How much of a paycut would you take to "follow your dreams"?

[spookie]

I'm an actuary - an insurance expert. It's an easy career to wind up in if you're good at math, which I am thanks to the fact that my parents pushed it on me from a young age.

 

I make good money, but the only part I like about my job is the coffee breaks - the social aspect.

 

It's a lonely profession, consisting of tedious calculations performed alone at one's desk.

 

My area of expertise is life insurance; specifically, calculations relating to IRS Section 7702A.

 

I can't think of anything more boring than life insurance tax law.

 

I have always wanted to be a writer. Preferably something creative, but even even technical writing appeals to me more than my current profession. (I love the little writing that I get to do at my job.)

 

Should I look at switching professions? There are some cool writing jobs out there, but without going back to grad school, which is not much of an option due to my 2.2 college GPA, I'd be looking at about a 50% paycut - and that's if I'm even able to find something. At that point, I'd probably need to supplement my income with a bar-tending job on the weekends to make ends meet, but at least I'd be doing what I want all the time... right?

 

Thoughts?

[wuggle]

Jeez. If there is one person on here who should not be a f*cking insurance person it's you, for god's sake quit and follow your dreams.

 

Every time I read your posts I think, wow , what a f*cked up, artistic, weird , crazy b$tch. In a nice way

 

To think of you as an insurance calculator makes me sad

 

Take 100% pay cut, and write.

 

Kid's stories ? with a twist ? Whatever, insurance - NOOOOOOOO !!!

Edited July 24, 2010 by wuggle
Apparently my spelling is crap

[spookie]

Jeez. If there is one person on here who should not be a f*cking insurance person it's you, for god's sake quit and follow your dreams.

 

Every time I read your posts I think, wow , what a f*cked up, artistic, weird , crazy b$tch. In a nice way

 

To think of you as an insurance calculator makes me sad

 

Take 100% pay cut, and write.

 

Kid's stories ? with a twist ? Whatever, insurance - NOOOOOOOO !!!

 

Well, a 100% pay cut is not realistic. I've got lipsticks to keep myself in.

 

However, I'm convinced I make as much as I do only because my job is so freaking boring.

 

The worst part of it is, I am always stressed that I'm calculating things wrong, because it's SO hard to get myself to give a s!ht about the details of the calculations.

 

At what point is interest applied to the account value for this product? Is LTC a fixed deduction rider in Florida? These are the sort of details I am supposed to be an expert in, and I DON'T GIVE A FCVK!!!!!

[TheLoneSock]

You do what you have to do until you can do what you want to do. Find a way to make your current job pave the way towards what you do enjoy.

[wuggle]

Well, a 100% pay cut is not realistic. I've got lipsticks to keep myself in.

 

Quit your job, become a writer and I will lend you $50 a month for lipsticks till you get on your feet

 

Seriously though, you have a problem. You KNOW you are wasting your life in your current job. You KNOW you are not doing what you should. You have an idea that you might be a writer or artistic sort of person some how. This is your problem.

 

At some point in the future you are going to look back on your life and try to evaluate it (apparently we all do )

 

How are you going to justify being an insurance calculator for 50 years when you knew for 47 of those years that it was all cr*p ??

 

You are a lucky b&tch but you don't even realise it. You know deep down at a fairly early stage in your life that you don't belong to your current life, many are still questioning whether they do or not.

 

Make the brave decisions now, it gets harder the older your get (I have a mortage, I have a husband, I can't just throw it all away..blah blah blah)

 

Cliched, I know but you really DO only have one life.

 

Do you really want to be an insurance calculator at 60 ??

 

I think not

[wuggle]

As a follow up, so you don't think I'm completely full of **** etc. I think I personally WOULD be prepared to take a BIG pay cut, if my wife would support me (And I think she would if she felt is was really important to me, and we could still afford to live ok , see I told you it gets more difficult the older you get) but I'm really not sure what I want.

 

I think The job I am in (and very good at, and pays well, ie IT) is not what I should be doing but I'm really not sure what I should be.

