How to make a career change into your dream job (without going broke)

Have you ever felt this desire to start pursuing a side hustle you are passionate about, but you are so drained from your current job that it doesn’t seem remotely possible?

That your job requires you to be “on” all the time and sucks up so much of your time and energy that you don’t have motivation to do much of anything when you get home except lay on the couch. 

You want to just quit your job and go all in on your dreams, but at the same time, you need a source of income to make ends meet. So basically you feel stuck. Trapped in this job as a mere means of survival. 

I get it. I have totally been there. And here is my best advice for what to do in that situation:

Get a bridge job.

Why I got a bridge job

Let me explain a little further.

When I was making my pivot (or escape) out of my career in medicine, I had this little inkling of an idea that I wanted to be a life coach.

I had no idea if that was realistic or what it entailed, but I knew I wanted to start leaning into my own personal growth and spirituality and helping others do the same. The biggest problem I came upon was… how was I going to make money doing any of that? Was that even a possibility?

After doing some research, I learned that it would require me building an online business, acquiring my own clients and would take a runway of at least 1-2 years to start making money from my coaching.  Yes, that sounded like a long time, but it didn’t deter me from this path. I simply decided that I needed a way to make money in the meantime.

I needed a way to make money while I was building up this side hustle I was passionate about.

Staying in medicine solely for the purpose of making money was not an option. The work in medicine was too all-consuming and overwhelming. The hours were too long. It required too much of my time and energy and left me without any real reserve to dedicate to building a business.

Living off of my savings while I built up my coaching business was also not an option. Because…. I didn’t have any savings. (Sorry Dad, all of that Dave Ramsey stuff didn’t quite pay off).

I decided to get a bridge job teaching English as a second language, and here are all the honest reasons why.

What are the qualities of a good bridge job

It was a relatively “easy” job that didn’t require much energy from me. I didn’t have to take my work home with me or worry about anything once I left the school. To be clear, I do not think that teaching in general is an easy job. No way. Teaching english as a second language in a foreign country is MUCH different than most teaching gigs.

I didn’t have to deal with grading, making tests or any of type of assessments/ evaluations.

I didn’t have to deal with behavioral issues or classroom management because I didn’t speak the language. I had a co-teacher available to help me with all of that.

I only taught 22 hours of classes per week, and several of them were repeat classes. Meaning I only had to make one lesson plan that I could utilize multiple times. I had to be physically present at the school from 8:30am-4:30pm Monday- Friday, but when I got home around 5 pm I was completely free to work on my side hustle several nights a week.

Once I got really good and efficient at lesson planning, I could even spend several hours while at school working on my side hustle. 

I was able to earn a full-time salary with medical benefits and even had free housing. Having all of these safety nets helped me feel some semblance of safety and security as I ventured into the unknown.

Basically, having this bridge job gave me a way to cover all of my living expenses while still allowing me plenty of time and energy to work on my side hustle.

Who needs to get a bridge job?

So how do you know if you should get a bridge job? Here are some things to consider.

If you want to start building up a side hustle you are passionate about, but your current job is so draining and time consuming it’s not possible to motivate yourself to do anything else, you should consider getting a bridge job.

Maybe the work environment in your current job is toxic in some way. It could be from the people you are surrounded with or the job requirements themselves. 

Maybe you have too much responsibility in your current job. You are working in a high level position as a manager or something and you have to be “on” all the time.

Another reason to get a bridge job is that you need a bit of a runway before your side hustle/ passion becomes profitable. Maybe you are wanting to build up a business as a coach or a freelance artist or become a published author. Whatever it is, you know that the thing you really love and want to turn into your career eventually is going to take time to grow. You don’t want to put too much pressure on this passion of yours and consequently suffocate it.

How to start looking for a bridge job

Before you start mindlessly scrolling job boards, do some self reflection to gain clarity. First ask yourself “what do you need?”

Do you need more time only? Or do you need to be in an entirely new position/ environment that is draining less of your energy. If you just need more time, is it possible to strike up a deal to go part time at your current job? If going part time isn’t possible or wouldn’t fix the problem, then get clear on what else you need.

Financially speaking- how much money do you actually need to make per month to cover your living costs? Are there ways you could save on living costs while you pursue your dreams? Could you move in with friends or family and live rent free? Could you get a roommate to lower your living costs? Could you live in a foreign country where the cost of living is reduced?

Energy wise- what type of tasks are easy enough to do that won’t drain your energy? This is different for everyone. Teaching was wonderful for me, because I didn’t have to use much of my creativity or brain power to play English games all day. I could go on autopilot for most of the day and still have plenty of energy to work on my coaching biz when I got home.

For some people who are more introverted, teaching may not be a good fit because it may require too much of your energy to be ON all the time. So be honest with yourself and get clear on what type of tasks you could do with minimal energetic exertion.

Skills wise- what skills do you already have that you could easily and quickly monetize? Are you a good writer or editor and could use those skills to land some copywriting jobs? Are you a pro at keeping things organized and could use those skills to make an excellent administrative assistant either virtually or in person.

Once you have clarity around all these different questions you will have an idea on what types of bridge job you are looking for and can get started with the actual job hunt.


So if you are feeling stuck and trapped in a job that is draining all of your energy, and want to find a way out, my advice is to consider getting a bridge job. A job that will provide you with financial security while still leaving you with plenty of time and energy to pursue your dreams.

What kind of bridge job would you like to find? Comment below and share?

2 thoughts on “How to make a career change into your dream job (without going broke)

  1. I’d love a bridge job that allowed me to be home / free to travel as I can. Having kiddos in school makes it tough to wander but I’d love something that connected me to a community, paid the bills and left me plenty of time for my coaching biz. Great article Chels!!

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