u/CheeseCake_Penguin

I’m a 29-year-old man and feel like I’ve accidentally got myself into a career corner.

I have a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master's degree in Engineering Economics and Management. Early in my career, I worked as an electrical design engineer. After graduation, I joined a large biotech corporation.

I started there as a technician repairing basic laboratory equipment. Over time, I was promoted to a Project Engineer role. I spent several years leading teams, planning work, managing KPIs and milestones, coordinating activities, handling documentation, and generally driving projects forward. While it wasn't a formal Project Manager title, it was the closest I had been to the type of work I wanted to do in the long term.

Eventually, I decided I wanted to move further into project management. Unfortunately, there was no opportunity to switch to project management inside the company. An opportunity came up in production planning, and I convinced myself it would be somewhat similar and could help me move toward project management later.

Fast forward a few years, and I was completely wrong.

Production planning turned out to be nothing like project management, and I now find myself in a position that feels like a dead end. The frustrating part is that I earn roughly the same salary as experienced Project Managers in my area and have excellent corporate benefits. On paper, it's a great job. In reality, I don't enjoy the work at all. Some days, I would even say I hate it.

At the beginning of this year, I finally decided enough was enough. I completed project management training and started actively looking for Project Manager positions. The problem is that employers either:

1. Want candidates with direct Project Manager experience, or
2. Are willing to hire me only if I accept a 20–25% pay cut.

I have a mortgage, and I'm currently saving money to buy a larger home for my family, so taking a significant salary reduction doesn't sound like an option.

Now I feel stuck between two bad choices:

• Stay in a well-paid job that I dislike, and that offers limited future growth.
• Take a major pay cut to get back onto the career path I actually want.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? How did you break out of it?

I’m a 29-year-old man and feel like I’ve accidentally got myself into a career corner.

I have a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and a Master's degree in Engineering Economics and Management. Early in my career, I worked as an electrical design engineer. After graduation, I joined a large biotech corporation.

I started there as a technician repairing basic laboratory equipment. Over time, I was promoted to a Project Engineer role. I spent several years leading teams, planning work, managing KPIs and milestones, coordinating activities, handling documentation, and generally driving projects forward. While it wasn't a formal Project Manager title, it was the closest I had been to the type of work I wanted to do in the long term.

Eventually, I decided I wanted to move further into project management. Unfortunately, there was no opportunity to switch to project management inside the company. An opportunity came up in production planning, and I convinced myself it would be somewhat similar and could help me move toward project management later.

Fast forward a few years, and I was completely wrong.

Production planning turned out to be nothing like project management, and I now find myself in a position that feels like a dead end. The frustrating part is that I earn roughly the same salary as experienced Project Managers in my area and have excellent corporate benefits. On paper, it's a great job. In reality, I don't enjoy the work at all. Some days, I would even say I hate it.

At the beginning of this year, I finally decided enough was enough. I completed project management training and started actively looking for Project Manager positions. The problem is that employers either:

1. Want candidates with direct Project Manager experience, or
2. Are willing to hire me only if I accept a 20–25% pay cut.

I have a mortgage, and I'm currently saving money to buy a larger home for my family, so taking a significant salary reduction doesn't sound like an option.

Now I feel stuck between two bad choices:

• Stay in a well-paid job that I dislike and that offers limited future growth.
• Take a major pay cut to get back onto the career path I actually want.

Has anyone been in a similar situation? How did you break out of it?