Chloe Taylor was at the peak of her career and earning six figures when she decided to retire.
The Sydney lawyer had been a practising lawyer for over six years but had never really felt “passionate” about his work.
TaylorThe 34-year-old was living in Sydney and earning between $150,000 (US$99,330) and $200,000 (US$133,240) a year, but was unsatisfied with her job.
Sure, it sounded great on paper, but she wasn’t enjoying it and her dissatisfaction with the job was starting to interfere with everything else.
“I found I really couldn’t enjoy anything. Normal things that usually bring me joy, like a morning swim or trying a new restaurant, no longer brought me the same joy,” she told news.com.au.
Taylor realized that not enjoying her job was starting to affect her health.
“I was also getting sick a lot and I was very tired. I took some time to really think about what I needed to change. So, that exact moment was probably two years ago, but it took me a long time to make the decision,” she explained.
When she told her family and friends she was giving up her career, they were “surprised.”
“My parents were really worried because they know how hard I have worked on my studies and to become a lawyer,” she said.
Of course, there were other options.
There are many different areas of law and she thought about exploring different fields but ultimately realised she needed to put her career on hold.
“I needed to step away from law completely to rethink what I wanted to do with my career,” she said.
“The great thing about having a law degree is that the skills I learn are very transferable and I can come back to it if I ever miss working as a lawyer.”
Taylor, you’re not alone in wanting to change jobs.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that 1.3 million Australians will change jobs in 2023, the highest rate of job change since 2012.
For now, Taylor doesn’t have any big plans for what to do next.
She didn’t leave law with a different career planned, but for now, for the first time…or maybe forever, she’s enjoying focusing on her passion.
“I just launched my fashion accessories brand, ZEIYA, which is a brooch brand that focuses on empowering individuals to be incredibly creative with their style,” she said.
But to earn a living, she wants to get a job in the fashion industry.
“I’m also considering working part-time for a fashion brand in content creation or buying – very different to being a lawyer,” she said.
Taylor said she feels the next few months will be all about “self-discovery,” and while some have suggested she could have picked up a side hustle and continued working a paying job, she disagrees.
“Especially as a lawyer, I don’t think that’s realistic,” she said.
However, public reaction has been positive about her decision.
He said that many people have congratulated him.
“You never miss out on billable hours as an attorney or having to constantly calculate your hours. The freedom of not knowing what’s going to happen next is probably the best and most exciting part,” she said.
Of course, with that freedom comes some financial stress.
“This wasn’t an impulsive decision. It required careful planning and cutting out unnecessary expenses. Goodbye Netflix,” she said.
She is ready for a change.
“It’s really hard to walk away from a career path that you’ve been on for so many years and have the confidence to believe that it’s the right decision. It would be easy to stay in the same career path, stay comfortable and not change anything, but I’m older and it’s time,” she added.
Ben Thompson, CEO of recruitment firm Employment Hero, said employees were no longer afraid to quit careers they were tired of.
“The days of employees staying in unsatisfying roles are over, with almost one in 10 workers having changed employers in the past year,” he said.
Thompson said employees are constantly evaluating whether they want to stay in their jobs.
“Today’s workers are not afraid to quickly move jobs if the job doesn’t align with their career prospects or values, or if it undermines their well-being.”
