When to leave?

Hello,
My heart goes out to you that you're feeling these physical manifestations of this uncertainty.

This is a delicate question as most (if not all) new join-ers to consulting experience some level of uneasiness during the ramp up period (typically the first 6 months). Just because that is 'normal' doesn't mean it should be the norm or something that you need to 'force' yourself to stay in if you don't want to. 
 

I think it would be important to take some time to reflect (journal if you're open to it) and think about some questions:
-What is my gut reaction if I decided to leave now? At 6 months? (Does this bring relief, uneasiness, regret, excitement?)
-What do I want to do when/if I leave consulting? (Does something pop into your mind immediately? Does it make you nervous or happy?)
-Why do I feel the need to 'force' myself to stay if I am unhappy?
-What are the chances that I will start to feel better once I am in the firm longer? What are the chances it will feel worse?

Happy to continue the conversation if needed - please take care of yourself.

Hi,

Sorry to hear that you are having a negative experience. Sharing a couple of thoughts around tenure and exit opportunities: 

1. Is there any tangible difference between 6-12 months vs. 15 months vs. 18 months of consulting experience? Or does it even matter?

• I think there are 2 key dimensions when headhunters and firms are looking at your experience
  • 1) Role/title
  • 2) Tenure/experience
• Very often it will be a combination of both, i.e. they are looking for someone with a given role/title because that role or title signifies or shows that that person implicitly has certain skills or has developed a level of capabilities that they are looking for
• 6-12 vs 15 vs 18 does not change the Role/title, so if they were looking at someone with min. experience of BA (or Analyst), that technically wouldnt matter
• However 6 months is a very short time and to my knowledge no attractive exit opportunity would look for someone with 6 months
• Practically speaking and based on experience, I think the sweeter spot to leave is closer to 18-24 months, let alone 12 months. If you are talking corp strat, many of the people hiring will know that at even at the 1 year mark you haven't really built up the full consulting toolkit well enough yet. 

2. What could I expect post-consulting in terms of exit opps (assuming you stay 18-24 months):

• Corporate: typically Corp Strategy, or BD/M&A teams
• Tech: Hiring has drastically been impacted in recent years but pre-covid they used to be a key hirer of consultants into internal roles (though often as Individual Contributors)
• Startups: You could also explore roles in growth/late stage startups with funding
• 2 key ways to look for opportunities / inspiration
  • Reach out to your firm's career transition service
  • Check on linkedin exit paths for people from your firm and similar tenure

Lastly - the ultimate judgement you have to make is whether staying longer is worth the impact on your health (physically & mentally). If you feel you need to leave for the sake of your health and its not worth staying longer to reap more benefits - leave. There are many paths in life and consulting is not the be all and end all.

All the best!

Thanks for being honest. And first off, your health (physical and mental) should always come first. Consulting is intense, and if your body’s already telling you something’s off, that’s worth listening to.

That said, you don’t have to quit today to take control of the situation. Start by reframing: this isn’t about "toughing it out" blindly — it’s about being strategic. Think in terms of delayed gratification: would staying 6–12 months open up better exit doors (internally or externally)? In many cases, it might. But in parallel, you can start looking now, not necessarily to leave immediately, but to give yourself mental clarity and optionality. 

Building relationships, exploring other paths, and even just getting a few conversations going can help you feel more in control.

The job market moves slowly in this environment, so giving yourself time to explore quietly — even while still on the job — is not only smart, it’s self-protective. 

I feel turning your dissatisfaction into action (rather than anxiety) is the best way to start reclaiming your energy. You’re not stuck — you’re just at a pivot point. And you’re allowed to explore.

I'm sorry to hear how you're feeling. 

You can leave at any moment. Don't force yourself to stay. 

Honestly, it doesn't make a huge difference whether you stay for 3 or 6 months. 

Ideally, if you want the experience to 'count' in the eyes of prospective employees, you would stay 2 years, but it sounds like you want to get out as fast as possible. 

Do bear in mind though that things change with time. I also hated my first year but then it got a lot better and I soon enjoyed it a lot. But it's also possible that it's just not your thing so then it's fine if you get out earlier rather than later.

Best,
Cristian

Honestly, if you are not enjoying the job, you are not learning. If you are not learning, you are not getting anything out of it, other than your salary.

I've met (and worked with) very successful people that only stayed for 6 months. They had great careers. Staying longer would only be a waste of time for them.

There's just one thing to consider. Evaluate if the problem is really consulting vs. your specific project and team. 

Either way don't force yourself to stay.