Further education architect, fully qualified lawyer,...

If you have different suggestions and impulses besides my ideas... feel free.

Yes. First of all, (expertly) analyze what is really holding you back. You will need 10 years or more if you want to completely reorient yourself to regain your current salary level. Until then, money will be tight, and you won’t be creditworthy either. That needs to be well thought out.

Otherwise, even in IT, I can only strongly advise leaving the corporate world (but also here: first research what really bothers you). Move to the mid-sized sector. Maybe even the public sector, where the money is admittedly even worse, but you get a 40-hour week, regulated vacation, no calls at 10 p.m. I recently saw a job ad, I think Caritas or something, looking for IT management. They don’t pay well (it even said so in the ad), but they advertise "purpose." It is actually more satisfying when you know what you are working for and can see an impact, instead of improving KPI X from 0.4 to 0.3.

For me, I can only say, once corporate, never again.

Impression: You are currently very dissatisfied and want to get as far away from your environment as possible. You also tie this to the topic of "IT." At the same time, you don't have a genuine heartfelt desire, otherwise you wouldn't come up with these different alternatives. Experience (several drastic changes in professional life): The feeling of life does not sustainably improve by fleeing from an unsatisfactory work situation. You always take yourself along and thus also a part of the problem. Changing the framework conditions alone is not enough. Dealing with your own life goals, strengths, weaknesses, talents, and interests before a drastic change—whether in the field of tasks, industry, or both—is critical to success. The feeling of life only sustainably improves by moving toward your own life goals. It makes sense to know these first of all—and they can change depending on the phase of life. Every change carries financial risks, which can be very differently stressful for people, and having a built-up cushion helps to stay calm. I made my last drastic change 2.5 years ago, as the sole breadwinner and in the middle of starting to build a house. I needed a physical wake-up call. Then I mutually agreed with my employer to stop and prioritized the house construction and working out my own goals—I wanted to do something socially meaningful. What I now earn as a self-employed person in half a year, I earned in a month at my best times. So what, this is not a race—if it is enough, it is enough. Cautious advice: Find out what moves you positively—not exactly what you want to do, but what you associate with it and what meaning it has for you. A sign that you are ready for the change is when the thoughts of your goals occupy you more than the reasons for escape. Chances in the job market: Whoever does what they want, radiates personal maturity and can appear very clear and recognizable, will find their place even at 50 or 60. Such a person is not the statistical average and does not have to measure themselves against the statistical average chance.

Regarding architecture, I could imagine going in the direction of expert or construction manager. [...] As an architect, I would certainly enjoy the building permit planning, but whether I would do the detailed planning well.... I don't know yet ;-)

To me, that clearly reads like a contradiction: a construction manager operates in the practice of detailed planning, so why would you not want the detailed planning in theory? Permit planning is basically conceptual planning plus drainage planning, translated into IT means "turn on the printer," and you’re just sliding into the next bore-out ;-)

For me, I can only say once in a corporation and never again.

My husband is like that too. But many things are similar in the authorities (me). The latter has the advantage that you are not under the pressure that is put on you in a corporation. You have a different pressure.
But many comparisons are similar, employees, team leaders, hierarchy... there are always cases where a colleague dies in the restroom, heart attack or a similar occupational disease. Is it corporation-related?!

Sometimes I think a job with less responsibility plus a side job on €450 at the bakery or the supermarket around the corner is more balanced and nicer than such a lousy team leader position where you even get praised.


Administrative employees can also be found at the police, also in the interesting jobs.

Whoever does what he wants, emanating personal maturity and can therefore appear very clear and recognizable, will find his place even at 50 or 60.

That sounds easy. I don’t believe in that. As a commercial employee with qualifications and professional experience (also within a corporation) you will very hardly find a job at 50+. That is the experience of former colleagues of my husband who have accepted this. That calculation does not work at the moment.

My opinion: Administration, commercial employees, media, marketing, IT, medical assistants, etc.: all professions where companies can be exchanged and can contribute a lot to inner satisfaction.

Would there possibly be something in the current company that you could work towards? Investing another 5-8 years in further education at 36, only to start completely from scratch in terms of salary and skills, certainly won’t make things easier.

In 2017, I accepted a severance payment and changed employers.

About a year ago, my dissatisfaction also began. This time, however, I didn’t want to change employers and started to inquire who might be retiring in the next 1-2 years and whether there was something that might interest me.

I learned that a colleague is retiring in February 22. His job interests me a lot and is within my area of interest.

I then enrolled in further education to learn certain basic skills and completed it in Dec. 20.

Two months ago, I went to the HR department and told them that I would like to change my career but want to stay with my employer; I mentioned that I had completed further education and presented my certificate of completion.

The HR manager said she would consider it and get back to me.

Last week, I met her in the office (we currently have a lot of remote work) and she asked me if I could imagine taking over the position of the colleague who is retiring soon ;)

Currently, the request for transfer is awaiting a decision by our managing director..

That's easy to say. I don't believe in it.

That's just as easy to say as "not believing in it."
The question is what you risk. I didn't believe I could maintain my health if I had stayed. The financial issue took a very backseat.

Some people prefer the stable security of a bad situation and feel threatened by change.
Some people prefer the risk of change and feel threatened by the stability of the bad situation.

Either way - no situation for cowards. I wish the OP all the best. At mid-30s, everything is still possible. I believe in that.