Quitting a job before a year?

[Yu_Qing]

I'm pretty miserable at my place and I realize this is not the job for me.

Just wondering if it raises a red flag?

My previous job was 3 years and I did my MBA. I'd like to tough out this job for a year, but I really am not sure if I can.

Please share your experiences.

[C_C]

I'm on a half year contract right now with a few weeks to go (with some vague notions of being hired on afterwards - until I sign something I will remain cautious). I have been quite frustrated for the last few months.....the work is tedious, repetitious and boring as f**k. I'm not learning anything new and its not doing what I thought I would be in the industry that I'm in. The job duties and title that I have I've come to realize are not in line with my interests or goals. I was super motivated when I first started but that's gone downhill. I took the job for the experience and b/c I didn't think I was to good for it (at the end of the day, upon reflection and serious thought, I am). I am ready to move on and desperately want to throw in the towel but I have to make it through these next few weeks. I'm just disappointed b/c I'm at a point in my life where I want a full time position with some security but its not looking to likely at this job.

The level of disorganization and mismanagement is huge, to the point where you just throw your hands in the air and laugh b/c you can't do anything else. This has become quite a joke and I'm finding it hard to care about the work. I know more about my job and how to do it then the management and they've piled the responsibility on without understanding how it works - I've been stressed out, annoyed and irritable b/c of it. Keep in mind I'm relatively new to the industry (=low pay) and having proven myself they're taking advantage of it.

I am seeking new opportunities and there are possibilities thankfully. I would also like the years experience BUT not at the price of my sanity. I've been stressed out, depressed and demotivated. I've always been a hardworker willing to work my way up but I can't deal much longer.

I was thinking even if they don't offer full time I can always seek temp work until I land something better. If they do offer it to me I don't want to take it, which makes me feel bad b/c I know others are having a tough go of it.


To answer your question OP, it doesn't raise a red flag. A job is something that is suppose to suit both sides, simply phase it in a way that shows that it wasn't working out for you. Or if it hasn't been that long of a time then leave it off your resume entirely. The trend these days is to job hop, people aren't staying at companies for extended periods of time. In fact its the opposite, it's weird if you've been at a place to long.

[roxbird]

I know what you mean about this kind of job. Been in that situation and even though there were minor experiences which were good, overall I was miserable and didn't enjoy the job. Believe me, just keep your resume updated and apply for other opportunities, and you will feel much better. Eventually you will find something you like a lot more. And as miserable as it feels there, try to stick it out and not qwuit before you find something else. Then when you do find something, you will not have any regrets over leaving. Also I think it will be easier for you to find another job while you already have one. Don't let this job affect you too much, just go in and do your time then when you leave don't think too much about the place. Remember it is just a temporary job until you find something else that is much better.

[JK400]

I'm pretty miserable at my place and I realize this is not the job for me.

Just wondering if it raises a red flag?

My previous job was 3 years and I did my MBA. I'd like to tough out this job for a year, but I really am not sure if I can.

Please share your experiences.

Yu Qing I would think you've been around long enough to know there isn't a magic number or rule that determines how long you should stay at a company. If you get hired by a different company in under a year of being at your old one (happened to me) obviously the new employer doesn't see it as a negative, and there are bound to be others that won't. No one can say for sure whether some companies or HR staff will view you as a job hopper or not and discard your application...so there's not really a straight forward answer to this question. In my experience it hasn't made a difference in one way or another. I had another colleague who used switched about 3 jobs at the one year mark roughly as well and was still getting offers. The best thing to do in your situation obviously though is hang on until you get an offer before you quit your current job so you can just forget about any doubt you had.

[setell]

If you hate it start looking ASAP. It really sucks having to go to work and you feel like you want to gouge your eyes out. You have to at least enjoy what you do to make the day go by easier.

Good luck. There is light in this dark tunnel so don't lose hope. :)

[clseea]

Hopefully you can answer these questions:
Why do you hate your job?
What have you done to change the situation?
Have you brought it up with management?
What options are there to swap duties with someone else?
Take some vacation time?

[Lovable]

The grass may not necessarily be greener on the other side after you decide to jump ship.

[setell]

The grass may not necessarily be greener on the other side after you decide to jump ship.

Well it's stay in a pile of dung or jump over to what may be greener pasteurs then I'll leave the dung and jump ship.

