Career and Identity Crisis

[Garett Biondo]

Hey BP community. I come to you with a predicament that I'm hoping to get some outside perspective on. I'm a structural engineer with zero passion for my current career path. The only reason I studied engineering was because my strength in grade school was math and I didn't really know what I wanted to do. It wasn't until a little over a year ago when I discovered BP that I realized what I want to be and that is a full-time real estate investor.

I have consumed a lot of pages and podcasts in the past year so I know how helpful it is to have a high-paying W2 to fast-track your way to FI. An engineering career path can provide that, but it requires a PE license and quite a bit of experience. I'm at the stage in my career where there is pressure to study for and take the PE exam. However, I feel like I'm living a lie working in a field that makes me unhappy just because it'll provide me stable and sufficient income to invest in RE. Also, if i do get my license, it would feel like a waste of time and money when I jump into this thing full time. I'm at a crossroads and I want to follow the path that rewards me with both enjoyment and the tools necessary to become a successful investor. If you were in my shoes, would you switch to a career within the real estate industry due to your passion in REI? If so, what occupation would make the most sense? Or would you stick with engineering and invest until you can quit when you hit FI?

I really appreciate any suggestions/guidance you can think of!

- Garett B.

[Scott E.]

I struggled with the same identity crisis when I worked in Corporate America. It started at the age of 25, and I didn't end up leaving until the age of 35.

During that window of time I invested in real estate mornings, evenings, and weekends. I made a bunch of money, saved a bunch of money, and got myself mentally comfortable with the idea of "leaving the rat race" to pursue real estate full time.

I'm not saying that you should stay in your engineering job for another 10 years, but you should definitely get some investing experience under your belt before you leave.

In the meantime, learn to love your job. I made a point to appreciate my coworkers, my team, my salary, my benefits, and the routines that came with working a job in Corporate America. That made it to where I didn't make a rash decision to leave before the time was right.