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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask whether you ever had a drastic career change?

31 replies

MikeyFuckinWay · 03/08/2022 13:10

This is the dilemma I’m in.

Current job is £28k pro rata’d at 2 days a week, in financial services, been there 10 years and although I’m very good at it, it’s not rewarding in any way. Commute is 45 mins at right next to my mums house so is my childcare one day a week, but it moving to Wales by the end of year, so I will have to find alternative child care and will have no ties to this location.

Job I have an interview for £19k pro rata’d at probably 2 days a week. It’s for the NHS as a HCA. I have always wanted to work for the NHS and hope to progress in this profession. It’s a 15 minute commute from my home.

Money wise I think we’d be ok as we claim UC (I know that’s generally frowned upon on MN..). I think it’s probably just fear of the unknown and that fact I’ve been at my current job for so long is holding me back. We currently have 18 month old DD and don’t intend on having any more as yet so now feels like a good time to change career.

Would love to hear anyone who has done similar and how it turned out for you.

Thanks in advance.

OP posts:

Original poster

MikeyFuckinWay · 03/08/2022 13:23

Have busy done calculations.
16 hrs at current job over 2 days
23 hrs at potential job over 2 days

Money works out the same- so the potential wage issue can be eliminated.

OP posts:

HarrietSchulenberg · 03/08/2022 13:55

I changed from media to education when I moved out of London 20 years ago. Yes, I regret it, but at the end of the day, a job's a job and I'm rarely bored in mine.

NumberTheory · 03/08/2022 14:29

I changed career twice in my 20s but didn’t have 10 years experience in anything so no big drop in the wage value. I would be very reluctant to take a cut of a third though, money wise, it’s probably more important to look at potential than absolute.

I didn’t regret my moves because they all got me things I really wanted. In hindsight I was probably best suited to the first career I had but I really enjoyed my others and got a lot out of them in other ways (one was public service and the other let me move to another country). If you’ve always wanted to work for the NHS then this is an opportunity to do that, which seems very positive.

But it sounds like a very different role with a very different skill set and you don’t mention how you came to decide on this new role - is it just opportunistic? Do you think you’re likely to be as capable (long term) in the new role as the old? Could you do better by trying to find an NHS role that uses some of your old job’s skills but gives you more development scope?

Userg1234 · 03/08/2022 14:29

Yes I was a manager for an insurance company. Became a gardener in the town I live in so 10 min max commute. No corporate bollocks. No need to re apply for my own job every 2 years. Proper tools to actually do the job not half baked out of date it systems. Worked for myself. Retired at 53.

neverbeenskiing · 03/08/2022 14:55

I was an HCP working for the NHS and I left to work in Education. It did mean a pay cut for a while, until I progressed, but it was so worth it. Best decision I ever made.

MadeiraMDear · 03/08/2022 14:59

Media to education at 32.

Mid-40s now and about to make another big move, setting up my own training consultancy.

Do it! Life is short. Don’t be stuck in a job you don’t like.

SweatyLaBetty · 03/08/2022 15:04

I used to have a copywriting role and was on around £85k a year. It was incredibly stressful with office politics, egos, corporate crap, and I was expected to be available 24/7. Zero work/life balance.

I quit, took 6 months off to travel, then took another 6 months of being totally unproductive! I finally got a new job - at a supermarket. I had to convince them to take me on but I'm so happy there. The team I work with are brilliant. Work is left at work, I know exactly when my shift starts and finishes, and there's no bullshit.

Luckily I saved like crazy for 20+ years and had investments in property so this additional income means I can suit myself with a part time, minimum wage job. Never been happier.

HotPenguin · 03/08/2022 15:15

Yes, I changed career and took a big pay cut. If you can still make ends meet - and it sounds like you can - I would go for it. Life is too short to be stuck in a job you hate. A 2 day a week job is worth a lot when you have young kids.

Namenic · 03/08/2022 16:01

healthcare to IT in my 30s - it was sort of opportunistic as the right job came up at the right time (though I had always been interested). I personally found healthcare v stressful - part of that is down to personality, but I did find it hard with shift work and not great staffing. Minor pay cut but it has increased since then (but less pension). IT job suits me better, flexi- hybrid working.

if you do hca, you might get a better idea about different healthcare roles (eg radiographer, SALT, dietician, ODP) which you might want to try (I think this is a much better intro than doing a uni course without working in the system 1st). It sounds like a good thing to try out (if you don’t try, you won’t know). Good luck!

JoyceMeadowcroft · 03/08/2022 16:12

Financial services to horse groom, in my twenties. Took big pay cut too! But absolutely worth it - sorted out MH, physically much healthier too, loved it. Only stopped when had kids (high risk pregnancy and riding didn't mix). Still miss it...

sunsetsandsandybeaches · 03/08/2022 16:26

I went from retail management to dog walking in my early thirties.

There was an initial pay-cut as I built up my business, but now I earn more money and work less hours.

I don't much in comparison to all the MN six-figure salaries, but we're very comfortable financially and I'm a billion times happier.

