Quitting as 1st year / before background check?

Hi, currently a 1st year here at a BB. Been having a lot of trouble in my group with mental health due to group culture. I got a lateral offer for a corpdev role, and will have to wait ~2-6 weeks for the background check to clear. I am currently on a few projects with generally difficult teams / feel like I keep getting pounded by the staffer, which makes me want to give my 2 weeks now rather than waiting for the background check to clear. 

My question is whether that's totally crazy, and if so, what are some ways to manage the next month or so? Feel like I'm at a breaking point.

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Don’t quit before the background check. I did that once and it was the most stressful experience. There is always a tiny chance the background check brings trouble or they pull your offer for another reason during this time period.

I know it’s a very small chance you don’t pass the background check, almost infinitesimal. But no need to add risk to your life. There is zero upside to quitting before your offer is official.

If you’ve reached a breaking point, email your staffer and tell him you have severe food poisoning and are going into the hospital for a few days as a precautionary measure. Then you have a reason to not respond for awhile and buy yourself time until your offer is official.

 

If you really, really can't do anything, do the absolute bare minimum. Literally sit down at your computer and move your mouse around and do nothing else if that's what that means. Then, when your offer is close to official, take a few days off before, and on your first day back say you're leaving and just walk out. 

Smoke Frog is exactly right

 

Second this... even if you feel your issue are limited to unique group culture issues, your new bank will surely have its own problems, IB will still ruin your mental health, and then you have 2 short stints on your resume. Corp dev or corp fin might be a better alternative.

If you're at a complete breaking point it might be better to ask HR for a long unpaid leave (1 month or more) and figure out what the best next step is for you, not just pulling the trigger on the first thing that gets you the f out of there. 

 

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