You Can Quit Your Dream Job to Reap Financial and Personal Benefits

“Everyone I knew had a corporate job and I was in the dirt at 6 a.m.,” Jacqueline, 27, says of her first postgraduate job as an environmental scientist. “All my friends looked cute in their office outfits…I had to wear steel-toed boots and neon shirts and old jeans because I had to go out and taste water and dirt.”

But for Jacqueline, it was all worth it. Environmental science had been his passion since high school. While studying the subject at university, she thought she would love working in this field and help make a difference. For a moment, she felt like she was doing just that. Then reality hit.

One particular assignment made her question the impact she was having – or lack thereof. No matter what she did to test and treat the water, the site always tested positive for pollution. “It started to become so monotonous…like we weren’t doing anything,” she says, remembering the jealousy she felt toward her friends and their comfortable office jobs.

After environmental health and safety positions opened up in various industries during the pandemic, she changed direction. Today, she’s much happier as a project manager at a sustainable fashion company – not just because she loves dressing up for work, although that’s an added perk.

For many, dream jobs are the ultimate goal. It’s not just about strengthening your CV; it’s about who you are. More than a third of Americans say their career is an integral part of their identity, according to a 2023 study by the Pew Research Center. Your role probably depends on how you introduce yourself to new people; maybe it’s even in your Instagram bio. Thanks to American grind culture, it’s no surprise that work is almost synonymous with self.

But amid an epidemic of loneliness, stubborn inflation and rampant unemployment rates, many people are prioritizing work-life balance and financial stability over their dreams. For some, such career pivots may be seen as a “fire sale” – giving up your lifelong passions for a better salary. What if quitting your dream job was actually the key to a dream life?

The disillusionment of the “dream job”

Katelynn, 35, always considered becoming a sports journalist. “I was my dad’s sidekick for years, watching games,” she says. After spending more than a decade on-air in sports and news, she left the industry to do communications for a big-box retailer. It was a 180-degree departure from what she describes as the “pretty toxic” environment at her previous company.

“I once worked with a man who didn’t believe women should work in sports,” says Katelynn. Today, she believes that her colleagues are “the best of the best”.

“Once you get a job, you have to interview to get another one.”

Similarly, Katie wanted to be a TV presenter “from kindergarten.” After stints in Binghamton, New York and Tampa, Florida, the 27-year-old turned to content strategy at a national bank for better PTO and higher pay. “It was really difficult to have to tell my parents (that I had quit journalism),” she said. “My mother had always imagined me becoming a television journalist.” But after making a list of pros and cons, his answer was clear.

Childhood interests often influence career plans. Brian, 25, has always loved theater, so he majored in stage management. After graduating, he worked behind the scenes on Broadway – the ultimate goal arriving five years earlier than he had hoped – but he quickly realized how uncertain the industry was. chaotic. As assistant stage manager, his contracts were as long as the rehearsal cycles, often lasting only two to four weeks. “Once you get a job, you have to interview to get another one,” he says.

The gigs were short and the hours were unpredictable (9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and subject to change depending on the project) and almost always included weekends, making it difficult to see one’s live-in partner. Between the schedule, the pay and the inconsistency, he said, “there wasn’t really any light at the end of the tunnel.”

Once Brian looked around, he realized that all of his fellow stage managers were single or unhappy with their love lives, and he didn’t want that for himself. He has since moved to upstate New York and married his partner. He now works remotely in operations for a beverage startup. He says he will never return to the grind of the theater stage.

Money matters

Of course, career, finances and well-being are intrinsically linked. More than 40% of Americans say money has a negative impact on their stress and anxiety levels, an additional factor that often causes them to leave one path for another.

After a year in Jacqueline’s new field, she earned about $40,000 more than before. Going corporate also made promotions more accessible to him. As an environmental scientist, there was no clear way to advance without additional training, but his new company has the human resources to support growth. One of those teams helped her transition into her current operational role when she was curious about a possible upward move.

“It was literally a life-changing amount of money.”

Career change leads to heavier pockets for many. Brian now earns $60,000 more per year than he did in his various theater-adjacent roles. Katie made $12.50 an hour at her first media job, or about $24,000 a year. When she launched into social strategy, she quadrupled that salary. “It was literally a life-changing amount of money,” she says. Now, she doesn’t hesitate to buy a plane ticket to return home for the holidays.

Work-life balance

Job dissatisfaction obviously affects personal life. In working toward the dream role, people may sacrifice their relationships (hi Andy Sachs!), but psychologists actually believe that a healthier personal life leads to better performance at work and vice versa.

In 2021, Katelynn took a long, in-depth look at her life before getting married. “I knew we wanted to start a family quite early, so was it a sustainable career to have children? Was this the right career for my overall mental and physical health? How long can my body tolerate waking up at 1:45 a.m.? »

After talking with other TV presenters who had changed paths, she decided to prioritize her personal life by switching to corporate communications. Her work-life balance has never been better. “I can be a mom. In fact, I feel like I’m being encouraged to be a great mother, but also a great employee.

Sure, it’s a different vibe than her life as a journalist, but Katelynn doesn’t regret her decision. “I’m so much happier now,” she says. She no longer needs to set alarms in the middle of the night. “You can easily want to stay in (television) because of the glamor or celebratory status you might have in the community. (But) I don’t miss the lack of stability.

Katie also felt the weight of irregular schedules. “I worked every Christmas for four years,” she says. “(Leaving journalism) gave me my life back.”

And when she’s not spending her free time after work scuba diving (a hobby she took up after leaving the news), with her boyfriend, or with her chow chow, Leia, she certainly doesn’t think about work. “After 5 p.m., I continue my day…. I don’t have to think about what my story will be tomorrow, or “Oh, my God, I still need to set up an interview.” »

When a door closes

Even though perks like exponentially higher salaries and a better work-life balance make selling out seem like the obvious choice, leaving the path to your “dream” still presents a unique challenge: the identity of a person can give the impression that they change along with the job title.

Jacqueline sometimes feels like she’s being sold out because working for a retail company is almost inherently anti-sustainable. “I still struggle with (my decision to leave environmental science) to this day. “It’s hard to leave something you were so attached to at one point,” she says.

“The only thing that really helps me is working for a company that is dedicated to being an environmental activist in the retail industry, (an area) where some companies are huge polluters,” says -She. She probably wouldn’t work for another fashion brand if it didn’t align with her values.

And job after dream job isn’t always as exciting for outsiders. Katie admits that her traditional marketing job doesn’t seem as interesting as explaining that she’s a TV presenter. “When someone asks you what you do for a living and you’re a TV journalist, people always think that’s so cool. (Now I say) ‘Oh, I work in marketing,’ and people say, ‘OK, I don’t care,'” she says. “But at the same time, I probably wouldn’t trade it because I like being able to live that personal life.”

For Brian, his new role helps him find balance. Even though he’s not working on Broadway shows like he once imagined, he’s thriving. “Exactly what I did for shows, I do for a startup,” he says. “Instead of making sure the set department and the costume department are talking to each other, I’m making sure sales is talking to finance.” He hopes to one day become a volunteer stage manager at a community theater, just for fun.

Ultimately, even if your dream job doesn’t work forever, there is some satisfaction in trying it.

“I can look back and say ‘I did it,’” Katelynn says. As he grew up, his priorities changed and things fell into place. “For me, I have what I really consider to be a ‘dream career 2.0.’