(UK) Should I stay at big four job or do a psychology conversion and chase clinical psychology at 24 F? HELP!
Am I stupid for leaving a Big Four job to chase clinical psychology?
I’ve just turned 24 (F) and currently an assistant manager at a Big Four firm in financial controls testing. Good salary, stable career, but honestly I don’t enjoy it and can’t see myself doing it long term.
I’ve just accepted an offer for the University of Edinburgh’s Psychology of Mental Health conversion master’s. My long-term goal would be becoming a clinical psychologist via the DClinPsych route.
The problem is I know how competitive clinical psychology is in the UK. There’s a real chance I could leave a secure career, spend years retraining, and still never get onto the doctorate.
I’m also still within my cooling-off period for another week, so I can still withdraw from the course offer - which is making me spiral a bit over whether I’m making a huge mistake.
I feel completely stuck between:
1. staying in a stable career I don’t enjoy
2. or risking everything for something I genuinely care about
Has anyone made a similar switch?
Would you take the risk?
Or is this genuinely a bad idea?
Please be brutally honest rather than just reassuring me! Thank you
TL;DR: UK** **24-year-old Big Four assistant manager accepted into Edinburgh’s psychology conversion master’s, but scared of leaving a stable career for the very competitive clinical psychology path. Unsure whether to take the risk or withdraw during cooling-off period.