Blackdiame · 03/08/2022 16:39

Chef turned Data Anaylist. I was advanced and a high earning chef but I actually did a pay jump up even on my basic rate in data analytics as the industry is really taking off.

DeepDown12 · 03/08/2022 16:42

Academia (humanities) to finance. Incomparable. And discovered I actually prefer finance.

BobbinThreadbare123 · 03/08/2022 16:56

Done it twice. Last time from education to the engineering industry. I didn't even take a pay cut to do it, and now I earn far more than I could as a teacher, plus I'm a lot less stressed (I'm also not insulted, impugned or attacked on a daily basis). I have never regretted the jump. I did a bit of planning ie getting my savings topped up and costs down. I'd do it again if I felt the need!

Tollystar · 03/08/2022 17:01

@SweatyLaBetty Wowzers, your experience is very-very similar to mine, down to the property investments forming the large part of your income!

Totally derailing the OP's question (sorry!) but I'd love to hear whether you struggled with the perception of your status when you took the minimum wage job, and whether you struggled with the notion you were 'wasting' your training/skills/talent/earning potential?

(Safe to say I'm struggling with both!)

Sunshineona · 03/08/2022 17:05

Yes, I took a big pay cut to move to the public sector as I was idealistic and thought the hours and people would be much better and the work more meaningful.

Hours the same, People way worse. Work mostly pointless. Regretted the move and wouldn’t recommend anyone moves from private to public sector…

Sorry OP.

jesusmaryjosephandtheweedonkey · 03/08/2022 17:07

High paid chef .. to nursery cook.
I work set hours, no late nights and no weekends.
Perfect

PepsiMaxandPringleStacks · 03/08/2022 17:08

I worked in an accountancy firm and moved to an HCA role, I enjoyed it but I didnt see my kids as much as i wanted because of the long shifts.

I've since moved to working as a teaching assistant in a primary school and absolutely love it

Runaround50 · 03/08/2022 17:10

Teacher to Ta.
Regret leaving and moving south to north.
Too late now.
Hindsight and all that.

j712adrian · 03/08/2022 17:15

I went from senior management to secondary school teaching. Had a great year training but then two abject years in a school I hated, eventually just resigning. Funnily enough, had a term as a supply teacher after that which I loved - before going back into senior management with the expanded skill set being a teacher had given me.

Had a really successful and engaging final 18 years of my career as a result of it all.

TheCrowening · 03/08/2022 20:08

I went from trading standards to social work. Initial big pay cut to do a support work role to gain experience, then surviving on university loans and part time support work for three years, now I’m earning a decent enough wage again, took time but worth it as I bloody hated the bullying old boys network that was trading standards.

SweatyLaBetty · 03/08/2022 20:29

Tollystar · 03/08/2022 17:01

@SweatyLaBetty Wowzers, your experience is very-very similar to mine, down to the property investments forming the large part of your income!

(Safe to say I'm struggling with both!)

It's nice to hear from someone with a similar experience!

Status wise - it honestly hasn't been a factor in any way, personally; I feel more worth with what I do now, than I ever did writing SEO copy. The marketing world was pure vanity. Now I work with people and make a genuine difference, I have more self worth.

Other people, however, like friends and family, definitely have their own thoughts and probably wonder what on earth I've done, but they're happy if I'm happy.

I have friends in 'high status' roles and they're all miserable. It's as though they're trapped in the rat race of it all.

Skills/earning potential wise - I've enough income to live comfortably, with assets, good pension, private health care etc so I really don't think about any loss in salary, just the gain to my quality of life.

Skills/talent wise - I have time and energy now to write for myself which is just wonderful! I'm doing an OU course purely for my own enjoyment, and I volunteer for a crisis text line. I have a small Etsy shop too, so I feel fulfilled, challenged and continue to learn.

I think the sooner people realise they don't have to be identified by what they do, the better; if we let go of our egos, what do you really need in life? How much do you need?

Apologies if I sound preachy!

Jellycatspyjamas · 03/08/2022 21:07

I moved from insurance to social work, have never regretted it. I was good at what I did but have had a rewarding career, lots of flexibility to support childcare and am settled in a training and development job now after many years in frontline work.

If you know what the new role entails and feel it will suit your personality, skills and home life I’d go for it.

Rayn22 · 03/08/2022 21:17

Runaround50 · 03/08/2022 17:10

Teacher to Ta.
Regret leaving and moving south to north.
Too late now.
Hindsight and all that.

Can you not go back to teaching though?

Original poster

MikeyFuckinWay · 04/08/2022 14:36

Thank you for your replies all.
I’m still have very mixed feelings about what to do.
Eventually I would like to train in nursing, so I suppose that this is first step in that direction. I have done care work in the past in my early twenties and did enjoy it.
With my current job, we are very much ‘one big family’ as we have all been here a long time, been to each other’s weddings, kids birthday parties etc. This is why I’m hesitant to go I suppose. It’s the kind of place where I imagine I’ll still be invited to Xmas do’s and I think if everything was to go tits up, I would be able have my job back.

OP posts:

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