 

I think I would like to be more artistic, possibly metalwork, sculpture, stonemason etc but I really dont know yet. Hopefully I will know soon

 

I think the key is to be honest with yourself (s*d everyone else) and when you are fairly certain, then, just go for it !!!

[spookie]

I have ALWAYS wanted to be a writer. I remember walking around the school yard during lunch, a lonely middle schooler with no friends, and thinking, "**** all y'all, one day I'll sell all the pain you inflicted on me back to you in a book."

 

I've never had the confidence to believe writing was something I could make money doing. I wanted to major in English or Journalism in college, but my parents were horrified they'd be supporting me for the rest of my life, so I defaulted to math. Then I dropped out and became a stripper.

 

Then I became an actuary cause I had burnt out on my stripping career.

 

At the time, this job seemed like such a godsend.

 

The further I get into the exam process, though - the more of an alleged insurance expert I become - the more I think a crappy job such as waitressing would have suited me better, so that I could just write/ think about writing all day.

[wuggle]

I have ALWAYS wanted to be a writer. I remember walking around the school yard during lunch, a lonely middle schooler with no friends, and thinking, "**** all y'all, one day I'll sell all the pain you inflicted on me back to you in a book."

 

That so reminds me of Stephen King !!!! Look where he is now !!

 

You might NOT be able to make it in writing, but so what, maybe, just maybe you can. When your 90 and on your death bed, do you want to look back and say :-

 

"I always wanted to be a writer, but didn't think I could do it"

 

or

 

"I always wanted to be a writer, so threw my heart and sole (sic) into it and wow I'm the best selling author of XXXXX books, people love my work, I have made a real difference to people"

[spookie]

That so reminds me of Stephen King !!!! Look where he is now !!

 

You might NOT be able to make it in writing, but so what, maybe, just maybe you can. When your 90 and on your death bed, do you want to look back and say :-

 

"I always wanted to be a writer, but didn't think I could do it"

 

or

 

"I always wanted to be a writer, so threw my heart and sole (sic) into it and wow I'm the best selling author of XXXXX books, people love my work, I have made a real difference to people"

 

The problem is, I might be looking back to say,

 

"I wish I could afford my medication. I had a great career, but threw it all away to pursue a childish dream, and now I'm old, broke, and alone."

[D-Lish]

I suffered a decrease of close to $40,000/year when I had to give up owning my own business during the recession- but I've had two jobs since and climbed back up the ladder quiclky enough.

 

At my age, it was tough- I had a mortgage, car, etc. I had to shuffle back to my parents place for a while to get back on my feet, and now I am content renting instead of owning because I moved to a much more expensive city.

 

Since you are young, it's a great opportunity to make a switch and follow your dreams.

 

Can you write on evenings and weekends while still working? Or, could you switch to part time?

[Green]

I hate writing. I picked a career with a lot of writing. Now it may be the end of me.

 

You should follow your dreams, I bet you could still get into grad school with a good exam score. You can take loans and live off those... get a phd in english or something and become a professor and just write crap all day.

 

I dunno. Just go for what you want... it won't be easy... never is.

 

You know whats really easy... never doing anything and just moving to a state like california with good benefits. Then sitting on ur ass all day.... hmm maybe thats how you could become a writer find a state with good unemployment and stuff.

[wuggle]

The problem is, I might be looking back to say,

 

"I wish I could afford my medication. I had a great career, but threw it all away to pursue a childish dream, and now I'm old, broke, and alone."

 

Boll*cks.....No-one looks back and says that !!!!

[spookie]

Since you are young, it's a great opportunity to make a switch and follow your dreams.

 

Can you write on evenings and weekends while still working? Or, could you switch to part time?

 

The issue is that I'm constantly torn between viewing my job solely as a (good) source of income, and wanting to put in effort to excel.

