Six Reasons Why I Switched My Decade Long Profession

In the middle of the 2000s, I was studying business at the university. I was thrilled and dreaming to achieve big in my upcoming life. My mentors were inspiriting me of a bright future and I was eager to embrace it. I completed my master's in Business Administration with a decent GPA.

I wished to employ my skills by pursuing a business career as my family was already in the business. I was gearing up for joining them with a new set of ideas in my mind.

Surprisingly, my family wasn’t impressed by the idea of business rather they asked me for the job. I tried, but I’ve to follow as it was decided. I was shattered and dejected by the situation to leave my dream aside and to go for the 9 to 5 job.

I spent 10 years of my life, where I never wanted to be. It was my first job after my studies, I spent all energies of my young age at the job. I learned about different tools of professional life. I met people and made friends.

Salary in my country wasn’t great even for qualified professionals. I started my career at $2,000/year. It wasn’t the one I loved, but, I continued and left at $8,000/year after almost a decade.

I was constantly asking myself every time whether it will be my last year of the job, to pursue my dreams or not?

I was never been so sure of what to do under the burden of social pressures. I continue my job for years and years and performed up to the mark. But, I was indecisive about whether to continue my job or to confront social barriers.

What one should do?

It is no harm in exploring a career change. Many of us have already done it and so many others thinking about it, few of them will make it and others will go on with existing routines.

I would say you don’t need to let your emotions do the decisions but cautiously examine the circumstances and make rational decisions.

You’ve to be clear that you want a career change and should’ve valid reasons to support your claim. A poorly executed change of profession may lead you to another loss rather than give you success.

Here, I share my reasons I evaluated before deciding on a career change after spending more than a decade in the field of banking.

Take time before making a decision

An impulsive decision is never recommended for a career change. You don’t need to respond to the situation by just putting resignation on the table and leaving the office — it will hurt you.

I spent about a decade and gave me ample time to go through the highs and lows of my job. I was able to assess matters with no haste. It was last year when I decided to make a career change.

Meanwhile, I was able to work out matters in a convenient way. A pre-thought helped me in making my career switch research to the best having all information I wanted.

Review your current job deeply

Your current job is the one that has given you money and learning. You need to assess it properly, whether it is the right time to make the switch?

Is it the job itself? Or the circumstances around your job that hamper your temperament and you’ve become ready to switch the job.

I reviewed my job from different positions over the years by performing different assignments and working with different junior and senior colleagues over time. I had the lows and highs in my career and spent a good time assessing the job. It enabled me to come up with the decision that it is not the one job I have to take along. I have to go for something I would love to work for.

Are you doing it for the right reasons?

You must see the reasons behind your decision to quit the job, whether if it is about money, workload, or any other reasons. You should come up with something that you perceive as substantial behind the decision you make. You may come up with a reason which is very common and that you’ll be going to face in the next career step as well. Hence, careful thought is a need to find out the right reasons.

I’m not an impulsive kind of person to decide about matters immediately, rather I give time to myself to come out of it.

I had so many pros and cons of my job, but what I was looking for? I was looking for something that could give me a good blend of everything. It is not like I don’t want money or I want to sit idle in the seat. I want something which offers me a “right fit”.

Build up finances

It’ll be difficult to make bold decisions such as a career switch if you don’t have something in your bank account. You need to pay for utilities regularly. You must’ve some amount to feed you in the coming days.

Once I made my decision about my professional switch, I made conscious efforts to save every extra penny I could, to save some extra money for upcoming times. Guess what, I got a substantial amount saved in my account to be useful for the times when I’ll be chasing my new career.

Do your homework

Research is something that weighs so much importance once you’re following something new. You shouldn’t pursue something where you don’t have any proper information that may hurt you in the future.

Being a student of business administration I was aware of the fact to a greater extent. I did my CBA — Cost-Benefit Analysis about what I am going to leave and what I am going to get before making my decision to switch.

Why I switched my profession

It was the combination of multiple factors that were persistently following me to decide against the job. It was mainly about the freedom that was sacrificed and it was daunting me more than anything else.

It is important to give reasons which lead to me making the ultimate decision of quitting my first organization after a decade.

“Find a job you like and you add five days to every week”

H Jackson Brown Jr.

I started from scratch and over the years got higher positions in the office. But, overall it wasn’t something that was fascinating me all the time. It was just OK for me.

I wasn’t content with the pace of my acknowledgment by the organization. I started my career 10 years ago with an annual cheque of $2,000/- that reached $8,000/- after 10 years of service. It was something I was constantly looking and I wasn’t so much impressed with my financial growth rate.

It was one of the many reasons because I was in a job where I’ve to serve for almost 10–12 hours a day. It was really surprising for me that there were no extra charges for delivering services for additional time. Due to many reasons, it had become the custom of the industry.

