Anyone left Finance for a big change?

[TheSimpleSage]

I loathe my job/career as a management accountant for a bank. I am now senior manager level and the pay is good but i am not good at it, nor do i like it whatsoever. I cannot stand the thought of doing this for the next 25+ years (i'm 37). I am doing it purely and solely for a salary, but that doesn't feel like enough anymore.

Has anyone been in this line of work and left for something more fulfulling? I feel a sense of the golden handcuffs somewhat and do worry about how i would make the financials in life work if i started again doing something else.

There is a whole industry in managing this. I recommend the books Free Range Human and Play Big (or something like that, it's by Tara Mohr). Also check out the website Career Shifters. They have case studies on there.

It is, of course, absolutely possible. It's basically a matter of time frame. Under what conditions would you be happy in leaving?

Life is too, too short to play safe and small.

I feel a sense of the golden handcuffs somewhat and do worry about how i would make the financials in life work if i started again doing something else.

Perhaps you should start by changing your non-work life down the scale financially, and then re-appraise what you want to do with your work life?

Rather than trying to figure out a solution that involves tackling both at once - that's too much to take on.

It would make you feel less trapped in the short term which generally makes situations feel much more manageable.

Also, do you have a sense of what you think would fulfil you if this job doesn't?

@natashabedwouldbenice thank you for those references, I wasn't familiar. I shall take a look.

You're very welcome. What an exciting chapter to start!

@formalineadeline

Also, do you have a sense of what you think would fulfil you if this job doesn't?

@formalineadelineI can't put my finger on it. I love being hands on doing DIY, making and fixing things etc and having something to show for it at the end. But i think that's a generic pleasure that many people would relate to. I love anything to do with motoring and the car world. I would relish being self employed as i have a lot of self discipline and am happy in my own company. Curating an income generating skillset out of these preferences does not seem obvious to me at the moment though!

I left finance to become a TA. I now oversee the day to day running of a substantial SEN department. The money isn't brilliant (in comparison to my previous earnings) but I look forward to going to work every day.

I was Big 4 and left for consulting. Management Accounting was the thing I just knew I would die doing. I just knew industry was not for me.

Consulting is better in my opinion, I have days with little work where I can do some learning, take it easy. Then I have busy days where it’s different. It’s not necessarily interesting but it is always different and if something is boring it is over soon.

I never work past 5. I get bonuses quite a lot (we just got a £1k well being bonus out of nowhere and then our normal 20% bonus coming too)

@Ralphschocolate please can I ask how you became a Ta? I'm in finance thinking if a change and wasn't sure if it was something I could train for while working. Thanks

You don’t need to train to be a TA.

@lancslass17 there is a CACHE level 2 TA course available. When I was looking for a TA position all the schools wanted you to have this. The only school that didn't was the one I ended up working at. I got the job based on 'life experience'.

It would be worth looking into the course as the schools may not consider you as they may feel you are over qualified whereas if you've taken the time to complete the course (it's not hard) it shows commitment.