 

As an example, in addition to the 9-5 (actually, 7-4 in my case) I am expected to pass actuarial examinations to progress in my career, which are incredibly time-consuming to study for. (It takes about 400 hours of study time to pass an exam, which I'm expected to take twice a year.)

 

Then, I only feel like I'm excelling when I work overtime.

 

Between the studying, the staying late, and the 1.5 hour commute I make each way each day, there's not a whole lot of time to write on the side. It's a full-time + career.

 

Maybe if I made an EMOTIONAL commitment to the writing, it'd be easier. Then I could really stop giving a fcvk about the exams and the promotions I'm not getting, and view this as just a job that pays the bills.

 

My question is, should I do that?

 

Should I spend my weekends studying for actuarial exams, or writing/ filling out creative writing grad school apps/ looking for a writing position?

[norajane]

Well, what is stopping you from writing now? While you have a job?

 

Do you write, and I mean in a disciplined, consistent way, now? Do you write for a couple of hours each night? More on the weekends? Do you submit stories or articles to publishers? Do you have a blog, or your own website where you post your writing?

 

If not, why not? You can do all of those things now. Your dream can be a reality now. If you aren't doing any of those things, then is writing really just a fantasy more than a dream you want to work toward?

 

A lot of people dream about writing, but turning their hobby into a career takes a lot of the fun out of it because it's hard to write on demand, every day, 8 hours a day.

 

And to turn it into a career, it requires having something to say, discipline and actually writing and publishing. You don't have to quit your job to do that, at least not to get started.

 

I'd suggest at least applying for the technical writing jobs if you can. They'll probably want writing samples, so make sure you are saving up whatever technical writing you are doing now. And ask for more of those writing assignments from your current employer.

 

And you can continue your creative writing on the side until you write that first novel that gets published, or have enough writing samples - both technical and creative - that you can get yourself a decent paying job doing that.

 

ETA - sorry, cross-posted.

 

Unless you want an actuarial career, I'd suggest focusing your energy elsewhere. But if you aren't doing any writing on your own at this time, is it really something you want to commit to, especially to the point of grad school? Really, think about how you spend your free time and consider whether you do have time to write and are choosing not to.

Edited July 25, 2010 by norajane

[wuggle]

Maybe if I made an EMOTIONAL commitment to the writing, it'd be easier. Then I could really stop giving a fcvk about the exams and the promotions I'm not getting, and view this as just a job that pays the bills.

 

My question is, should I do that?

 

Yes..........

[D-Lish]

The issue is that I'm constantly torn between viewing my job solely as a (good) source of income, and wanting to put in effort to excel.

 

As an example, in addition to the 9-5 (actually, 7-4 in my case) I am expected to pass actuarial examinations to progress in my career, which are incredibly time-consuming to study for. (It takes about 400 hours of study time to pass an exam, which I'm expected to take twice a year.)

 

Then, I only feel like I'm excelling when I work overtime.

 

Between the studying, the staying late, and the 1.5 hour commute I make each way each day, there's not a whole lot of time to write on the side. It's a full-time + career.

 

Maybe if I made an EMOTIONAL commitment to the writing, it'd be easier. Then I could really stop giving a fcvk about the exams and the promotions I'm not getting, and view this as just a job that pays the bills.

 

My question is, should I do that?

 

Should I spend my weekends studying for actuarial exams, or writing/ filling out creative writing grad school apps/ looking for a writing position?

 

This^^^^

 

I can't tell you enough how much I wish I had taken a different path when I was younger. I regret not doing so now. I would have had my MA and been a prof if I could go back in time. I went in a certain direction by force through circumstance, if I could go back, I'd do things differently.

 

Can you imagine being an actuary for the rest of your life? If you can't- change your path while you still have the time. There is nothing worse than being unhappy in your career.

 

Spooks, I am 40 now- and I can't go back, but you can.

[Green]

This^^^^

 

I can't tell you enough how much I wish I had taken a different path when I was younger. I regret not doing so now. I would have had my MA and been a prof if I could go back in time. I went in a certain direction by force through circumstance, if I could go back, I'd do things differently.