[Yu_Qing]

Thank you for everyone's responses.







Hopefully you can answer these questions:
Why do you hate your job?
What have you done to change the situation?
Have you brought it up with management?
What options are there to swap duties with someone else?
Take some vacation time?

Sorry, maybe I should have provided more information.

I currently work in Management Consulting and like many other MBAs, I bought the hype that goes with it. While this past year (almost a year) has given me really great learning experience, the truth is, i am not sure if i am cut out for it.

there is a low tolerance for imperfections and it seems nothing i do is right. i got decent reviews on my projects so far, but i don't like my boss' (real boss) management style. some of the PMs (temporary bosses) are cool to work with, and it makes me change my mind about quitting. But when i go back to dealing with my line manager, i really don't think he's that supportive. he actually creates a toxic environment for me. he always tells me i'm not good enough and i should have picked things up by now (but he knew previously i had ZERO management/ consulting experience) so why hire me and not invest in the time and effort in training me, and only to complain about what you already know?

i am getting paid fairly i suppose- though i work 70 hours a week. this week i'm on a beach which has given me time to reflect. he's been calling me a lot lately to complain and he refuses to fire me. he keeps asking me to develop a plan on how to pick up certain skills and work well with other ppl (he thinks I'm blunt, and i am. but what kind of person in any professional services profession is not blunt?!). i don't say anything rude or out of line and ppl have written on my project reviews that they do like working with me.

i cannot bring it up to management for this reason- i work in a management consulting firm. they operate differently than working for a regular corporation. all the partners/principals are all good friends and unlike working for a traditional company with strict HR policies in place, if i piss off one guy by complaining about him or my work, everyone will stand by the manager and not by me. it's very political in nature, so i gotta watch what i say to them.

[JK400]

Thank you for everyone's responses.








Sorry, maybe I should have provided more information.

I currently work in Management Consulting and like many other MBAs, I bought the hype that goes with it. While this past year (almost a year) has given me really great learning experience, the truth is, i am not sure if i am cut out for it.

there is a low tolerance for imperfections and it seems nothing i do is right. i got decent reviews on my projects so far, but i don't like my boss' (real boss) management style. some of the PMs (temporary bosses) are cool to work with, and it makes me change my mind about quitting. But when i go back to dealing with my line manager, i really don't think he's that supportive. he actually creates a toxic environment for me. he always tells me i'm not good enough and i should have picked things up by now (but he knew previously i had ZERO management/ consulting experience) so why hire me and not invest in the time and effort in training me, and only to complain about what you already know?

i am getting paid fairly i suppose- though i work 70 hours a week. this week i'm on a beach which has given me time to reflect. he's been calling me a lot lately to complain and he refuses to fire me. he keeps asking me to develop a plan on how to pick up certain skills and work well with other ppl (he thinks I'm blunt, and i am. but what kind of person in any professional services profession is not blunt?!). i don't say anything rude or out of line and ppl have written on my project reviews that they do like working with me.

i cannot bring it up to management for this reason- i work in a management consulting firm. they operate differently than working for a regular corporation. all the partners/principals are all good friends and unlike working for a traditional company with strict HR policies in place, if i piss off one guy by complaining about him or my work, everyone will stand by the manager and not by me. it's very political in nature, so i gotta watch what i say to them.

70 hours a week is nothing. Be thankful you get paid fairly and be thankful you're even allowed at the beach instead of being where you belong: back at your desk doing work.

Sounds like you've gotten in over your head with this whole MBA and upper class business. Ever hear the phrase, if you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen? Well you should have stayed the hell out of the kitchen buddy.

He refuses to fire you, count your lucky stars. Most others with poor performers would have been out on their ***** a long time ago. You're to get back to work and do your job to an acceptable level and stop complaining.

[world25]

I'm pretty miserable at my place and I realize this is not the job for me.

Just wondering if it raises a red flag?

My previous job was 3 years and I did my MBA. I'd like to tough out this job for a year, but I really am not sure if I can.

Please share your experiences.

What kind of consulting job do you have? IT, Accounting? Engineering? Do you have 3-5 years of experience? do you travel often? There are so many good consulting careers waiting for you.

