Come and talk to me if you jacked in a very high paid job for a low paid job you love

[MrRected]

I am a professional IT consultant. Currently consulting to one of the biggest mining companies in the world and earning a lot of $$$'s (Australia) > 275k per year. The problem is, I absolutely hate it. I hate the job, I hate the politics, I hate the accountabilities. I do, however, of course like the $$$'s.

I have the opportunity to take a job paying almost 2 thirds less than I am currently earning. It's an entry level position as a civil servant in customs and border protection. Despite the huge drop in earnings, I feel so entirely comfortable with this type of role. It's something I really want to do and would be happy with the shift work (this would suit my family actually).

Am I totally, totally mad to give up a highly paid shitty job for a low paid great one?

Gosh. That's a huge step to take. In my mind a lot depends on your situation...have you got savings? Do you own property? If you take the job, will you be able to afford to keep the same home?

School fees? Retirement? How old are you and what does your partner think?

Not quite the leap you are making but I went from earning in the region of 100k to about 25k what I left my previous job to go into teaching .

I have never regretted it, have great holidays and much more time with my children.

I left a well-paid marketing job to go back to medical school full-time, with no income at all (besides child maintenance and benefits).

I hated the politics and the fact that the only result of all my hard work was that a few greedy shareholders became even richer. It all seemed so pointless and I felt like I was contributing nothing whatsoever to society.

I've never regretted it. I still have a way to go before I start earning any money, but my kids and I got used to our new lifestyle pretty quickly. They're actually happier, despite having a lot less money, because I'm around a lot more and they spend less time in after-school care, holiday clubs etc. And I find it so much more fulfilling than my previous life, that I wouldn't go back for anything in the world!

Having read your OP again you will still be on a very good wage , as long as you are not having to take children out of schools I would go for it.

I jacked in accountancy and now work in with NHS in an unqualified (ie low paid) position but I deal with people for whom what I do really matters.

I do my job extremely well and absolutely love it. Would never ever go back to accountancy, it contributed to my clinical depression.

I feel very lucky to have found this job/role.

I don't have any experience of customs work, nor have I worked in Australia, but most people I know in civil service roles feel deeply frustrated. The politics is as bad as anywhere else; there can be a culture of no-change, fossilised management methods; or worse, change for change's sake. Currently there are regular redundancies and idiotic resource decisions, nothing essential which breaks can be replaced without a 6-dossier report in support, but buildings that are due to be vacated are repainted with fresh new coats of paint.

would you really be happier?

have you talked to anyone doing the job?

would you be exchanging one set of problems for a different, comparable set?

what about the politics of border control, the refugee/human rights side of things - are you ok with all that? What if policies changed significantly?

I would also caution against thinking the grass is greener. Have you done the work before to know that you'll love it that much?

I have just walked away from a job in law to work for myself. Hopefully I will still be able to earn a decent living but I've lost the security of a steady income.

We had to sit down and think long and hard about the change. We spent hours going through finances etc since, like many people we spend what we earn. We had to make a fair few cut backs.

I think the problem with any change in role is that often the work itself does not cause the problem its the people you work with and the politics and culture of the organisation.

I love my work as an employment lawyer, I hated my last job as an employment lawyer.

In think it is important to think about what you don't like about your present job and what you want from your new job. You also need to be honest with yourself about the advantages your present job offers.

I hated working away from home , hated my children being in childcare over the holidays and wanted to feel like I was doing more than making someone else money . I also wanted to be at work less, at home more. Preferably I wanted to work less overall and wanted more flexibility . So teaching was perfect.

Well it's not exactly the same but I essentially gave up a marketing career earning 45k with the potential to earn 70k to earn absolutely zero as a stay at home mum to my two dc, living on dhs very low salary of 15k.

I've never been happier.

I hated working, I hated the politics of it all, the commuting , being away from my family etc.

I now have a better quality of life. I enjoy budgeting strangely enough, I like cooking and gardening and going for walks. I don't miss my office days at all.

I used to spend all day sitting at a desk ormeeting clients thinking is this really what life is about?

I never want to work again unless I absolutely have to.

I'm not saying give up work, I know that's not what you asked, I'm just saying sometimes life isn't about money. You must do whatever it takes to be happy. Life goes very quickly.

I also found I was spending a lot to fit in with people at work and keep up with their lifestyles, so now I've eliminated that need within myself I feel freer. I don't care what anyone thinks of me anymore :)

Lots and lots of really good things to think about. Thank you!!!

In terms of my aspirations to work as a civil servant and a reality check on the frustrations of doing so - I have worked for a government department in Australia before. It was horrendous - BUT, I was in a senior management position and the politicking was out of control. The role I am considering, is so low down the pecking order, I think I will escape the politics I so despise. Of course, I am realistic enough to know that it won't disappear, I just hope it will be less divisive, really affecting people's lives in a negative way.

In my current role I have had to make too many people redundant this year. It has broken my heart to let sole income earners go - when they have no hope of getting another job, if they don't move cities. It's a dog eat dog culture which is weighing very, very heavily on my soul. It's all about saving and making $$$'s for some faceless shareholder - Vitamin makes an excellent point.

vitaminCThu 30-May-13 19:21:19

I hated the politics and the fact that the only result of all my hard work was that a few greedy shareholders became even richer. It all seemed so pointless and I felt like I was contributing nothing whatsoever to society.

I need to do something which will mean something. I know it sounds cheesy, but I adore Australia. I am so immensely proud to have become a citizen, it would almost be a privilege to do something for the country that matters.

I will get a lot more time with my children - the shiftwork will allow me to work some nights, which would mean I could sleep during school time and then do the school run.

DH is very supportive of this move. He can see how much working in a poisonous environment is weighing on me.

Decisions. Decisions.

Good luck! Word of caution from bitter experience, the lower down the food chain you are in a v bureaucratic structure, the MORE stressful it can be. You have no real power or control and get done "to" by management. I've been at both levels and have seen some bitter, disenfranchised people down at the bottom