I realize once you read the thread of this title, you will most likely think what I'm asking is pretty silly/rash/etc. But here goes, just looking for some sound advice.
I'm a first year in M&A - it's going okay - mediocre deal experience/etc....I've decided banking really isn't for me - maybe I was too rash in my decision making early on, but regardless here I am. Maybe the experience just isn't a good one, since I don't feel like I'm learning a ton/anything really, despite subtle mentioning to the staffer. I'm not a superstar analyst, but I'm not the worst, and have had plenty of good feedback from VPs and up,
I've always loved traveling, and traveled quite a bit throughout my life, but never had the chance to study abroad bc of the conflicts with banking internships/etc.
If I left after my first year/bonus to say take 3-5 months off to travel and volunteer (it would be across several countries, well structured, not just some hippie pipe dream), and came back....how screwed will I be?
I am fully aware of the consequences of leaving your analyst stint early, let along leaving without a true exit plan. But the reality is, this trip is something I have been thinking about for a bit now, and as cheesy as it sounds, on a personal level would be pretty fulfilling to me.
Now I'm not naive, and realize the career implications of having a "gap" or whatever on your resume, and the questions that would arise in an interview (why leave banking? could you not handle it? etc.). But I should preface that with that I would not want to go back to banking or to PE - just not for me. I have no idea what I would want to do, but something in the capacity or corporate development/anything in a strategy role would be interesting, but I do like finance (just not the insane amounts of mindless formatting).
I'm just looking for some rational thoughts really. I'm not the type-A Wharton (not a hit to Wharton, just not motivated in that kind of way) kind of person, and never jerked off to the GS/KKR/HBS path, just wanted a good, challenging experience in finance and not sure it's what I'm getting.
Maybe I'm being premature, and I think I might be, but I don't want to wake up one day realizing I spent years building models and powerpoints, and missed out on the chance to do something like this.
I understand. Unless you think you're going to die next year, just finish up your second year and take the trip.
You'll have more money and two years of work experience to hang your hat on should you decide to go to grad school or work somewhere else.
Finish your two years if you can bare it. The resume will look great and if you do the travel/volunteer thing with the money you have made, you should have some great things to talk about in interviews for the rest of your life. You won't have wasted your entire life with excel and pp... Maybe just one extra year, but that could allow you to not spend the rest of your life staring at excel models and pp presentations.
I've definitely felt the way you're feeling now, but as Cornelius suggested, try to tough it out for one more year. Traveling and volunteering post-analyst stint will actually look impressive and be much easier to explain vs. leaving early after one year to travel and volunteer. Hopefully as Y1 comes to a close, things will have gotten a bit better for you and the second year will be something you can tolerate... If it's not, then you have to look out for yourself and make the decision that makes the most sense for YOU. But bear in mind that traveling and volunteering will still be an opportunity after Y2, the same that is available after Y1 -- it is up to you to make that decision. But the chance will not be missed -- it's something you'd have to pass on.
Have you thought about getting an MBA? If you can find compelling reasons to apply to business school, I'd really recommend it. Shoot to target round 1, and then you'll find out about your acceptances in December...after which you can quit your job and use the next half year to travel.
I realize that applying to business school opens up a bunch of other considerations such as having to take on lots of debt to pay for school, but it's a much better bet than simply exiting the work force for a couple years. If you're going to travel and then consider business school, you may be better off enrolling in some work- or volunteer-abroad program, just so it looks like you were doing something to "give back" as opposed to just enjoying your leisure time. Besides, eventually you'll have to go back to work anyway since the bills don't pay for themselves...
Anyway, that's my advice. Perhaps you can offer me some advice too -- it sounds like you have given some serious thought to traveling, and you even mentioned that you'd be looking for a "structured experience" over 3-5 months. I myself am looking for work or study abroad opportunities right now; ideally, I'd like to find something in consulting or business development, but my main interest is just cultural immersion overseas. I have between now and August 2010 to basically do what I want, and although I want to travel, I'd like it to be part of an organized program or for a job. can you recommend places where I could look for such opportunities?
As a way of background, I totally understand your position -- I "grinded it out" in finance for 4-5 years, just got accepted to a top 3 MBA program for round 1 admissions, and eventually want to leave finance to go into strategy or management after an MBA. If anyone here has suggestions for interesting things to do abroad, please let me know. Thanks!
Get an MBA? Wouldn't the problem be securing recommendations from his employer since he's leaving early?
In addition, it sounds like he might have to forgo any mention of his work experience in his essays.
numi is suggesting he stick around past his Y1, apply in the fall of Y2 (thus getting recs from his MDs while stile working), and then quitting after he gains acceptance to an MBA program.
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