I got a degree in engineering physics and worked as an electrical engineer for a few years. My own existential crisis prompted me to quit that 10 years ago and I never went back. In that time I've lived very frugally and I worked at a small diner, as a janitor at a ski resort, doing construction, etc.

Don't be ashamed. Honestly, it's a good filter; if someone thinks my worth is tied that closely to my job, it tells me they've bought into a hierarchical value system that kind of grosses me out so it's no big loss if they don't want to get to know me.

It's easy for me to spend my days sitting around on a screen at home alone to the point that it's unhealthy, so I find that it works out very well for me to have a job that forces me to be physically active and part of a team, learning practical skills. A job where I'm not spending my evenings stressing about deadlines or presentations and I don't have to pretend to be anything I'm not.

All that to say, I think your path is totally valid, and I've heard it's very common for pastors to stay in their jobs even when they're uncomfortable with it because they don't think they have any other job skills. But there is plenty of work out there that anyone can succeed at if they have good soft skills, willingness to learn, and a decent work ethic. So I think it's great that you followed your intuition and made that switch.