Quitting for travel break?
Ignore title - I’m 3 years deep into IB at a MM in New York (25M).
I have mixed feelings about what I do. Team is pretty good, hours are average to other banks, and comp is market. I’ve always had the travel bug, and am worried that if I never satiate it now, I never will. Of course I want to start a family and have a career in the future, but I strongly want to avoid regretting this opportunity when I’m older and kick myself for not taking advantage of my youth, energy, and fortunately, money to do so (a couple bonuses deep).
**The question**: has anyone taken a break to travel for 3 months+? What’s it like? Was it worth it? Did you regret it (surely seldom responses agreeing), or did it spur you into a different career path?
For further context, I’m not set on IB. I don’t love it, and don’t see myself as a career banker. The stress, pressure, and hours are not traits I find mesh-able with who I am as a person. I’m not trying to avoid responsibilities, just trying to satiate a bug I’ve always had given my parents had a similar experience. Although I have had numerous travel experiences while in college and two fortunate abroad vacations while working, I’m curious if prolonged travel was worth it career wise.
Very much looking forward to seeing responses and thoughts
Taking a travel break can be a transformative experience, but it comes with trade-offs. Based on the most helpful WSO content, here are some key insights to consider:
1. Personal Development vs. Professional Impact
2. Regrets and Realizations
3. Practical Considerations
4. Alternatives to Full-Time Travel
If you’re hesitant about a prolonged break, consider alternatives: - Remote Work: Some WSO users suggest finding a remote job with flexible hours, allowing you to travel while maintaining income and professional continuity. - Shorter Sabbatical: A 3-6 month break might strike a balance between satisfying your travel bug and minimizing career disruption.
Final Thoughts
If you’re not passionate about IB and see this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, it’s worth considering. As one WSO user put it, "You’ll think you’re missing out on life in the States, but you’re not. Stay over there as long as you can." Just ensure you have a clear plan for what comes next, whether it’s returning to finance or exploring a new path.
Sources: Working Abroad - Regrets/Benefits, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/job-search/oh-how-i-judge-your-cv?customgpt=1, Taking a year off from IB/PE to travel, Why Would Anyone Go Into Consulting?, Should I take a gap year before as an IBD analyst at MS?
I’m in a similar place and very strongly considering quitting post-bonus and just go until I run out of cash (100k). My parents both did a ton of travelling when they were young and it definitely hindered their careers whereas I went into banking straight away but traded my career for experiences. There’s just too much I want to see while I’m young and 1-2 weeks just isn’t enough time
The 3 things holding me back are 1) if I just do banking for 2-3 more years, I’ll double my net worth and be in a position where I could probably live off investments for the rest of my life (but then I’ll feel too old to do the whole hostel / backpacking thing), 2) I’ll probably never have a high paying job again (I won’t be up for 80 hour weeks and being micromanaged + hard to break back in), 3) life will pass me by. A lot of my friends are starting to settle down and travel friendships are transient
Couple random thoughts that cut both ways:
Granted im much younger, but i dont necessarily agree. 3 months is a tiny speck in terms of a multi decade long career, while 3 months can provide some incredibly fun and memorable experiences. i.e., if you really want to travel, 3 months will provide an outsized return for the time spent away from working.
Not sure what point I made that you're disagreeing with.
Why don’t you just ask your current firm for a sabbatical?
This is something I regret never having done (and I enjoyed banking / was committed to it). I travel a lot internationally for pleasure. No one cares where I am as long as I produce the money and clients. But it’s not the same going to the Four Seasons somewhere with kids or going for a golf trip with the guys, and doing independent travel when young, which I always wanted to do but never had the money before banking or the guts to just walk away (and when I did have both, family circumstances prevented it).
So I highly recommend it. Only question is whether you are a valued enough performer to get a three month sabbatical. I would do that for anyone who worked for me who I rated highly, in order to facilitate retention.
Prior to banking I spent six years in the military, worked similar hours to what I do in banking for a fraction of the pay....made a bunch of great friends but was honestly burned out after that experience and took a six month travel break, it's the best thing I ever did, went all over Europe and Africa, sleeping in hostels, making friends along the way, creating memories that are with me 7+ years later....as another poster said, you can make more money and travel a week here and a week there, but there's nothing like the unconstrained freedom you have when traveling in your 20s with no responsibilities, no clients to think about, no phone buzzing, no mortgage to pay, no kids to worry about....all this to say that I'm a very positive in favor of you following your travel dreams....I'm sure you have a decent amount of cash stacked up after 3 bonuses, you don't want to be a career banker, you can come back at any point and still have 3 years of banking on your resume which should help you land a job fairly quickly....this sort of experience will be immeasurably more rewarding then pointing to your bank account when you're 40 and saying look at my net worth
OP here - thanks for the response. How much did you spend? I also have Italian citizenship so I can travel easily throughout the EU if that makes it easier. I feel like 3-4 months just working out of hostels is good enough before I bounce back to finance, but want to keep a good bulk of my money
Yeah I spent ~$30k all in, set up base in Southern Europe where it's very cheap, got long-term airbnbs in Portugal and then in Croatia for a couple months each, I wanted to try to integrate in the culture a bit (had done study abroad in undergrad and had found the experience gratifying) so took language courses during the week, worked out regularly at the local gym, tried to build a rapport with locals I met....then spent long weekends traveling to other cities and staying in hostels / partying....didn't feel like I was pinching pennies but I also wasn't splurging on staying at the 4 seasons or eating out at 5 star restaurants, did a med cruise out of Croatia, hiked all over Switzerland, explored Morocco by camel
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