Is this burning out?
Hello, looking for a wise word
Fearing I’m burning out, feeling cognitively off, headaches, neck and back pain, often having night sweats, dreaming of not being able to stand up. In general, I don’t find the work inspiring, but I also don’t dread it. Always performed “top bucket” and still doing so. The exhaustion is just very palpable physically.
What do I do here? Do I try to make it 1-2 years to aim at an exit that might be better? Do I risk hitting the wall and permanently damaging myself if I do so?
Honestly I feel like just quitting, taking months off and then enrolling in med school, going for a researcher career and knocking it out of the park, working part time/during the summers, even with stuff related to business. I’d be a doctor by 30, so definitely very expensive considering lost lifetime earnings... Of course a researcher career isn’t stress free, but would be a better fit personality wise I think, and more inspiring.
For background, I’m 6 months in my BA role at MBB, but have worked for c. 18 months since grad in total (IB and other) and been on sick leave for 6 (physical illness), which was a very tough time… Not financially constrained nor privileged.
First of all, I get it. Burnout is awful and takes years to recover. I would start looking for exits - lower stress finance jobs, not PE which will be the same. Chill in a less stressful job for a year or two, and then once you've gotten your motivation back you can find the right seat for you.
If IB is burning you out, med school is the same hours, going to be a few years to get into given you need patient contact hours / MCAT, and then you earn 1/5 of your IB pay until you graduate and very little as a researcher... can't imagine why this would be a good idea, sorry. Jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire with this one.
Why not just find a corner of finance you like and isn't a high-stress job? There are plenty of roles in finance that are close to a 9-5. How long have you been in your role?
I'll say the quiet part out loud, you should find a therapist/psychiatrist first. They're paid for you to just unload and vent. After that, then maybe start looking for exits into a calmer role like eloquence mentioned, like corpdev or consulting.
You're an intern and already burned out?
You’re both right probably! Thanks. Switching fields is alluring though. I’m generally not a neurotic person (was never stressed in school) and think large part of it now has come from being generally depressed (personal hardships) and feeling that making slides completely lost purpose.
@#3 no, that’s an old tag
Why don't you update it? Also you said "For background, I'm" and nothing thereafter. If you want advice or insight, maybe you should paint a clearer picture and a more thorough analysis of what you have been through.
Go to a hedge fund.
100% if possible
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