I am always overly stressed and anxious. Can’tkeep up with all the tasks at hand, inefficient, also feel like not understanding things fast enough. I feel like I’m rui my career.
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Well you still have 1 year of IB experience which is helpful to make the move back if that is what you want; are you speaking to recruiters about wanting to go back? You're also at the beginning of your career so even if you need to work in an adjacent industry and then pivot back, a few years is not long in a lifetime. More importantly address the causes of stress and anxiety (be it lifestyle changes, speaking to a doctor, etc) so that you can strive when you're back in a seat.
I don’t feel I have the relevant skillset and in this job market no firms are looking to take a non traditional hire
There is SO much cool shit to do these days, the job market is just shitty for a bit
You haven’t ruined your life, you’ve given your career head start and have some direction.
At your age, don’t worry about the money as much as trajectory. Figure out what sounds cool to be doing in 5, 10 years, shoot for that. This could be a wonderful time in life. most people who did IB feel we wasted our 20s working, you have a choice not to.
Above all, you need to understand that life isn’t linear. It rewards people who don’t give up. There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with achievement later in life. The reality is we are all trying to set up good 40s-50s. Not 20s ane 30s.
You got this man, be proud of what you’ve done, acknowledge you walked away when most just suffer, now harness that same drive and focus it into what you like.
DMs are open, don’t you dare do anything stupid. It’s just work.
I feel I was too naive and green
Ok, well you have a leg up on a lot of people trying to break in.
call it taking a step back. If markets flip (keep in mind, deal flow has been tepid for many groups, not a good time to recruit for anyone), apply. If not then start grinding for the mba route.
Grinding out hard work is good for the soul
I'm not in your head, but I worry you're overestimating your desire to pursue finance. What caused your initial anxiety and what has changed to prevent it from happening again? It sounds like burn out, which is nothing to be ashamed of. I left finance and never looked back.
If you want to go back, there are options, but have you tried looking into start ups? BizOps? StratOps? You can start out making six figures (not as much IB but still a nice salary) and you can work your way up to $250-300k, probably more in the long term.
My burnout kicked in year 2 and progressed heavily into year 4 until I essentially started quiet quitting and then pulled myself out completely. There are financially lucrative options out there.
But I feel like mine was burn out from not understanding the basics or how to do the work not burn out from the hours. I was just so busy I didn’t have time to learn
You're not alone in feeling overwhelmed—many people hit moments where the pressure feels like too much. It doesn’t mean you're failing; it means you're human.
Your worth isn’t defined by how fast you learn or how many tasks you complete in a day. Growth isn't linear, and everyone moves at their own pace.
Feeling anxious or inefficient doesn’t mean you're not capable—it just means you might need space, support, or a better system. Those can be figured out.
It’s okay to struggle. You’re not ruining your career—you’re learning through challenges, and every successful person has felt what you’re feeling now.
Take a breath. You’ve come this far, and that says a lot. You don’t need to fix everything overnight—you just need to keep moving forward, one step at a time.
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