Sweatshop burnout - help!
All,
I created a throwaway account to discuss my current situation around burnout. For background, I went to a target undergrad and joined a sweatshop industry team at a BB post graduation where I have been for the past 1.5 years.
The team lives up to its reputation for bad hours...90 hours is pretty much the minimum with 110+ common. Free weekends are rare if not non-existent and my bad stints have consisted of 4+ entire weekends in the office in a row. The job has ruined my life outside of the office. I'm not fun to be around, I've lost interest in everything and I just want to be alone and sleep. I can feel my physical and mental health rapidly deteriorating.
I have no interest in the job anymore and I don't really feel excited about any aspects of my day to day work, nor M&A from a bigger picture point of view.
Its probably very obvious from the above that I need to get out as soon as possible. The problem I am facing is that I have no idea what else I want to do. After my current experience, I feel extremely averse to anything stressful or with long hours, which wipes any traditional exits off the table. However I know that its probably my state of exhaustion and mental health that is talking rather than me (I was just as driven as the next guy when I first started in IBD), but I can't help but feel a terrible sense of dread when I think about any job other than a basic 9-5.
How can I make such a big decision (i.e. which post IBD path to take) whilst I am in such an irrational state of mind? I'm terrified of derailing my career by making an impulsive decision now that I will regret in a few years time. How much will it hurt to take some time off to reflect rather than just jumping straight into something else?
I know there are other people out there who must have been through similar situations so I would love to hear how you got through it. Thanks for reading!
Get out of there ASAP man. Some folks here will tell you to tough it out but don’t listen to them - get out and focus on your health. It’s not the end of the world if you show some time off on your resume - especially if you’re thinking about going for a regular 9-5 job afterwards. Corporate folks are far more understanding than finance pricks. I work in technology and I have incredible work/life balance. I also make pretty good money (140k).
Stick it out til the bonus and if you can swing it financially- quit and reset in a tropical city for a month.
Where have people from your group traditionally gone after their analyst years?
Shouldn’t just recruit for corporate or start-up roles that would not hurt your business school admission odds? Any job would look better on an hour perspective and improve your quality of life, so I guess you should just try to get a job in a place with a decent culture. Also PE, although more intense than other careers, will still be better (if you avoid BX or places like that). Business Development in corporates with decent culture is probably your safest bet and at the same time a good route also on a career perspective.
Finally, you are a bit too stressed and concerned and some replies above just came from people who didn’t experience what you have been experiencing. You are 24 (?) and your body, health, stamina, etc. will just go back to where it was in a few months with some better hours. I was 28 when I was a second / third year analyst and as soon as my hours decreased as a third year analyst / first year associate I started conducting a much healthier lifestyle, lost the weight I gained (get a PT) and focused my life on something more than just banking. The only issue is that the motivation for the job didn’t come back, but you do want to change so you will be fine anyway.
Good luck
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