After business school, I joined a consulting company where I’ve gotten to work on some “large” projects. For a while, I felt ambitious and pushed for promotion, etc. Lately, I feel so disconnected. The work feels pointless and not challenging in the right way (more people issues than mental stimulation). I’m a bit lost at what’s next.
Most exits are just other corporate positions where I probably won’t get paid as much. My dream job (teaching university) seems out of reach (no PhD, and adjunct hardly pays). And to some degree, I feel like I’ve lost my ambition. I have no desire to climb the corporate ladder and frankly I would be fine sitting around, doing nothing. Not sure if this is because I’ve gotten financially stable, gotten older, or this is just me now haha
I’m planning to quit later this year and take a few month off. Nothing planned. Just wanted to ask folks here who have had a similar experience, did taking time off help? Where did you go next?
Comments
Please do not delete your post after receiving your answer. Consider leaving it up for posterity so that other Redditors can benefit from the wisdom in this thread.
Once your thread has run its course, instead of deleting it, you can simply type “!lock” (without the quotes) as a comment anywhere in your thread to have our Automod lock the thread. That way you won’t be bothered by anymore replies on it, but people can still read it.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
I left my successful sales career in 2021, tooka year off from working and then went back to the service industry
Been back in restaurants for a few years now and dont ever plan to go back
Making $50-60K with wayyy less stress and can take off whenever I want, no phone calls, emails, or unproductive meetings
Some days I miss the extra income but needs are all met and Im happy
Lots of teaching professor gigs that will pay 60-100k with a masters.
I left sales to start my own pressure washing company. Ive made over a million
I quit my job and pursued investing. Was exciting and exhilarating. Now I miss the comfort it brought. Good luck with your choice. At this rate I am making 50k a year trading. I trust I get better.
You can’t figure out what’s next until you figure out what’s broken.
I was very close to walking away from the Army until I realized it was my position, not the Army, that was the problem. (Massive oversimplification but this is Reddit).
Whatever you do, don’t blow up your life just because the grass looks greener elsewhere. If you’re financially stable, that’s great, but that’s not “financially independent.” Don’t confuse the two.
Honestly if reads to me a bit like a classic “golden handcuffs” situation, like what you really want is for the work to feel meaningful or challenging in the right way but you have adapted to it not feeling that way, so you are basically just there for the paycheck, so you feel demotivated and why not just minimize your efforts at that point (okay doing nothing), and you don’t want to consider a lower paying option because it would remove the pay that you have been valuing (the thing that’s probably been keeping you there for a while). It sounds like an opportunity to do some soul searching on what might feel meaningful or properly challenging to you. It’s noteworthy that you feel you have reached financial security now but still don’t want to take a pay cut — is that pay what you really value now or is that just what you are in the habit of valuing? Maybe it is more prudent to just coast but it doesn’t sound like that’s what you really want.
I left a corporate project management position to start my own web development company 18 years ago. The work is not easy. It takes a lot of brain power, focus, and time management. And I still have a lot of corporate clients. But I’ve done well with it, and it’s 100x more rewarding than working for someone else. Nothing ever feels pointless, because if it’s pointless I just don’t participate.
If you can do it in a way that provides stability, nothing compares to owning your own business.
I went into teaching and took a secondary education position as a jumping off point while I worked on the require schooling.
Honestly, probably sticking with it, if you can be comfortable on 55-70 a year? It’s pretty awesome
I’m in consulting. One of my direct reports is a bit older than you but just announced they’re taking a break. No job in sight – going to actually enjoy being themselves for a few months.
Consulting – especially top firms – can be very tough and time consuming. Our culture can lead to burnout.
If I was your leader, even if you were on my team, I’d encourage you to take a break.
*I’ve realized my focus on people makes me not fit in…but I’ll manage that in my own time!
I feel like this is common in consulting/corporate careers. People reach a certain “peak” and then are a bit confused in how to manage life after the peak.
I think now is a good time to do some soul searching and more research into what you really want to do. You have a lot of options especially with your experience in consulting. I wouldn’t harp on salary too much. Do you want to go into banking? Tech? Non-profit? Maybe go into teaching or change careers. Maybe take some time off and re-evaluate.
You can do literally whatever you want.
I don’t have the next part figured out yet – but after 13 years, I’m taking some time off to take care of myself and spend time with my children!
I’m loving it so far and excited for the endless possibilities in the near future.
But for now, I’m just living the moment and really grateful for the opportunity to slow down!
I ended up going back to school and became a psych RN. I was depressed in my 20’s and finally acceped that more money didn’t personally make me happy and just took a chance for my own mental health. The world felt so small before because I thought that was my only path, but once you veer off you’ll never go back IMO.