Will Taking 6 Months Off to Travel Kill My Career?

Currently working as a second year Associate in PE. Super burned out and unhappy and want to move onto my next role after my bonus is paid out in Q1. Currently thinking I want to move away from PE and more into more of a corp dev  / strategy / ops role, but feel like I can't even think properly while in this current job. 

I have always wanted to do a big travel (and now is likely the best time to do so from a life planning stand point), and would use the time to really think about what I want to do next. 

Has anyone done anything similar to this? Is this a really bad idea given the state of the market? Is taking time off to travel going to significantly impact my future job prospects? Any advice is greatly appreciated!

15 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Just do it bro. We all have to stop thinking so long-term all the time. Always a chance that we don't live to see tomorrow. 

 

Agreed ^ that b-school is the best risk-adjusted way to travel a lot and get a nice gig at the end. Market isn't always forgiving of taking time off (especially this market).

If you're ok with maybe moving downstream or a different finance role, though, by all means. And even if you do, there's still a decent chance you can re-recruit for a similar PE job as the one you have.

 

If you were to die tomorrow or even in a year or two’s time, would you regret continuing working like a dog or taking a break and visiting the Himalayas?

Plus you might have a few months of non-compete in your contract - always a good excuse. 
Lastly, what sustainable career would you have anyway if you are already on the verge of burning out? 
Work to live, don’t live to work. 

 

Corporis esse aliquid aut ab. Voluptas praesentium sequi unde. Sequi unde odit voluptatum provident provident dolorem.

Quo deserunt eius nobis nostrum alias eius in. Unde laboriosam non aut quis expedita. Iusto eaque quia et sit ad.

Vel repudiandae corrupti error voluptas cupiditate et. Ut nam minima enim.

Aut quod eum ut et consequatur. Beatae in veritatis non at et numquam. Beatae architecto nam aperiam necessitatibus quos odio ratione ducimus. Quos aliquam ut beatae autem.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 03 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (51) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (15) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”