Career Advice Needed: At what point does one "change" careers?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I suppose this could be a GQ thread, but the possible answers seem pretty subjective, so I am posting here in IMHO.

Question
I have decided to “change careers” by going back to school to study architecture. The kitchen is slowly killing me and I have lost the passion and desire to be a chef. When do I quit my kitchen job and apply for an architectural job?

Skip to the end of the post if you don’t want to hear my life story…

Background
I graduated highschool in 1999, and I had no idea what I wanted to do in life, so I did nothing. I kept my after-school job at the Dairy Queen and took a promotion to Assistant Manager ($7.00 per hour, woo hoo!) and stayed living with my mom, who seemed content in letting her youngest child rot away in a dead-end job (Hi Mom!) My weekly phone conversations with my father always included some inquiry about my future education. “Have you enolled in college yet?” No, father. “Have you looked into community college?” Not yet, father. “You could take some core class now, for the future, ya know?” What’s that? You are breaking up… <click>

Late 2000, I decided to go to Culinary school. I don’t know why. Maybe it was the constant naging from my father, or my desire to get out of my mom’s place and get out on my own. People ask me all the time, why I decided to become a Chef. I have generated a list of bull-shit responses that I use in interviews and family gatherings, but the real answer is: I don’t know.

Culinary school involved a 6 week externship that, for me, led to a job at a resort in Idaho. I loved Idaho, and maybe thats why I liked my job. I was there for 3 years, and left with my highest wage ever: 11.50 per hour. Double dollar digits! My next stop was Denver, where I have been employed at a hotel for the last 3 years. About a year ago, I decided I was done with the kitchen life. Long days, working on every holiday, 60 hour weeks for piddly wages… Not worth it to me anymore. I wanted to revitalize a childhood dream: architecture. I loved buildings. I loved drawng buildings. Somehow I had forgoten about that when I graduated highschool.

So, now I am in college, waist-deep in my first semester. Things are going well, but it has taken time to adjust to the life of a full time student with a full time job. I am just getting used to my crazy schedule which never allows a day off.

Now What?
I am not sure when I should quit the kitchen job. It pays reasonably well, for a hotel, and I have lots of benefits that I don’t want to lose quite yet. However, I know that I need to get a real job in the architecture industry eventually. I don’t want to wait until I graduate.

So, when do I jump ship and change jobs? Do I do it now, with almost no knowledge of architecture, or do I stick with the pointless job until a I have a few years of education under my belt? My current job is no longer rewarding, its just a paycheck. I would like to have passion for my work again, but I don’t know if it is foolish to apply for a position that I know so little about.

2

You have the opportunity to learn from what I consider to be one of the great miscalculations of my career. I kept working in my “pay the bills” job while getting a master’s degree part time in another field. I must admit this did have some advantages: it paid the bills, provided health insurance, reimbursed my tuition and was a 37.5 hour week that didn’t conflict with classes. However, I could have learned my field much better had I been working in that field. People advised me to get a job in my field while I was in school, but I didn’t listen. I didn’t feel I was qualified yet. Also, I didn’t feel financially secure taking a no-benefits job like an internship or consulting. But upon reflection I think I was way too risk averse. So my advice to you is to start interviewing for every architecture-related job you can find. Even the interview process itself will be educational. If you don’t get hired, you’ll probably get some good tips about what skills to focus on, what classes will make you more marketable, etc.

3

You start looking for jobs now, while you are still in college. During the summer you look for internships at architectural or civil engineering firms. In the meantime, try to find a part time (I assume you are a full time student) job working for a company having anything to do with architecture, civil engineering, construction, drafting, landscaping, interior design or real estate.

Your goal is to find your real employer once you have your degree in hand. Until that time, you want to get whatever relevant work experience you can get in order to make yourself more attractive to an employer. If you get lucky you may find a firm while you are in school that you want to stay at after you graduate.

4

Ditto previous 2 posters, you’ve already decided to make the switch, may as well go all the way. Don’t get too caught up in having to take a pay cut, look at it as an investment in your future earnings. Also, I presume your university offers student health insurance? I’m sure it costs more that what your job offers but most likely its a perfectly good plan.

I’d also track down a few students who are in the last year of the program, and find out what kinds of jobs they had while they were in school. Should give you some good ideas of places to apply to.