I'm depressed. When should I quit?

Get a therapist bruh

Reading "I appreciate any comments" gave me PTSD

I worked at a botique consultancy and hated it my first year. I took all my PTO, and went to the library everyday and just applied to every job I could find. Landed at a much better consultancy. Whenever they asked, I just said "Our firm lost two of its biggest clients, and the resulting instability and uncertainty has made me think of transitioning to a larger, more stable practice". It's honestly not a big deal to wanna leave after a year, and I think that as long as you craft a good reason, they won't care too much.

I have never met a job where I haven't felt like quitting. The grass always seems greener on the other side but the reality might be that we're just lazy by our nature. If something would appear to be enjoyable it would seemingly lessen the burden of the consistent grind day in and day out that work entails. This never seems to be the case in actuality. My advice to you would be to stay on a little longer and try to distinguish whether it is actually the job you hate, or just work.

A. What have you been eating B. What is your level of physical activity C. As you say you have been prompted to a more Sr. role, are you delegating and managing your time effectively?

You moved from a lower level to a higher level position, are you still operating & thinking as the lower level employee?

Read the book Extreme Ownership. Crush your project, gain respect from your peers & superiors, and then move to a new job if you still feel like you want a different opportunity.

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OP, maybe you should take a few months off vacationing abroad to help you clear up your mind?

Also, having graduated from a masters in finance and bachelor in economics, you might be also disappointed if you land a job in a field that matches closer to your field of study. I mean you just studied theory/models and even work at pure economics consultancies could be pretty far off from what you are picturing right now. Seriously I would be surprised if you use even 10% of what you learned in class, strategy would be an exception as the theories are pretty down to earth and simple but finance and economics I don't know ..

Maybe you should try to apply to those Econ consulting firms, there are a few posts about them here and they are pretty decent in terms of career opportunities and exit ops (mba, lateral move etc)

If you're feeling stressed out given the hours and you aren't feeling engaged, have you considered heading back to do a PhD? It's not an uncommon pursuit for those in the Stats/Econometrics field, although I'm not sure about how WSO would feel about it/what the requirements are in the US. At any rate, it might give you an opportunity to get back to chasing the problems that you find engaging.

Just a thought.

This just in, person working at his/her first job is disillusioned by both the purpose of the work but also his/her advancement prospects. They even find it...gasp... boring!

These are not atypical problems. Sit in the pocket like a good quarterback and wait for the right opportunities to surface. And like I said, find a therapist if you're feeling emotionally unwell.

If you want a new job, get one. I think that when you're young it's better to leave than get pigeonholed in a job you don't like. Plus, nobody will think it's weird. I left my old firm after a year, and nobody asked any serious questions. A couple recruiters did ask about it, but it was more just to check a box than to uncover any dirt about me.

I'm going to deviate from the standard advice in the thread, since your situation seems very similar to where I was maybe 6 months ago, with a similar background. All my consulting projects were total moonshots, I was pulling multiple all-nighters to get work to clients that they didn't comprehend, I could barely wrap my head around, and my bosses thought they understood. I always got the projects done but never anywhere near under-budget or on time. To management, I looked like a complete failure after each project (fortunately my peers saw what was happening and took pity on me, offering help whenever they could). After the first ridiculous project, I said the next one will be better, then it happened again, and again and then I gave up. I was a year and 6 months into the job.

I eventually couldn't take it anymore (seems like the point you are getting to), and actually started talking to the headhunters that were reaching out to me and applied to anything that looked interesting. Did lots of fun interviews for data science positions, hedge funds, investment banks, teaching, just everything that came my way until I found a company that I clicked with. After making the switch I am genuinely happier.

Hopefully you get better advice than what I say, but coming from a similar position with an equally short tenure in consulting, I would advise you to frame your desire to leave in the most positive way you can. You won't come off as "unstable" if you can spin it right. PM me if you would like the specifics of my situation, I feel for you man, good luck.

PS whatever you do, don't head back and get a PhD... those blow.

First, I think you should start by determining whether or not your current firm has roles that you would enjoy (finance/econ). If the options are there, it seems like it would be easier to transfer within the firm (unless your current team doesn't want to let you go). I would try and stick out until the end of this project, but at the same time be looking for other roles in/out of the firm.

If you take your time, seems like you would be able to line something up, finish your project and then transition without burning bridges. You should check out roles at the Federal Reserve branches. Data science might be something that interests you. USAA seems to have a lot of those roles where they want people with masters.

As a fellow econ major and someone who truly hated their job, I understand. It sounds like your in more of a management/generalist role now where you have to know a little about a lot of things. I was in the same situation and was never great at my job. I was good, but not great. I'm the type of person that needs a role or specialization I can focus on and master. Bottom line, I would try and line something up before you quit. And if you want a PhD, try and find an employer who would reimburse tuition or potentially sponsor it.

