29 years old, accountant and I can’t take it anymore – I want a complete career change

Hi everyone,

I’m 29 years old and currently working as an accountant in Belgium. I earn around €3,000 net per month, so financially I really can’t complain. The problem is that I genuinely can’t stand working in accounting anymore.

For a while now, I’ve been seriously considering a complete career change. I’m particularly interested in becoming a prison officer or a police security officer (BAGP).

I want to make it clear that money is absolutely not the reason why I want to change careers. On the contrary, I’m willing to take a pay cut if it means doing a job that suits me better.

The problem is my monthly expenses. Realistically, I need to earn at least around €2,600 net per month, including shift allowances, in order to comfortably cover all my expenses.

I recently spoke to a former prison officer who told me that he started at around €2,500–€2,600 net + meal vouchers, and that with night and weekend shifts, it was possible to earn €3,000 net or even more. That made me seriously consider this career path.

I don’t mind working nights, weekends or public holidays. What I’m mainly looking for is a job that is less sedentary, less office-based, and where every day isn’t exactly the same.

Has anyone here made a similar career change, especially from an office job?

And for anyone currently working or who has previously worked as a prison officer or BAGP, is €2,600 net per month realistically achievable from the beginning, including allowances? And after a few years, is earning around €3,000 net per month realistic?

I know leaving a €3,000 net office job might sound strange to some people, but I’ve reached a point where the salary alone is no longer enough to make me stay in a career I don’t enjoy.

Thanks in advance for any advice or personal experiences!