal issue that they are competent to advise on, and most obviously other IP law such as copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, and such.  As a result, a lawyer might have a more varied workload than an agent.  A patent lawyer also tends to have better job security than an agent, although this is very specific to the individual. But it's not all roses and sunshine being a laywer.  A patent agent generally has fewer expectations placed on them.  A patent agent will be expected to bill time and perhaps train new lawyers and agents once they have some experience.  But they are not allowed (by law) to take an ownership stake in a law firm and as a result, the agent will not have the same demands placed on them as far as taking a management and business development role (which is always work in addition to your billing requirements) and an agent will never get the sales pitch to buy into the firm.  (The sales pitch is presented like a promotion (e.g., making partner), and so turns the decision of whether to buy into the firm into a career move decision, with lawyers usually ignoring whether it is a good investment decision. As an investment, it is far from clear that it is a good one, especially for someone with FIRE goals. But that is a post for another day.)

[RedmondStash]

Three times, though related careers. I started out in software documentation production (formatting, tools, publishing). When that job function was phased out, I moved into technical editing.

But I always loved video games, so I spent two years trying to break into the industry. I got in with my editing background, and then phased into technical writing and game writing and editing, which is what I do now (though more on the tech writing side).

Yes, I have been successful. I've worked at some big-name game companies, and now have the street-cred that makes recruiters approach me, even though I couldn't get the time of day from them a few years back.

Some recent work stresses aside, I have been as happy in my current job as I've been in just about any job I can remember. I love what I do. It's less money than in IT, but I'm on the road to FI, and I can afford the pay cut in order to work a job I don't dread going to.

[Tom Bri]

English teacher, 15 years. Got bored and moved back to my home town. Not very employable without a state license, so I did other things for a few years, then went to nursing school. Finished that up last fall, now I work on the cardiac floor of a big hospital, making about what I made back in 1995 as an English teacher. But not bored!