 

Can you imagine being an actuary for the rest of your life? If you can't- change your path while you still have the time. There is nothing worse than being unhappy in your career.

 

Spooks, I am 40 now- and I can't go back, but you can.

 

Oh Dlish you could still become a prof if that is your dream.

[D-Lish]

Oh Dlish you could still become a prof if that is your dream.

 

I'd have to give up so much in order to do so Green.

 

My dad has always told me if I ever wanted to go back to school for my MA or PhD, that he would pay my tab and support me (I actually wanted to be a Doctor like him growing up). But, I make good money now, and I like my lifestyle. I made a choice at a particular time in my life and I now feel like I have to make the best of it. I am pretty happy with my professional life- It's not my ideal career choice, but I am good at it, and it challenges me.

 

I guess I want Spooks to know that she is at the point where she she should follow her dream given her stage in life. There may come a time where there is no turning back.

[Tayla]

Its your life, your decision ultimately.

 

From a parents point of view, My Son chose writing/journalism, made it the whole way thru Summa Cum Laude (Master Degree). From Two Top notched Universities. He aspires to write and no place is hiring or accepting...The world is going digital so no real funds in printed books. So during this abatement HE works for a printing company(catalog/magazines) and has revised his career choice into Teaching. Figures if he cant apply the skill he might as well teach the future generation what english and writing can do for them .

 

Like starving artists , so too a writer carries that burden. ANd yes, I can say without a doubt that some folks do regret tossing all caution to the wind career wise and when they get old have no monies to survive. I took care of a few that followed the dreams and woke up to reality. Its not a pretty site...

Choose wisely , even someone who works in an ice cream shop stops liking it after awhile......

[spookie]

Well, what is stopping you from writing now? While you have a job?

 

Do you write, and I mean in a disciplined, consistent way, now? Do you write for a couple of hours each night? More on the weekends? Do you submit stories or articles to publishers? Do you have a blog, or your own website where you post your writing?

 

If not, why not? You can do all of those things now. Your dream can be a reality now. If you aren't doing any of those things, then is writing really just a fantasy more than a dream you want to work toward?

 

A lot of people dream about writing, but turning their hobby into a career takes a lot of the fun out of it because it's hard to write on demand, every day, 8 hours a day.

 

And to turn it into a career, it requires having something to say, discipline and actually writing and publishing. You don't have to quit your job to do that, at least not to get started.

 

I'd suggest at least applying for the technical writing jobs if you can. They'll probably want writing samples, so make sure you are saving up whatever technical writing you are doing now. And ask for more of those writing assignments from your current employer.

 

And you can continue your creative writing on the side until you write that first novel that gets published, or have enough writing samples - both technical and creative - that you can get yourself a decent paying job doing that.

 

ETA - sorry, cross-posted.

 

Unless you want an actuarial career, I'd suggest focusing your energy elsewhere. But if you aren't doing any writing on your own at this time, is it really something you want to commit to, especially to the point of grad school? Really, think about how you spend your free time and consider whether you do have time to write and are choosing not to.

 

 

I think what I'm going to do is commit to focusing my energy on the writing for at least a couple of months.

 

I have been disciplined about it in the past and it was always easy for me to get into. The more I wrote, the more I wanted to write, the better my writing became.

 

Lately though (the past 2-3 years) I have been putting off getting disciplined again because I wanted to focus on my job until I was done with the actuarial exam process, so I'd always have a high-paying career to fall back on. But it's taking longer than I thought it would to get through exams. And the job itself is even more boring than I expected.

 

I agree with everything you that you wrote, though, about the fantasy/reality of writing.

[spookie]

The flip side of this is, it's easy to bitch, but my lifestyle right now is pretty awesome.

 

I make about 65K - pretty good for a single 24 year old w/o a higher degree, in a recession. And I get a 5K+ raise for each exam that I pass. I have no debt. As such, I can afford pretty much anything, within reason.

