Thoughts on quitting IB

I want to quit IB. In a dark place mentally. Worked incredibly hard to reach here (non-target). Don't want to jeopardize the rest of my career either. To quit or not to quit (~1 year in) ? Thoughts/experiences/anything that could help ? 

16 Comments
 

Would recommend to hold out for your bonus if you can, then start to find your next gig. From a positioning standpoint, it's typically much easier to secure your next job while still employed. 

 

Yes, because you will be negotiating from a position of strength. It also prevents subconscious questions coming up like, "did he resign or was he terminated?" from new potential employers. If you would like a break (which I can understand), I would just push back your start date after you receive the new offer - just make it clear you need a month or so before you start.

 

Are you in a dark place because of IB or something else? I mean IB probably exacerbates things even if not the root of the problem, but worth thinking about.

Agree you should job search while employed. Later in your career I think it's fine to take some time off, but that would be at a point where you ideally have a specialized and valuable skillset/experience. Maybe you can negotiate into any offer that you get some time off before starting too.

 
Most Helpful

While it's always best to have a job while looking for a job, I can tell you everyone I know who has quit IB without something lined up has ultimately been FINE. It's understandable, and even interviewers who have never worked in IB have seen the articles bouncing around in the last year. Hell, even outside of IB everyone is quitting, your timing is pretty advantageous.

My advice would be to look for jobs for a set amount of time if you can - stop working hard, push back on stuff, be as bottom bucket as you can for 8-12 weeks while you sign elsewhere and GTFO. Push back your next job's start date as much as they will let you. If you still have nothing in 2-3 months, or if you are truly in that dark place right now and need out tomorrow, just leave. You seriously will be okay. If you got into IB you're a hard worker, and you now have a solid job on your resume and can get back up there at your next role. If your parents are able to take you in for a while or you have some funds to keep you afloat, that helps too.

There is more to life than banking no matter how hard you worked for it. Godspeed, you will find a job that respects you I promise

 

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