miwashi, can I ask how old are you now? once you hit mid-thirties, changing career without a big pay cut is almost impossible. do bear that in mind and be realistic in your search.

this is why i'm saving up in a bid to strike out on my own soon. working for others just entails too much personal risk, more so than striking out in my opinion. though i'm making comfortable pay now, i'm not sure if this will still be the case 3 years from now, and i may have to take on more nonsense (read: sh*t) from others. i don't want to wait till i'm worthless before striking out.

when i look around me, the older people here, if they are still in low to mid levels, have to ensure abuse (white collar kind) and lower their pride just to earn that monthly pay. they've totally lost their ideals and ambitions. they just work for money, to sustain the lifestyle of their families. it's pretty meaningless survival. people in management are also not spared - they may suffer bad fate should they get a nasty boss who's keen on "restructuring" and "re-engineering" and "rejuvenating".