Would you quit your job (high paying) for something you love doing?

Kroze

Diamond Member
Apr 9, 2001
4,052
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I'm in that dilema. The current job I have is terrible, the only thing that's good about it is the pay. The hours sucks, the overtime sucks, the coworkers sucks. Everyone do the minimum and just enough not to get fired. Even when they're fired, they sue and get rehired back. There are people working there who has been fired 3 times lol. Ain't union great?

Anyway, I listen to Dave Ramsey and read several of his recommended books and it's said over and over you should pursue something you love doing instead of a high paycheck. That way, you don't have "thank god it's friday, oh god it's monday" everytime you go to work.

The thing is that i'm not even sure what I like to do will even make money. Why leave a current job making 70k+ year without overtime and pursue something that you're lucky to make $25k?

Not only that, with the current job I'm guaranteed a pension and health benefit.

And what if I want to get married and have kids one day? I can't live on $25k a year.

My hobby is cars. I love fixing them and modding/turboing them. I have little experience with them though and have little tools. I guess I should go to a technical school, apply for a dealership and change oil and in the meantime pick up experience? It sound absolutely retarded because i'm starting from scratch. How much do mechanic make at the dealership anyway?
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
58,052
8,276
126
I think it's tough making money in cars. Garages come and go around here. You gotta do what makes you happy though. You only get 1 trip through life, and if you're hating it due to a craptastic job, why even bother? Money isn't worth aggravation.
 

LordMorpheus

Diamond Member
Aug 14, 2002
6,871
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I left a really nice gig (great pay, liked my boss, coworkers, and work I was doing) to pursue a career in robots, which meant going to grad school.

Our situations are different, though, because I'm not really off the beaten path here. Plenty of kids do what I'm doing, and when I finish my Ph.D. I'll be making even more money than I was before.

I agree with the above poster, unless you think you can someday own a customs garage, I'd keep cars as a hobby. Maybe stay in a similar position but in a different company or industry.
 

Matthiasa

Diamond Member
May 4, 2009
5,755
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Well depends if the pay was within probably 20-25 percent and I really hated it maybe but any more or if it wouldn’t be a stable job or was missing health stuff then that no way no how.
This is all theoretical though since that would require me being able to get a job in the first place. :(
I’m really hoping my luck changes with that after college in a few years…
 

Kroze

Diamond Member
Apr 9, 2001
4,052
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It's really hard to find a job without a college degree. I guess i'm stuck.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
58,052
8,276
126
Join the army, and work on vehicles there. You'll get experience, and a little bit of money. You might be able to hook up with some like minded individuals while you're in, and figure out a good money making operation.
 

Kroze

Diamond Member
Apr 9, 2001
4,052
1
0
Join the army, and work on vehicles there. You'll get experience, and a little bit of money. You might be able to hook up with some like minded individuals while you're in, and figure out a good money making operation.

I'm done with the military, served my time and became combat veteran in 2003. I like being a civilian more so that's why i didn't re-up.

I guess hopefully i'll think of something while going to school part-time.
 

Kroze

Diamond Member
Apr 9, 2001
4,052
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Start washing dishes at a local body shop. Work your way up.
hehe can you imagine getting paid 36/hr to $7.25/hr? I still have a mortgage, util bills, and planning on starting a family within a few years. I'm really stuck now thinking about it.
 

JD50

Lifer
Sep 4, 2005
11,762
2,363
136
I took a job doing something I love for 50k several years ago, now I'm making six figures doing something I love. I couldn't imagine doing something I hate, I'm just not that kind of person. In the long run, I think it's worth it. You'll be more successful doing something you love, unless it's something stupid of course.
 

KlokWyze

Diamond Member
Sep 7, 2006
4,451
9
81
www.dogsonacid.com
do what you enjoy man. why live miserably?

Although someone mentioned just finding something similar somewhere else, which is what I would recommend IF financial security is important to you.

I can pretty much do any job if the people are cool, which, honestly, they aren't most the time.
 

dighn

Lifer
Aug 12, 2001
22,820
4
81
I'm currently faced with the same dilemma. I actually don't mind my job, so normally I'd be content to stay in this career and pursue what I love in my spare time. The trouble is what I really love is science (it's not a spur of the moment thing), and doing science in your spare time isn't exactly likely to be useful and productive. I mean I study in my spare time, but what good is gathering knowledge that you don't use. And of course it seems like the market for science careers is pretty bad and I see a lot of negativity from people actually in the field. I need to decide very soon because at 27 the window for a career change is closing. I don't know the answer.
 