[CedricC]

First job after graduation: 11 months
Second job after graduation: 5 months
Current job: 7 months and going

I jumped from job 1 to job 2 to job 3 though so there was no gap in between. And as others have mentioned, many employers don't see it as a problem. Looking at my school mates' LinkedIn profiles it appears that many recent grads have similar trends, ie, staying in the first couple of jobs for less than a year. However, if I again start looking for another job after only being with my current employer for 7 months, I'm sure it'll raise some red flags because that'll be 3 jobs in a row.

[xlash]

Think like a hiring manager. If you jump ship within 1 year on a regular basis then you're screwed. Do it once and you're fine. In many cases one cant tell if it would be a good fit until the candidate has been in the job a few months.

[DavidY]

Think like a hiring manager. If you jump ship within 1 year on a regular basis then you're screwed. Do it once and you're fine. In many cases one cant tell if it would be a good fit until the candidate has been in the job a few months.

+1. If jumping ship (<1 year) becomes a habit, then it becomes a big issue. HR person: Why should we hire a person who keeps jumping ship every 12 or so months? Unless it's a contract type work....it will be damaging to one's career.

Dave

[Yu_Qing]

70 hours a week is nothing. Be thankful you get paid fairly and be thankful you're even allowed at the beach instead of being where you belong: back at your desk doing work.

Sounds like you've gotten in over your head with this whole MBA and upper class business. Ever hear the phrase, if you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen? Well you should have stayed the hell out of the kitchen buddy.

He refuses to fire you, count your lucky stars. Most others with poor performers would have been out on their ***** a long time ago. You're to get back to work and do your job to an acceptable level and stop complaining.

who the fcuk are you to judge me? 70 hours is nothing?- i'm a female about to start a family you douche. and stay the hell out of the kitchen? most ppl don't even know they dislike the kitchen until they are in there. and to clarify, the problem has more to do with the idiot boss. i didn't give you a full account of how he is; so don't assume he's just a regular boss being a jerk. the boss i'm dealing with is actually a BSer who creates a toxic environment for EVERYONE, not just me.

and the purpose of this thread was not to complain, it was to ask ppl about their opinions on leaving a job before 1 year. i only "complained" in response to a fellow post asking for more information about why i didn't like the job.

[Yu_Qing]

If you hate it start looking ASAP. It really sucks having to go to work and you feel like you want to gouge your eyes out. You have to at least enjoy what you do to make the day go by easier.

Good luck. There is light in this dark tunnel so don't lose hope. :)

thanks setell, you've always been very supportive of others :)

[Yu_Qing]

The grass may not necessarily be greener on the other side after you decide to jump ship.

that's always the case. but this isn't my first job- i have worked before. i can honestly say i was happier before. so while i may miss some aspects of the current job, i know that overall, for my health and my relationship with my family, its better i do not do this job.

[Yu_Qing]

What kind of consulting job do you have? IT, Accounting? Engineering? Do you have 3-5 years of experience? do you travel often? There are so many good consulting careers waiting for you.

I work for a management consulting firm, doing strategy work (financial and operational modelling, research, forecasting, etc). i prefer not to reveal where i work, sorry.

i don't think i have a "speciality" they just threw me into whatever project and i just do the work. my group (and most of the firm i guess) is known for business strategy.

[geronimo]

I'm personally not a fan of job hopping and strongly believe that everyone should staff working within their current job position for at least 1 year, and at least the same length of time or longer at one company. However, from observing some of my friends and looking at LinkedIn profiles, it appears many people have no problem getting a new job and/or working at a new company every few months, in their first few jobs after graduating from university (undergraduate).

Keep on truckin' and good luck!

[noreason]

i am getting paid fairly i suppose- though i work 70 hours a week. this week i'm on a beach which has given me time to reflect. he's been calling me a lot lately to complain and he refuses to fire me. he keeps asking me to develop a plan on how to pick up certain skills and work well with other ppl (he thinks I'm blunt, and i am. but what kind of person in any professional services profession is not blunt?!). i don't say anything rude or out of line and ppl have written on my project reviews that they do like working with me.

i cannot bring it up to management for this reason- i work in a management consulting firm. they operate differently than working for a regular corporation. all the partners/principals are all good friends and unlike working for a traditional company with strict HR policies in place, if i piss off one guy by complaining about him or my work, everyone will stand by the manager and not by me. it's very political in nature, so i gotta watch what i say to them.