 

And I don't work all that hard. I have flexible hours, a nice boss, and really cool co-workers. I wind up having a lot of fun at work, even if the work itself is tedious and boring.

 

The real reason I made this thread is, there is a (writing) job I'm applying for, that I thought would be SWEET AS HLEL even before I realized the position was open. As far as pursuit of dreams is concerned, this would be the perfect job for me.

 

However, it pays about 30K per year. That is a huge paycut.

 

Of course, the job is so sweet that it's unlikely I'll even be selected for an interview, but if by some stroke of luck I managed to get the job, would that be a reasonable career change to make?

[norajane]

The flip side of this is, it's easy to bitch, but my lifestyle right now is pretty awesome.

 

I make about 65K - pretty good for a single 24 year old w/o a higher degree, in a recession. And I get a 5K+ raise for each exam that I pass. I have no debt. As such, I can afford pretty much anything, within reason.

 

And I don't work all that hard. I have flexible hours, a nice boss, and really cool co-workers. I wind up having a lot of fun at work, even if the work itself is tedious and boring.

 

The real reason I made this thread is, there is a (writing) job I'm applying for, that I thought would be SWEET AS HLEL even before I realized the position was open. As far as pursuit of dreams is concerned, this would be the perfect job for me.

 

However, it pays about 30K per year. That is a huge paycut.

 

Of course, the job is so sweet that it's unlikely I'll even be selected for an interview, but if by some stroke of luck I managed to get the job, would that be a reasonable career change to make?

 

Can you live on $30K, after taxes? Do you have a budget for your monthly expenses, and will you be barely scraping by or will you have enough left over? Are you willing to rent a cheaper apartment, and give up some of the things you buy/do now in exchange for your dream writing job?

 

Does this writing job also offer health benefits and 401(k)?

 

If so, give it your best shot if you get the interview. It's not like there will be a better time for you to change careers - it gets harder and harder to give up the salary and perks the longer you go on having them.

[cavedweller]

spookie,

 

What type of writing do you want to do?

[shadowplay]

Spookie, this is the time when you can follow your dreams. If you keep pushing it off, it won't happen and it will be harder to switch careers. You'll regret it later.

 

You have two options, both of which are moving you in the right direction:

 

1. Keep your job for now and save up money. In your free time really discipline yourself to write and build a portfolio with which you can apply to grad school or a job. If you have the time to socialize, then you certainly have time to do this. I know you can do it, because you've been able to discipline yourself to study hard for exams while working. Just take the same disciplined approach to writing.

 

2. Quit your job and devote yourself to writing full time.

 

I think the first option is probably better, if you can manage it, because you won't be crippled by constant anxiety about making ends meet. You may start with option one and then move to two once you've built up an adequate portfolio.

 

Don't worry about getting into grad school. You can easily get into a good one if you set your mind to it. A lot of writers have ****ty grades in college. The main thing is showing the admissions people that you've turned yourself around, which you have. You'll show this through the strength of your portfolio and through your ability to land and maintain a good as an actuary before you applied (that's impressive and shows strong work ethic). Getting a good GRE score wouldn't hurt either. You're smart and good at tests, so that should be a breeze. Also, be frank about some of the issues you faced in college. Tell them about how you stripped and all that. It makes you more interesting as a writer, actually. You can even build it into your writing, if you do any memoirs.

 

Grad schools, especially in the more creative profession, look for a wide variety of people. It's not like getting into college. People come in from all walks of life. Really, your college grades won't be an issue if you do what I said.

Edited July 30, 2010 by shadowplay

[carhill]

Thoughts?

 

In this economy, unless you're adequately capitalized, I'd think twice before throwing away a secure job and income.

 

One option is to moonlight as a writer.

 

Many people whom I know have, at one time or another, told me I'd be a natural (writer). I enjoy it, but enjoy working with my hands more. I took 100% pay cut 25 years ago to pursue my 'dream'. Worth it? IDK, life ain't over yet. I'm still dreaming