Keep that chin up.

Where would you go and will it be better there?

Working in areas where you don't feel you have the expertise can take its toll. I had a colleague once tell me he couldn't sleep when he was in between projects because he was terrified by not knowing what he would have to be an expert in as soon as his next project showed up. It sounds like you may be in that same situation to some degree. You need to determine if the problem is with your increased responsibility and your limited grasp of the subject matter(s) you are consulting in, or if the problem is that you want to be in a specific, narrow subject matter and you are nowhere near that now.

Since your leadership clearly feels you have potential, you may want to approach them and tell them you are feeling a bit overwhelmed. You should be able to rely on them for technical guidance. One role of leadership is to develop employees, and one way to do that is to put them in situations that stretch their capabilities. You don't have to figure everything out by yourself, but you do need to know when you're in over your head and be smart enough to ask for help. I've never had a problem with an employee of mine asking for help; but I have a big problem with one not asking for help and then tanking a project and a client relationship.

I don't really have anything wise to add, plus I've never had a real job, but brings a smile to my face to see everyone being so supportive :)

As for PhDs, yes run away ahhh! But more seriously, I spoke with one ex-McK guy who said he found the work there intellectually unsatisfying (albeit he was at the bottom of the pecking order as a business analyst) so afterward he went on to a PhD and is now a prof at a top business school where he can have the intellectual satisfaction he was looking for. So I guess for some people it's actually great to do a PhD!

Have you seen American Beauty?

You sound like you would enjoy the live of academia. Have you ever considered becoming a professor?

1) Most people don't like their first few jobs. There's nothing wrong with that. 2) It sounds like you could transition into a lot of different roles given your background and experience. What do you think you would enjoy doing?

If you are interested in something more analytical and finance-oriented, equity research might be a good fit. Most equity research jobs don't have a hiring schedule anyway, so if you just started emailing analysts asking to learn about the field and expressing interest, they'd probably be happy to talk.

One thing to keep in mind: I don't think that many fields in finance actually use econometrics all that much - maybe some stat-arb and quant hedge funds. If econometrics is what you truly enjoy, that might lead you back to academia. If it's just the analytical/quantitative aspect of the work, equity research / hedge fund work could be a good fit.

We don't always make the right steps, even if we're stepping forward. Sometimes we have to step back to get on the right path. If you don't have any dependents or people relying on you, follow your dream, or at least something you think is. You may be moving up the ladder, but do you even want to be on it to begin with? It's labor day weekend - take some time, do some yoga, meditate, camp, or something that isolates you so you can think for yourself.

Best of luck.

If you want to get back to the academic work you were doing in a masters then the best option is probably ... academics. That said, my wife is a PhD candidate. Don't do it it totally sucks dick.

Sorry if that's not helpful.

Maybe you could take on a side project. You could begin writing a book on whatever subject really turns you on in economics, then use your math there. I would read a book about the economic consequences of trade and FDI with China... then again you would essentially be doing that with your dissertation.

On the flip side, there is nothing wrong with making money. Just keep working until you interview for a position you are interested in. Given you have been there for a year, talk to your supervisor or MD about how you feel, perhaps they can gravitate some duties or new projects your way that you are interested in.

Companies and firms are not out to cycle people out, if they like you they'll want you happy. It doesn't hurt to try, right? We only have one shot at life.

I don't know of any job where you talk or work with econometrics all day. Entry level work always sucks or is mostly uninteresting and your experience in college is going to be nothing like your career.

I think you need to undertake some introspection to find out why you are unhappy. From your description you may be suffering from 'imposter syndrome' - you think you don't 'deserve' the success you are getting. While that's possible, incompetence is more usually accompanied by overconfidence in your abilities.

You also talk about 'stumbling through' and not finding 'the correct approach'. I'm afraid to tell you - that is life and it is certainly research (which some people have suggested). For most problems you just guess the solution, validate the solution and move on.

I suggest you highlight to your management that you are feeling over your head. They may not like it but point out that is it better you highlight it now than a few months down the line when there's been a critical error.

I think you are mixing up the structure of undergrad learning (which is nicely arranged with 'right' answers) with an interest in the subject. Here's a somewhat relevant quote:

"I also found physics research to be much less satisfying than I expected. When you're an undergraduate or grad student, you're drinking from the "fire hydrant" of knowledge: there's all you can swallow and then so much more. Academic research is more like digging a well in the mud with a teaspoon. You're thirsty all the time, and every now and then you get a few sips of muddy water."