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3 Redditors’ Inspiring Stories of Drastic Career Changes

Topics: Career Profiles

It’s no secret that many people are unhappy with their current jobs. But did you know that two-thirds of all working adults, and 73 percent of those in their 30s want to change careers? It’s a fact of life that many of us have to take jobs that may not be our “dream” jobs, and maybe that concept is a sham anyway. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to be unhappy in your current job forever — or that you can’t transition to another career where you can still earn a living doing honest, practical work.

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(Photo Credit: Hernan Pinera/Flickr)

If you need a little inspiration in this difficult and daunting time to job transition, we’ve got just the post for you. A recent question on the r/jobs section of Reddit asked, “Has anyone made a drastic career change?” To which there were several helpful, encouraging, and telling replies.

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We’ve posted some of the most instructive below. If you’ve got more to add, don’t hesitate to leave a comment!

From EMT to IT

Cutmerock was unhappy in their job as an EMT. Now that person is working in IT as a QA Analyst, and learning automation. Their secret: signing up LaunchCode, a non-profit program that sets up workers with paid internships and jobs in the technology industry. 

If you want to make a similar transition, you don’t have to wait until you’ve quit your current job to get started on your new career path: take online classes at night or on the weekends, so you’re still earning a check while you wait for that next big change.

From Corporate to Traveler to Blogger

Not totally dissimilar to Cutmerock, Beamtown had a thoughtful and inspiring story of leaving their comfortable job. What’s most encouraging about this story is how this user was able to make the most of their experiences at each interval to make their next transition work.

While Beamtown wanted to quit their “cushy corporate job” and travel, they did it by saving and planning before quitting, and then finding a job (teaching ESL) that could fund the traveling. When they got back to the states, they were able to use the blogging experience they had gained to land a job writing for a “bootcamp” company — which uses practical career training to get folks jobs in new fields.

From Firm to Freelance

While I personally didn’t reply to this specific entry on Reddit, I have been known to browse the site from time to time, so we’ll count this as the third story. When I began my career, I knew I wanted to be a writer, but I thought I would be working for a TV show or a magazine — in other words, I had little to no direction. My first job out of school was at an SEO firm, writing fairly dry copy and blogs for various clients. It was good work, and I’m extremely grateful for it.

But I ended up leaving that job, moving across the country, and starting what has been a successful change to creative freelance writing. Some months certainly pay better than others, and it has been a scary transition — but I was able to achieve it through calling upon all of my connections from past jobs and internships, and making myself vulnerable to failure (and some part-time serving jobs along the way).

Tell Us What You Think

Is this just a bunch of hopeful hoopla? Does this writer even have the slightest conception of what hard work is? Do you have an inspiring story to share? We want to hear from you! Tell us what you think, or share your story, in the comments below. Or join the conversation on Twitter!

Peter Swanson
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