Try taking this as an opportunity to look for professional development classes to take on the dime of the company. The boss is asking for a plan so look around for courses that may help with that and if he rejects your plan without alternatives then he's the one who's limiting your work performance improvement.

Hate to break it to you, but in any corporation if you have a beef with the boss - you're likely the one to go. HR's job is to protect the company (ie the boss) not stick up for the little guys unless there is overwhelming negligence on the boss' part.

And yes, your direct boss usually is the single most important factor in making you like your job or not and one of the things that's almost impossible to change in a company unfortunately.

[niroopg]

who the fcuk are you to judge me? 70 hours is nothing?- i'm a female about to start a family you douche. and stay the hell out of the kitchen? most ppl don't even know they dislike the kitchen until they are in there. and to clarify, the problem has more to do with the idiot boss. i didn't give you a full account of how he is; so don't assume he's just a regular boss being a jerk. the boss i'm dealing with is actually a BSer who creates a toxic environment for EVERYONE, not just me.

and the purpose of this thread was not to complain, it was to ask ppl about their opinions on leaving a job before 1 year. i only "complained" in response to a fellow post asking for more information about why i didn't like the job.

70 hours is what it is. It is the nature of consulting and working for a private firm. If you don't like it, leave. They aren't holding you hostage. Ideally, people love the work and, as such, don't count the hours put in. If you aren't one of those people, it is best to find an alternative. Passion really does shine through in the workplace and people like working with people that love the work they do.

The "idiot boss" is the boss, nonetheless. You are working in a highly male dominated environment in Upper Class Business Management. Everyone thinks they are the sh** and some men have issues treating women professionally and equally. Likely, your boss has some issues. But he is the boss. And don't bother trying to talk to those above him in the firm - they are all buddy buddy, and they would gladly fire you if you disturb the frat-type environment that is desirable in high hour sectors such as yours.

As to whether you should leave, no one on hear can give you that answer. On paper, it doesn't look good to jump from position to position. But enjoying life and work is the wildcard that none of us can quantify and is just as important.

[Yu_Qing]

70 hours is what it is. It is the nature of consulting and working for a private firm. If you don't like it, leave. They aren't holding you hostage. Ideally, people love the work and, as such, don't count the hours put in. If you aren't one of those people, it is best to find an alternative. Passion really does shine through in the workplace and people like working with people that love the work they do.

The "idiot boss" is the boss, nonetheless. You are working in a highly male dominated environment in Upper Class Business Management. Everyone thinks they are the sh** and some men have issues treating women professionally and equally. Likely, your boss has some issues. But he is the boss. And don't bother trying to talk to those above him in the firm - they are all buddy buddy, and they would gladly fire you if you disturb the frat-type environment that is desirable in high hour sectors such as yours.

As to whether you should leave, no one on hear can give you that answer. On paper, it doesn't look good to jump from position to position. But enjoying life and work is the wildcard that none of us can quantify and is just as important.


i am aware of that. hence, in my previous post, i indicated that there's no point going to management or HR. hence, it's time to quit. the only thing stopping me is the 1 year mark. I'm debating should i put up with this and make it past 1 year, or should just leave. hence, this thread.

[Kappa21]

Since my stellar year in 2010...... I had about ...lets see now......3 jobs...

So from May 2011 to May 2012 I:
got let got of a job before contract was up (May 2011)
Went for what I can get (June 2011-Dec 2011) Hated that and moved to a lower paying job, but somewhere where I liked...
That dried out and I went on a hiatus ....took some time off and decided to do my GMAT (under construction) and now i found a new job...better pay then the last job I had which lasted only 1 month......

Jobs are like mortgage vs. rent.....
in the end of the day, your still paying ....regardless if you see your career as you need the money to pay off things or you want assets to advance your career and be 'stable' the LOL word of the 21st century....

:) good luck!

[C_C]

Yu_Qing, ignore JK400, he likes to skim the post and then make large generalizations and things to be controversial and start arguments. It's not worth getting into it with him, he lacks serious reading comprehension and will take you pages into the thread with his round a bout arguments.

I think you're aware of what you need to do, nobody else can judge that for you. Think about how you feel going into work every day and coming home everyday and ask yourself if it's worth it.

[Lovable]

I work for a management consulting firm, doing strategy work (financial and operational modelling, research, forecasting, etc). i prefer not to reveal where i work, sorry.

i don't think i have a "speciality" they just threw me into whatever project and i just do the work. my group (and most of the firm i guess) is known for business strategy.

