[Jfool]

Has anyone ever given up money to change careers to something you think you would enjoy more than your present job? I hear and read about people who took big risks and ended up doing what they love, but those examples are mostly famous people or people who made a great choice and want to tell about it. I'm real curious to know if anyone here took even a slight cut in pay to improve their "satisfaction" and what the results were.

I'm thinking about a career change that would drop my pay significantly, but at this point, I feel it would probably be worth it.

[TravisR]

Can't say I have but... take the jump!

[Xkcer Man]

What is the saying? "Find a job you love and you'll never work another day in your life." I say go for it. Too many people spend too much time at a job they hate so they can make enough to pay for stuff that won't make them happy because they hate their job.

[MtlMom]

Twice I have left jobs for less money and more job satisfaction. Both times I ended up making more at the new job within 6 months.

[Jfool]

Originally Posted by Xkcer Man

What is the saying? "Find a job you love and you'll never work another day in your life." I say go for it. Too many people spend too much time at a job they hate so they can make enough to pay for stuff that won't make them happy because they hate their job.

Thanks for the encouragement. You sound a lot like my wife.

[Ordinary Sarah]

I started out as a Psychology major in college, with big, high hopes of making a six-digit income as a psychologist or counselor.


Then I decided I need to pursue something more artistic that I loved, and went to study English, which could make me a pretty middle class, five-digit income easily.



Then I decided I couldn't ignore my love of art, photography in particular, and am now putting away $6k a semester into school for a job that will, if I'm extremely lucky, make me $18-20K a year. But I've never been happier, and never more optimistic about my future.



I think the one thing that people miss when choosing a career, whether it requires college or not, is that money isn't everything. Money cannot buy you the happiness that an incorrect job placement and an unhappy work environment will take from you.

[Sean]

I haven't switched professions, but I chose my college major and profession knowing they would never pay the big bucks and I'm currently only getting paid 20 hours per week while volunteering another 20 hours per week at my job. I can't imagine doing much else. My problem is that I never want to stop working. I get excited about ideas and don't want to wait to start working on them. Even the parts of my job which I don't particularly care for in and of themselves I don't mind doing because I believe in the end result of what I'm doing.

From my experience, you don't mind not having the extra money if you love what you're doing.

[Rach]

After a horrendously stressful year last year in my job, and finding out this year (by year I mean school year, as I work in education) that I was going to have to work even closer with the person that made my life h-e double hockey sticks last year I decided to take a different job within the district that was only part time and for that reason would be a cut in pay. That was in September and I have not regretted it for a moment. I love the school and students that I am working with now, and so many people have commented that I just look like I am happier. And you know what, God has totally provided for us, in so many ways big and small. Trust me, if it is God's will, He will definitely provide.