Jobs and stuff

Has anyone got stories about leaving well paid secure sensible jobs that are dull as fuck to do something, anything, god knows what else. I'm going out of my head, I need a change so much but am buried deep in my rut image
«1

Comments

  • Yes me!

    I saved up 4 months worth of savings (mainly because I didnt have any time to spend any money wth 4 hours commuting a day!), quit my job and now I run, work part time job in a very nice little shop and hopefully have a few others things to do starting soon, like a phd and another job in fitness. I've been full time free for about 4 weeks now image

    Key things:

    Do it!
    Make sure you have some idea what you want to do, but dont be snooty, just do whatever pays the bills for a while, you'll find your niche.
    Expect to be poor - resize your exepctations for a while
    Have fun image I have never been so happy image

  • I'm sort of in the same situation but not with the well paid part!



    I'm a mechanic and would love to be a farmer image just don't know how to go about it.



    Don't think farmers advertise like a normal job!! Have always wanted to be a mechanic (child-hood dream sort of thing) but farmings become a big interest just lately image
  • yes, i left a boring job - working in payroll inhouse, for an exciting one, working for a payroll bureau

    one of my best decisions image

  • I quit full time drudge to do a Masters in sport and exercise psych with a view to combining it into some sort of workbased physical activity. Now I'm working part time drudge to pay for it but it was definitely a good move (not exactly a tender age either). If u r not up to yr neck in debt and don't have full on family responsibilities then make a change. U might b exchanging one lot of worries for another but that second lot should b viewed as challenges and stepping stones!! ( he says fingers crossed).
  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    Seven years ago while unemployed, I helped an elderly neighbour with her garden. While doing this I had several enquiries as to whether I did this for a living. Potential then.

    Only way to really find out how to do something is go and do it.

    I placed an advert in a newsagent window. 'Do you need help with your garden?'

    That ad stayed three weeks. The following year the ad stayed just one week.

    Never advertised since. Some of the early enquiries weren't too great but over time I've dropped the awkward customers and now only help out the one's I like.

    Its a referral business, gardens. If you have the ability to drink tea and chat to old ladies then you're ok. 

    Mind you, I'm lucky I live in the suburbs. There's gardens everywhere.

    🙂

  • RicF..   that's interesting, and good for you to make a success of it..   there are a few people nera me that do work like that and always seem to be busy...

    Changing jobs/career can be a fun and rewarding thing to do and I've done it too, but at a time in my life when I didn't have kids and a large mortgage...   Mrs DV gave up her job to do something different and the very next month the economy went into free-fall and we often laugh about the bad timing of it.    I suppose if you are willing to accept a lower income but potentially a freer way of life then it's a 'must do' thing...

     

  • My dad's given up well paid and not so well paid jobs to do something else, always self employed, but has been carpenter, kitchen fitter and now narrowboat fitter/odd job man. Oddly even with the bad economy, he's been really busy, although I think that's because he's very good at what he does, and living on the canals means he's well known.

     

  • WombleWomble ✭✭✭
    I used to work in telecoms in a well paid but tedious job, now I work for a charity on half the money and it's much more fun, meaningful and so on.
  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    I'd love to do the change but at the moment I'm not in any financial situation to pay for it and to be able to make that move. We need my full time income to be able to pay the bills and upcoming renovations... I'd love to do something "more" with running and exercise but i'm restricted somewhat by my location/language etc.

  • 6 years ago I was in a job that took all of my time and energy, it was a heart attach waiting to happen, my wife saw this, we sold our house, moved into rented accommodation and gave up work.

    it was the best 6 months of my life

    it was the little things that amaze you, when I was working and would be woken up by birds singing in the morning was horrible, when I wasn't working it was great to be woken up by birds singing, that and the fact that we jetted off all over the place as a family

    after 6 months I had to find work again and got back on the corporate ladder and have slowly worked my way up to the same position but have learned to cope a bit better with all the stress etc.

  • I gave up a government quango, secure well paid job bit mind numbng job to be a foster carer.  Hardest job I've ever done, longest hours (24/7), slightly less pay and extremely'challenging' but I wouldn't swop it for the world.  

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    Invariably, there are reasons why people don't just leave their jobs.

    Money and commitments mainly.

    A contentious area really, a question of 'wants' and 'needs'. 

     

    🙂

  • My husband left an extremely well paid, highly stressful and unenjoyable job to go and retrain as a teacher.

     

    DOH!

     

    now he is in a highly stressful job, more work than last job with a third of the salary - wow what a result.

    ... and he doesn't appear any happier or less stressed than before.  As the supportive wife, sole bread winner, childcarer and house cleaner/cook etc as he retrained with no salary and no time to do anything but study..... bit cross when he says he isn't enjoying it now that he is qualified, working full time and NOW complaining he doesn't get paid enough (like who knew what teachers got paid!)

