These 17 people spent years trying, doubting, and searching for their dream jobs before they finally found them. They were brave enough to start over. None of them had a perfect plan or the right timing. They just thought that passion was enough of a reason and got started. You’re not alone if you’re still looking.
I changed jobs and became a programmer. The team is great, but I really don’t like talking on the phone with one coworker. He is in his thirties. He was told to find a mistake and saw some code that one of us had written. He was sarcastically asking me questions for a long time, suggesting that I made the mistake and that “women shouldn’t be in programming.”
I sit and think that life must have been very hard for him if he is so bitter. I am not the one who made the mistake.
I didn’t have the energy to go back to work after my maternity leave. I tried everything, but nothing worked. My friend never talked about her job, but it was clear that she wasn’t working from 8 to 5. I kept thinking about what her secret was.
I went to see her one day and looked into her bedroom. That’s when I knew: this is it! There were a lot of bright dance dresses with fringe and feathers on the bed. I looked at her shyly and asked, “Can I try one on?” I put it on and loved how I looked so much that I asked to join her dance classes right away.
She dances lambada and was about to become a trainer! And here we are, five years later, still dancing together. I got better over time.
An artist friend of mine lost her sight in one eye when I was 62, so she couldn’t do detailed work anymore. On that day, I made the decision that art would be a priority, not something I would do again someday. I started going to unstructured workshops three times a week. After four months, I had regained my old skills and kept getting better.
The good thing is that I don’t care what other people think of what I make anymore. I make myself happy. Ten years later, I’ve had a lot of gallery shows, won a lot of awards, and been written about in a national art magazine. Now I’m selling my art.
I am 32 years old. I worked as a nurse for a while before deciding to go to school to become a doctor.
I was really surprised when a lot of people I knew were negative about it. People were saying things like, “Why are you going to school at this age?” It’s dumb. “Have a kid or buy a car.”
A lot of the same people come to me for medical advice and say that I have a very soft touch. But they still say you should study at 17, and at my age, it’s not serious and just playing around.
For most of my life, I worked as a software engineer. I have two kids and I’m over 40 now. I have worked for three different companies, and none of them let me keep a healthy work-life balance. The worst of it all happened at my last job when I was on vacation and a big technical problem came up.
The director sent messages to all the developers, telling them to come to work right away or else they would be fired. I cut my vacation short to help fix the problem, but I found out it was already fixed. That’s when I knew I couldn’t keep going like this, so I decided to take a break for at least a few months to think about my life.
I’ve been interested in woodworking since I was a kid. So, to pass the time, I started making wooden decorations, small pieces of furniture, and decor with inlays. At fairs, they sold really well. That’s when I made up my mind to become a carpenter.
Since then, I’ve been building a list of clients, opening an online store, and taking custom orders. I made the choice on the spot, but I got lucky!
This guy and I worked together at a place that gave legal advice. This guy was like a machine. He knew almost everything there was to know about his field. He could have beaten some of the lawmakers. I’ve been here for almost ten years, but he had been there since 2000.
And yes, I really did call him a machine before. His coworkers had similar workloads and had to come in early and stay late to finish everything, but he always came in on time, left on time, and did all of his work perfectly, with no problems. He never worried about having too much work to do and didn’t complain about it very often.
He quit his job a month ago so he could become a postman. He said he wanted a job that had nothing to do with giving advice, where he could just be alone with his thoughts. I guess he has power.
I figured out what I want to do after I retire. I used to run a store. Everything was going as it usually does. But one day, all of my cashiers got sick at the same time. Oh well! I had to sit at the register myself, then.
I was sitting there doing my job when it hit me: this isn’t work; it’s a song! That’s when I realised that this is the best thing for me. And I was right.
I just talked to a friend and realised how boring my life is. He suddenly had a midlife crisis. He got a new haircut and quit his boring job. He filed for divorce from his wife, with whom he had been living like roommates for a long time.
He thought that wasn’t enough, though. He tried a few different sports before flying off to the islands. He worked with kids at a surfing club. He says he now feels like he’s where he should be.
I got into college because of connections: a friend of my father’s helped me get a government-funded spot in law school. I was a straight-A student in school. He also helped me find a job in my field, and I worked as a lawyer for about six years.
After a while, I decided to switch jobs and went to an IT school for six months. As soon as I was done with school, I got a job.
For the past two years, I’ve worked from home, and I love it. It was as easy as stepping back from connections and trying to take the first step on my own, without anyone else’s help.
A coworker worked as an accountant for 30 years and eventually became the chief accountant. Everything was fine, and everyone at work liked her. Then, all of a sudden, she quit. People were shocked and asked, “What will you do?” Where are you going?
A few months later, it came out that she had been making dolls at night the whole time. Quietly, for her own sake. She now has shows, orders, and a list of collectors who want to buy her work. And most importantly, no stress!
I learned English for free and on my own while I was on maternity leave. I met someone from another country. He asked me to find out more about the business in my city that he was interested in. And from there, it really took off.
I was the point of contact for a foreign company, negotiated deals, learned new things, and helped run meetings. At first, I used hand gestures and a notebook to translate. I was a pro at translating after a few years. This experience taught me that there is nothing to be afraid of in life.
I can now easily switch jobs a few times a year. Goodbye if my boss says something wrong. Goodbye, because they won’t let me take a summer vacation. I set the rules, not the other way around.
My confidence has grown to the point where it breaks down all barriers. I now have two college degrees and experience starting a business from scratch and working with people from other countries. Before this, I was a shy little girl who no one noticed.
At 55, I was out of work in IT, and no company would even talk to me. “My friend saw my garden and said, “You should be a professional gardener, man.” I told him, “Everyone knows how to have a garden like this.” He says, “No, they really don’t.”
People say that when I was 33, I was burnt out from my last job. The job itself was pretty interesting, but it was in a “male-dominated” field, so to speak. I started out as a simple administrator at an auto service, then I became an assistant, and finally I became an expert appraiser.
I reached the top and even taught men how to do this job, but something made me feel bad. The pay was great for my area, and the job was pretty rare—only eight women in the country held this position. But I felt empty inside.
I have a degree in speech therapy. I just said I was leaving one day, and that was it. My husband was shocked, but he stood by me!
I now work with kids who have disabilities. These special kids give me energy and, most importantly, a sense of purpose. I don’t need money, fame, or all the praise!
I went from doing nails to coaching sports. So far, I’m enjoying it, I’ve gotten used to it, and I’ve come to love my job. I love working with kids, seeing them grow, and taking them to competitions and other sports events.
I think back on my clients and doing nails sometimes. I have fond memories of that job, but I don’t want to go back to it right now.
For months, my friend’s husband had been “finding himself” anywhere but at work. She had to deal with everything: the kids, the bills, and the sleepless nights. We told her to look in the garage one day.
She took a deep breath, opened the door, and saw that the tables, chairs, and shelves were all neatly stacked. He had been quietly making furniture and selling it for the past year. He had found his calling but hadn’t found the right time to tell her.
