8 People Who Changed Careers and Achieved Great Success

Whether you’re considering quitting your job to another one, exploring a new industry or restarting your career in a completely different field, a career change could be hugely rewarding, leading you to opportunities that allow you to grow exponentially and pursue your passions.

Here are 8 inspiring individuals who took the courageous step to achieve great successes.

1. Jeff Bezos: The Path of Least Regret

In 1994, Bezos read that the web had grown 2,300% in one year. Astounded by the figure, he wanted to take advantage of the rapid growth of the technology and decided that he should start with selling books online. Despite having a great job as a senior vice president at Wall Street hedge fund, Bezos decided to leave his then career to start a new venture.

This decision came as a shock to his boss, who took him for a 2-hour walk to persuade Bezos to stay. It was during this time that Bezos thoughtfully deliberated his choices with the regret minimisation framework, where he asked himself, “Will I regret this not making the leap when I’m 80?” He arrived at the conclusion that he would rather attempt the ‘crazy idea’ and failing, than to not try at all. Thus, Amazon.com was founded.

2. Khairy Jamaluddin: Going Full Circle

Before becoming one of the most influential figures in Malaysian politics, Khairy – affectionately known by his initials KJ – worked as a journalist and presenter for current affairs talk show Dateline Malaysia. At one point, the former Health Minister was also working at The Economist. His transition into politics began when he was appointed chief private secretary by the fifth Prime Minister of Malay Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. He eventually a Member of Parliament and a politician reputed for his astuteness and charisma.

Despite losing in the 2022 General Elections, Khairy’s popularity remains. In January 2023, a renowned radio station publicly made an offer for him to join their ranks as a prime time show host. He graciously accepted the opportunity. Returning to the media industry, he’s set to continuing making waves in society as DJ KJ.

3. Sheryl Sandberg: From Washington DC to Silicon Valley

Best known for her tenure at Facebook as Chief Operations Officer (COO) and for her bestselling book ‘Lean In’, Sandberg has also accomplished the impressive feat of breaking into the tech industry with zero tech experience.

When she decided to make the pivot, Sandberg was working as chief of staff to Treasury Secretary Larry Summers. While she did not have any background in tech, she held her decision to leave politics and move to Silicon Valley in search for new pastures. Sandberg’s transition to Silicon Valley got off to a bumpy start, as she faced one rejection after another, due to her career background. However, that did not discourage her from following through with her decision. After 10 months, she got an offer from Google, where she helped build Google's AdWords and AdSense platforms. In 2008, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg was poaching top talent from Google and hired Sheryl Sandberg as his COO.

4. Dr Jason Leong: Passion is No Laughing Matter

Leong had always had the reputation of having quick wit and being the class clown. Despite his talent, he chose to become a doctor for it the nobility and perceived prestige of the medical profession. However, he remained close to his passion in comedy – no matter where he was practicing at.

In fact, he literally went the distance on the evening his career was kickstarted. Based in Penang then, Leong drove to Kuala Lumpur to perform at Time Out KL’s open mic night. There, a figurehead in Malaysian comedy Douglas Lim noticed Leong’s talent and offered him to join a comedy group alongside several other budding comics. Eventually, at his wife’s encouragement, he took the leap to become a full-time comedian in 2010.

Since then, Leong has gone on to achieve feats such as being the first Malaysian to win the annual Hong Kong International Comedy Competition. He’s also the first Malaysian to have performed a full professional set at the landmark comedy venue in Hollywood and New York. Now, he’s also got 2 comedy specials on Netflix!

5. Gordon Ramsay: Kickstarted by an Injury

Ramsay hadn’t always dreamt of becoming one of the world’s most recognizable celebrity chefs. As a young man, Ramsay had always pictured his life as a professional footballer. He showed such promising talent on the pitch, that he was scouted by his favourite club at the age of 15. Alas, a knee injury prematurely cut short his sports career.

Following the turn of events, he went back to school and enrolled in a hotel management course. Despite starting anew, his fiery dedication and talent also shone in the culinary world. Upon graduating, he underwent several apprenticeships, training under some of the world’s leading chefs. He went on to receive prestigious awards, garner Michelin stars, and make TV appearances. This led him expand his business into restaurant groups, recipe publications, and even his own independent production company!

6. Loi Tuan Ee: Career Moo-ve that Paid Off

Prior to starting The Holstein Milk Company and its subsidiary brand Farm Fresh in 2008, Loi had spent over 20 years in the food packaging industry, rising to senior positions. At one point, he was earning approximately RM500,000 (US$119,489) a year! However, he wasn’t satisfied and felt that he was hitting a ceiling with regards to what he could achieve.

Partly driven by his passion for sustainable agriculture, Loi left his cushy corporate job at the age of 42 to start a dairy farm. His drastic career change was met with scepticism and concern from people around him. Despite that, he took the risk and imported 60 Holstein Jersey cows from Australia. He also literally had to roll up his sleeves and get his hand dirty during the initial days of the farm. Today, the dairy farm has grown to be one of the biggest and fastest-growing dairy companies in Malaysia.

7. Jackson Wang: Pursuit of a Lifelong Dream

Hailing from a sports family, the Hong-Kong born was on the road to becoming an Olympian. His mother was a world champion gymnast, and his father is an Asian Game gold medallist in fencing. At 16, It’s no surprise when Wang became an Olympic-level saber fencer with Hong Kong’s official junior fencing team at the age of 16. While preparing for the 2012 London Olympics, he was offered a scholarship to attend Stanford University!

In 2010, a representative of South Korean talent agency JYP Entertainment invited him to participate in the global auditions in Kowloon. Wang passed the audition, and the rest was history. Instead of going to an Ivy League university or the Olympics, he relocated to South Korea to pursue his lifelong dream of becoming a performer. Wang realized that his passion was in singing and he didn’t want to have any regrets, despite his parents initially doubting his drastic career change.

After spending 2.5 years as a trainee at JYP, he stepped into his career as part of K-pop boy band GOT7. Since then, he has gone on to start his own record label Team Wang and built a wildly successful solo career with chart-topping tracks and successful world tours.

8. Hannah Yeoh: The Accidental Politician

Yeoh never thought she’d be back in Malaysia, much less becoming a member of Parliament or a government minister. Yeoh started her legal career as a junior lawyer in Tasmania, but circumstances led her back to Malaysia. She continued working as a lawyer for 3 years, after which she worked as an event manager. Through a series of events, she was nominated as a candidate for the Subang Jaya seat during the 2008 General Elections – and she won.

Yeoh rose to become a prominent figure in Malaysian politics and was re-elected in subsequent general elections. She also made history in 2013 when she was sworn in as the youngest and Malaysia’s first woman speaker for the Selangor State Assembly. At the time of writing, she is serving as the Minister of Youth and Sports.

The stories of these inspiring individuals demonstrate that changing careers helped them achieve a fulfilling, meaningful career, regardless of circumstances. While the journey of changing careers may be arduous, we have seen how these people have grown to excel in their new careers.

On top of having a growth mindset that lends strength to resilience and joy, one should also be armed with a career change action plan that’s been well thought out with all risks considered. You can read more about it here.

You have the power to craft and shape the career that you want. These days, you could even find work from home jobs and not be bound by geographical limits! When we approach our career paths with an open mind and a practical approach, a world of possibilities opens to us.

If you need career advice or want to learn the ins and outs of the job market, visit JobStreet’s Career Advice page here. Check out insights, career tools and expert advice as you explore career options that match your interests and skills.