I will not lie to you, I am merely a new grad who does not have the experience you and many on these forums (may or may not) have though I have worked in big firms before.

I am sure like all other MBA grads, aside from buying into the hype of IB and MC, that you researched and knew what you were possibly getting into (I am sure you did not apply into this position knowing it was that bad). That said, what I am getting at is that like all jobs, it comes down to your direct report and that even though you may change jobs you still have the risk of having a bad direct report who would make your life miserable and on top of that... You would show lack of 'loyalty' (whatever that is worth) for leaving a what I would like to believe, prestigious firm so soon (could bias the recruiter/manager's decision that you can not handle the environment when that is obviously not the case).

[Yu_Qing]

Yu_Qing, ignore JK400, he likes to skim the post and then make large generalizations and things to be controversial and start arguments. It's not worth getting into it with him, he lacks serious reading comprehension and will take you pages into the thread with his round a bout arguments.

I think you're aware of what you need to do, nobody else can judge that for you. Think about how you feel going into work every day and coming home everyday and ask yourself if it's worth it.

thank you, ur sweet.

[Aristophanes]

there is a low tolerance for imperfections and it seems nothing i do is right. i got decent reviews on my projects so far, but i don't like my boss' (real boss) management style. some of the PMs (temporary bosses) are cool to work with, and it makes me change my mind about quitting. But when i go back to dealing with my line manager, i really don't think he's that supportive. he actually creates a toxic environment for me. he always tells me i'm not good enough and i should have picked things up by now (but he knew previously i had ZERO management/ consulting experience) so why hire me and not invest in the time and effort in training me, and only to complain about what you already know?

Make the distinction what the problem is.
Him pointing out imperfections in your work is entirely valid. We pay management consultants 2k / consultant / day and we demand perfection. You cannot win on this front so don't harbour on this in your thoughts.
Him creating an unbearable working environment is another matter. Keep yourself level, start looking for a new job, and don't burn any bridges.


i am aware of that. hence, in my previous post, i indicated that there's no point going to management or HR. hence, it's time to quit. the only thing stopping me is the 1 year mark. I'm debating should i put up with this and make it past 1 year, or should just leave. hence, this thread.

You're not married to the company and the company isn't married to you. Jump ship when you see greener pastures. This arbitrary 1 year mark is such a cliche.

[setell]

Make the distinction what the problem is.
Him pointing out imperfections in your work is entirely valid. We pay management consultants 2k / consultant / day and we demand perfection. You cannot win on this front so don't harbour on this in your thoughts.
Him creating an unbearable working environment is another matter. Keep yourself level, start looking for a new job, and don't burn any bridges.



You're not married to the company and the company isn't married to you. Jump ship when you see greener pastures. This arbitrary 1 year mark is such a cliche.

+1 I don't mind getting ripped for my work but I just wouldn't want a boss enjoy making your life miserable.

I would have no issue leaving. Just say it wasn't the right fit and move on. Not everybody is going to fit into a specific corporate culture. The day you hate waking up going to work or it's affecting your personal life is when you need to get aggressive and look elsewhere.


thanks setell, you've always been very supportive of others :)

Have faith of your abilities and just leave! :D It's like a bad bf, put your sneakers on girl and RUN! hehehehe

[spike1128]

who the fcuk are you to judge me? 70 hours is nothing?- i'm a female about to start a family you douche. and stay the hell out of the kitchen? most ppl don't even know they dislike the kitchen until they are in there. and to clarify, the problem has more to do with the idiot boss. i didn't give you a full account of how he is; so don't assume he's just a regular boss being a jerk. the boss i'm dealing with is actually a BSer who creates a toxic environment for EVERYONE, not just me.

and the purpose of this thread was not to complain, it was to ask ppl about their opinions on leaving a job before 1 year. i only "complained" in response to a fellow post asking for more information about why i didn't like the job.

JK400 will think he is giving you great/free advice, though we all find him very rude and bitter.

That's how BSers get up to the top. You don't really need to be at the top of your game to become a boss. It's all smokes and mirrors most of the time. The boss think you are too blunt and not playing enough political games to get there. That's why he is all over you. He don't want to deal with the work himself, so force you to smarten up and do it for him. That's what he is not happy about.