Cash was always running away before the arrival of the next salary. Maintaining life was never been easy and all the dreams were shattering day after day.

2- Inadequate Management

“People leave managers, not companies” — Marcus Buckingham

Often people suffer from management by facing different issues at the workplace. It may be a lack of recognition, low compensation, and lack of Self-Development opportunities to name a few.

I faced the same from the management, they’re never available to offer trust and respect to their people. We’re just a number to them even after spending so many years with them.

3- Work-Life Balance

“Don’t confuse having a career with having a life.” ―Hillary Clinton

It is something having different importance to everyone, but still, everyone needs this balance. You might need something a little flexible based on your family structure etc. You may need to switch if your employer does not offer you such flexibility because you don’t have an alternative to that. A good employer may ensure your work-life balance by offering you some kind of flexibility.

I suffered a work-life balance throughout the years. I wasn’t able to socialize due to busy work schedules. I was aware of the lack of my social relations and it was getting worse every passing day and making me deserted.

My job did not provide me with a better work-life balance, which was close to me, it kept hurting me during my stay on the job and ultimately led to my decision of quitting the profession.

4- Job stress was all over me

People don’t want a job offering stressful days and nights, be it a weekday or weekend if you’re unable to detach yourself from the job I’m afraid you’re in a problem.

I was having a stressful job, it was both by the seniors or by the colleagues. I had no idea how to flourish in so much toxic and disrespectful environment.

Besides all, I was bound to it by many of the social barriers especially the family, who actually could not understand what I was going through at the job.

It was the time when I decided in favor of quitting my job in favor of the pursuit of passion for the business.

5- I had no passion for the job

I was no longer passionate about my job. It was done to have untimely con calls, unrealistic targets, and work on the weekends and charming the seniors to have you in their good books.

I wasn’t having happiness and I had no wish to flourish in such an environment. I lost my passion for the job day by day. It enables me to decide between pursuing my life goals.

6- It was always a due

I was never meant to be a 9 to 5 kind of person, even though I managed quite well over the years. But, it was not something I loved for all these years. I always intended to pursue business opportunities by utilizing my knowledge. It was always a due for me once the job wasn’t so close to my heart, and once I had enough things, I thought it better to go for the career change.

How I did it?

I dreamed to be free from 9 to 5 routines and wanted to do my things with complete autonomy and control over my time. I had many ideas once I get a chance to find my new wings and live my dream.

I tried no of times to escape from the job but I was forced otherwise in the name of social pressure by the people who were surrounding me all around.

I was never strong enough to convince anyone other than only me that I can’t do this job any further. People were happy but I wasn’t, they were comfortable but I wasn’t, they were joyous but I wasn’t. It took me more than a decade to work in these conditions. As Jeff Bezos said,

“I knew that if I failed I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying” Jeff Bezos

But finally, I made up my mind after spending a couple of months analyzing some alternatives. I found it the right time for the curtain to my 9 to 5 job and switch to entrepreneurship. I followed my dream to be free from the 9 to 5 routine.

It was not easy to make curtains to a career lasting more than a decade. It's been a year now and I can positively say that it was the right decision, that needs to be done years earlier.

Final Thoughts

No one should be ashamed of making a career change. A careful analysis of circumstances is required to ascertain the need for a career change.

You should analyze some factors before making such a life-changing decision.

The decision shouldn’t be impulsive: One shouldn’t make an impulsive decision for a career change as it needs a prudently thought out process.

Review your current job deeply: You’ll need deep insight into your current job. You might not be seeing matters rightly. It needs to give a second thought to your job to make sure.

Build-up finances: You will need funds after switching your profession, so you have to build some finances for yourself.

Do your homework: You need to come prepared for what is coming ahead, do the maximum about your plans before making any decision.

I have faced many issues over the years but here I’m writing a few which led me to decide about the career change.

Lack of career satisfaction: I didn’t have the appreciation over the years for what I served for that hit my satisfaction levels badly and I started to think about change.

Inadequate Management: I couldn’t see the management as a helping hand for me that ultimately made my way in pursuit of my dreams.

Work-life balance: I wasn’t able to find the balance between my office job and my social life. I was missing the best fit that I was looking for.

Job stress was all over me: It was the job I had to offer every time, my social life suffered considerably by the stressful nature of the job.

I had no passion for the job: I wasn’t any more passionate about the job considering the long work environment I was in. I was barely making to continue my job in the conditions, that ultimately led to the decision.

It was always due: As I was always wanted to pursue my career in accordance to wish in the business, it was always due that at some time I had to make the decision.

I’m feeling energized after saying goodbye to my profession. I’m free to pursue the goals of my choice than to follow others. It’s a still long way ahead but the start has been made and it is brilliant for me. I don’t want to regret not trying to pursue my dreams. I’m hoping to write to you again about what I learn and earn after making this decision.