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Transitioning out of the corporate world

Mycroft

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I'm interested in hearing the advice of anyone who's made that transition. Eventually I intend on entering academia, but in the meantime I have (modest) bills to pay. Still, my tolerance for corporate life is reaching its end. I'd like to transition into doing something of my own efforts that can pay my bills. Hence this solicitation of advice.
 

Abbey

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Do what you want, do what you love and fuck money
 

Mycroft

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Well I'd really prefer not to be homeless if I can help it. Or starving.
 

Coriolis

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I'm interested in hearing the advice of anyone who's made that transition. Eventually I intend on entering academia, but in the meantime I have (modest) bills to pay. Still, my tolerance for corporate life is reaching its end. I'd like to transition into doing something of my own efforts that can pay my bills. Hence this solicitation of advice.
Can you give us a bit more to go on - for instance, what field you are in, what skills/education you have, what types of work you prefer, etc. (Or link if posted elsewhere.)
 

FDG

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I think [MENTION=825]ygolo[/MENTION] made this transition?
 

Mycroft

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Coriolis, you're correct of course. When I analyze my emotional state, I think I just want reassurance. I know what my skill set is and what will be necessary in becoming a freelance worker, it's just frightening for me. I guess this was a pretty selfish and stupid thread, but hey, if any entrepreneurs out there have any good advice, I'm totally open to ideas and advice right now.

FDG: that's true. Unfortunately, I didn't focus on my studies nearly as much in my youth as ygolo did, so I'm starting further back down the path. I also majored in something where the money is poor, prohibiting me from setting aside a nest egg like he was able to do.
 

netzealot

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If you're planning to reproduce your career sans corporate employer, you'll have to give us more information about what you already do. If you're looking into a different type of career altogether, read on.

I have my the transition myself (ex-engineer) and the greatest challenge has been setting the right level of expectations for my next job. How much I expected I should enjoy my next job swung from either too low (because by the time you quit I was burnt out and anything seemed better) or too high because of the type of effort needed to reach a point where you enjoy the work is completely different than the work output you're used to in the corporate world. That is on top of the typical challenges of finding a job that fits your skills, interests, etc.

It has been a long and rough process and even a couple years later I'm only now at the stage where I am getting the training for my next career actually started. If I were to do it all over again, I would have stayed at my corporate job longer, planned a structured attack of the problem in my free time, then quit as late as possible before starting my next job/training rather than quitting due to the uncertainty of how long it could take and the stress of continuing to work at the corporate job you don't enjoy.

My 'structured attack' would have included tech school "try it for 10 days to see if you want to do this as a career" type stuff (sometimes offered to high school students) or community college night classes in the same subject as whatever field of deeper interest I was considering (for instance, look at the BS/BA 4th year class requirements then take a lower level class of the same subject).

If you're open to hands-on careers and are stuck, consider tech school, possibly night classes, or even the military.
 

FDG

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FDG: that's true. Unfortunately, I didn't focus on my studies nearly as much in my youth as ygolo did, so I'm starting further back down the path. I also majored in something where the money is poor, prohibiting me from setting aside a nest egg like he was able to do.

You mean that you would eventually have to redo your bachelor's?
 

Mycroft

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LevelZeroHero: Thank you for your advice. Yes, I'm in the same boat. My previous career has a very low ceiling, so I don't see myself using those skills for anything other than my own personal satisfaction going forward. As for going to school:

FDG: Yes, that's correct. In fact, that's what I'm doing presently. Fortunately I don't have to retake any general education requirements, but I do have to raise my GPA to a satisfactory level to apply to graduate school.

Marmotini: Uhh... a pretty textbook nerd. Why do you ask?
 

FDG

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If you're doing your bachelor's, try to aim high (in terms of performance - but not just grades, even the depth and detail of your assignment) and get to know a professor you feel aligned to in terms of research interest. You might be fast-tracked in a PhD; you may perhaps feel out of place compared to your peers (I don't know your age), but I can't see other easy ways to enter academia from your position.
 

Rex

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Whats your new future line of profession?
 
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