     

     

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    I have this idea that someone somewhere has packed in a really highly paid job because they wanted to be a novelist or artist or such, and only discovered the financial implications when the usual wad didn't magically appear in the bank.

    🙂

  • My sister in law and her other half managed to retire in their 40s and buy a plot of land in Spain. They now spend their time making butter and playing chopping down wood. Think they're pretty happy/smug .. Not sure if I'm jealous or pity them
  • I quit my job last August.  It wasn't a bad job really but I was working long hours and I could see that the work load was going to increase again.  Work was stressful, home life was stressful.  Something had to give so I packed in the job.

    I had a wonderful few months of not working and would have been happy to continue that way.  Unfortunatly I decided to leave my husband (time off work made me realise that I wanted different things in life to him) and had to get an income to be able to move out.

    I now have a better job on more money, less stress and I'm much happier.

  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭

    Helped a guy out yesterday who told me how his middle aged son doesn't work. Just charms the richest women he can find, marries her and dumps her when he's become bored. 

    Has become a millionaire this way. And as miserable as hell.

    I really should get out more.

     

    🙂

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭
    Fraser Wells wrote (see)
    My sister in law and her other half managed to retire in their 40s and buy a plot of land in Spain. They now spend their time making butter and playing chopping down wood. Think they're pretty happy/smug .. Not sure if I'm jealous or pity them

    My cousin is doing something similar. He's a trained lawyer and hates his profession. He works for 7 months of the year very hard (7 day weeks etc) and then spends 5 months travelling and doing eco projects around the world. He's currently in South America. He's planning to make/save as much money as possible and leave the industry "whilst he still has his pride intact".

    I envy him a lot. He's worked so hard for his chosen career but he's got the good view to actually get out whilst he can.

    When I started my job a few years ago I loved it... and enjoyed every second of it, but I was burned by a few crappy companies and bosses along the way. I try to deliver my best but at the bottom of it- i'm not happy. I don't feel like I make a tiny bit of difference to the world I'm in.

  • I think the common thread would be if u have found yourself in a shit situation change it, endure the immediate discomfort in the expectation that long term u will be happier. We could all do with a dose of courage when it comes to making hard decisions, life is short but bloody hell it can drag if u r insistent on being miserable. And I do not say that flippantly.
  • RicFRicF ✭✭✭
    kittenkat wrote (see)
    RicF wrote (see)

    Helped a guy out yesterday who told me how his middle aged son doesn't work. Just charms the richest women he can find, marries her and dumps her when he's become bored. 

    Has become a millionaire this way. And as miserable as hell.

    I really should get out more.

     

    Are you sure he wasn't having you on? I mean they'd have to be pretty stupid women not to protect their assets... So to speak.

    Sounds unfeasible was it not that everytime I see his lad, he's driving a new Porche 911, Range Rover etc. And if you saw what he looked like....His dad quipped that girls used to hang around outside his house waiting. Too easy.

    The pr...k!

    The dad was severely unimpressed by his antics. I only mentioned the cars I'd seen and then got the story behind them.image

    The money came from selling a joint business. So in all fairness wasn't a clear cut case of taking the cash. The venture was already up and running before he arrived to 'help'.

    🙂

  • Many women marry for the money...    so, if a guy can do it too..  well, good for him..

  • Cheers for responses guys, think gym addict hit the nail on the head ... What if you leave a job you hate that at least pays well and end up in another job you hate but with less pay!! Argh, I want to win the lottery image
  • Or maybe it's time to take a holiday, haven't had any time off in 4 months now.. Wish Xmas would hurry up!!
  • Well hi ho, hi ho it's off to work I go ...
  • Ask yourself what it is about your job you don't like, and whether you can realistically change this. For example you are unlikely to find a job where you get paid millions for 3 hours work a day. But it its the nature of what you do that you find uninspiring, try to think about what you would find rewarding, and what steps you could take to get there.

    A good book to read is 'What colour is your parachute?'

    About 5 years ago I left a job I used to love wich I'd become bored with. I wasn't sure what to do next, so I went and ran a ski chalet for 6 months, then volunteered in Peru for 6 months. I save the money by working a second job a couple of evenings a week for 6 months. My now husband took loans which he's still paying off - wouldn't advise that option.

    The time out helped me realise that I was int he right sector, but wanted a different role within it, which I managed to find. However the hours wwere long and the pay rubbish, even though I loved the actual job.

    So this time last year I went freelance, in order to carry on doing work I enjoy, whilst making sure I get enough sleep, time with family, time to run and socialise etc. It's definitely been the right decision for me. I struggle to turn down work as I don't know when I'll be asked again, so it has been times of feast and times of famine, but the irregular pattern suits me very well.

    Good luck.

     

Sign In or Register to comment.