Last edited:
Jun 27, 2005
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I ditched my 6-figure income in Effing Alaska to move to Maui. Now I make half as much but I'm warm, it's not dark all the time in the winter and I don't have to worry about icy roads...
 

KlokWyze

Diamond Member
Sep 7, 2006
4,451
9
81
www.dogsonacid.com
I'm currently faced with the same dilemma. I actually don't mind my job, so normally I'd be content to stay in this career and pursue what I love in my spare time. The trouble is what I really love is science (it's not a spur of the moment thing), and doing science in your spare time isn't exactly likely to be useful and productive. I mean I study in my spare time, but what good is gathering knowledge that you don't use. And of course it seems like the market for science careers is pretty bad and I see a lot of negativity from people actually in the field. I need to decide very soon because at 27 the window for a career change is closing. I don't know the answer.

"science" is pretty vague..... lol
^_^
 

dighn

Lifer
Aug 12, 2001
22,820
4
81
"science" is pretty vague..... lol
^_^

I just didn't want to get into specifics. My main interest is physics but I've developed an interest in molecular biology as well. The former seems scarce with opportunies and the latter is saturated? Speakng of careers though, frankly I'm also kind of worried about my current career (software engineering) with all the outsourcing and the overall cheapening of the profession.
 

SleepWhere

Senior member
Jan 3, 2010
204
2
0
hehe can you imagine getting paid 36/hr to $7.25/hr? I still have a mortgage, util bills, and planning on starting a family within a few years. I'm really stuck now thinking about it.

cut mortgage. get a roommate.

cut util. downgrade all services.

don't start a family until you're financially ready.
 

Zebo

Elite Member
Jul 29, 2001
39,398
19
81
Sounds like you could do both at your job. Just take some sabbatical time and find out.
 

kami333

Diamond Member
Dec 12, 2001
5,110
2
76
Do it.

I went from making $50k+ working in IT to barely $22k in research (finally back above $30k, only took me 4 years) and it was the best decision I've made. Though Mondays are still a bitch...
 

tatteredpotato

Diamond Member
Jul 23, 2006
3,934
0
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It's all a function of your income delta between the two. If it's substantial, you're looking at a lifestyle change which can be very hard to do (in the downward direction). If you were talking going from 70k to 50k then I would tell you to go for it, but 70k to 25k? That's a little rough IMO.
 

cardiac

Platinum Member
Oct 9, 1999
2,082
14
81
Back in 1978, I started laboring at US Steel in a local mill. Money was fantastic, as were the benefits. I hated it though. Moved up to mobile equipment, running D-9 bulldozers, etc. Still sucked to work there though. Got briefly laid off in 1981 and went to E.M.T. school, and then got a job at our municipal fire department. I absolutely loved it. Got called back to the steel mill and decided not to go back. I have been with the fire department since April of 1982 and I still look forward to going to work every day. I never know what is gonna happen that day. When I went to the mill, it was the same thing EVERY day, and got old quick. Now that I am 50, the fire service is VERY tough on me physically, but I can still hang with the 25 y/o guys :)

Bob
 

Modelworks

Lifer
Feb 22, 2007
16,240
7
76
I made the change, everyone thought I was nuts, but I was miserable trying to keep doing what everyone thought I should do vs what I wanted to do. I was a well paid electrical engineer with seniority but was growing tired of all the internal corporate stuff that goes along with any company now. I wanted to create and that was partly why I became an engineer. I didn't like that I was being told to create, but could only use one hand so to speak in building the design, not because of cost or things like that, I understood about those things. It was people who had no idea what they were talking about making decision on what I could create or approach a job. So I quit.

I walked in, gave my notice and quit. The day after I got a knock at the door from the company owner asking me what was wrong, what happened. I told him I had just had enough and decided I wanted to do something I enjoyed. He got mad, really mad, and started going on about how I would never work again in that field if he had anything to say about it, how I was making the biggest mistake of my life, etc.

I went back to doing what I loved growing up. Art. I was already good with computers and started doing computer graphics in the late 1990's and worked my way up to doing vfx and CG. I make way less than before but wouldn't change things . I am way more happy now and I enjoy my days vs dreading sunday night because monday morning I have to go to work.

It was a bit easier for me because I was single. If you have a family then making the change can be hard.
Life is way too short to spend it doing something you hate 40 hours a week. And for what ? A dream that one day when you are 65 you can retire and start enjoying your life ? What if you work for 64 years and get hit by a bus ?