Hello,
I’ve been working on a project with a manager and a senior associate for a year. Everything was fine until the senior joined and started acting like a “partner.” We’ve had conflicts, and while the manager helped at first, her toxic behavior continues.
I’m a junior consultant at a niche strategy firm but overqualified for my role. I’ve been considering leaving because this situation is affecting me, but management advised me to adapt. The project isn’t demanding, and I can use the time to prepare for case interviews for top consulting firms. I don’t have enough money in the bank to leave and also don’t have a lot of flexibility (I am an immigrant and need work paper to stay in Europe) .
I am trying to ignore the person and not respond to her comments to try to focus on the job itself and on my case practice but it is still impacting me emotionally.
I’m feeling stuck—what should I do?
Expert case by