If you are going to start a family, then just quit and start a family. I am to warn you that after most female have kids and stayed home, they are dying to go back to work. At least you won't be working for this horrible boss / department any longer. To screw with the boss, you should just have a kid, take mat leave, hold on to the position for 1 year, and then quit when you are back from mat leave.

[clseea]

70 hours a week is nothing. Be thankful you get paid fairly and be thankful you're even allowed at the beach instead of being where you belong: back at your desk doing work.

Sounds like you've gotten in over your head with this whole MBA and upper class business. Ever hear the phrase, if you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen? Well you should have stayed the hell out of the kitchen buddy.

He refuses to fire you, count your lucky stars. Most others with poor performers would have been out on their ***** a long time ago. You're to get back to work and do your job to an acceptable level and stop complaining.

Wow, what helpful advice.

[adehbone]

Hey,

First off as someone who works in Finance/Consulting painful egotistical world. I will say you should not even consider quitting without having something lined up and by something I mean something good. Quitting 1 year out of an MBA is basically the kiss of death you are basically admitting you were way above your head or not qualified for the position you got (which I doubt). This industry (your industry) does not take lightly to "spaces on the resume". But it seems you have posted before and I bet each time you finish/get time between assignments, you think wtf why do I not quit already.

As for the miserable life and boss. I would say some of things your boss says/doing is most likely 20-30% of the finance/consulting world. The bottomline is certain people like to choose their race horse early and guess what this boss of yours has decided you are not the horse for him, unfortunate but reality. That said what you need to comprehend is even a "D" in your boss's book is going to be gold on your resume and much further ahead than other people, so there is no reason to be down or think just cause you can never be his race horse or perfect that you have no future in the job or industry. Likewise you are correct there is no reason to even think of HR (hah at HR, HR has no power in a firm like this) since most likely your boss brings in a lot of clients and $$$, this is why he acts how he does and does not give a damn if any of his staff lives or dies. He has one sole person to care for and answer to and that is the client, likewise the more he beats on his staff and others more likelihood he has clients who are beating the crap out of him 10x more.

So start looking around for other things be it marketing in a CPG, non-profit or something in financial services. But till you land something good, try to deal with the misery. Just know that no matter what he says, there is a reason the firm hired you and others like you. The same reason he refuses to fire you, you may not be his racehorse but he knows if you leave tomorrow he would be screwed and you would not be easy to replace. If you truly did suck, he would have already fired you....trust.

[zaidyboy]

Ouch 70 hours a week? Hectic times. I wanted to get into the management consulting field though I heard mostly negative things about it, it scares me lol. I think you should start looking for a job ASAP especially if you don;t enjoy it one bit. I know of MBA's who have quit their jobs within three months and landed a job in which they are comfortable and well-settled. The reason organizations hire MBA's is mainly because the candidate has POTENTIAL. And with previous experience, you should be fine. GOOD LUCK!!

[Yu_Qing]

Hey,

First off as someone who works in Finance/Consulting painful egotistical world. I will say you should not even consider quitting without having something lined up and by something I mean something good. Quitting 1 year out of an MBA is basically the kiss of death you are basically admitting you were way above your head or not qualified for the position you got (which I doubt). This industry (your industry) does not take lightly to "spaces on the resume". But it seems you have posted before and I bet each time you finish/get time between assignments, you think wtf why do I not quit already.

As for the miserable life and boss. I would say some of things your boss says/doing is most likely 20-30% of the finance/consulting world. The bottomline is certain people like to choose their race horse early and guess what this boss of yours has decided you are not the horse for him, unfortunate but reality. That said what you need to comprehend is even a "D" in your boss's book is going to be gold on your resume and much further ahead than other people, so there is no reason to be down or think just cause you can never be his race horse or perfect that you have no future in the job or industry. Likewise you are correct there is no reason to even think of HR (hah at HR, HR has no power in a firm like this) since most likely your boss brings in a lot of clients and $$$, this is why he acts how he does and does not give a damn if any of his staff lives or dies. He has one sole person to care for and answer to and that is the client, likewise the more he beats on his staff and others more likelihood he has clients who are beating the crap out of him 10x more.

So start looking around for other things be it marketing in a CPG, non-profit or something in financial services. But till you land something good, try to deal with the misery. Just know that no matter what he says, there is a reason the firm hired you and others like you. The same reason he refuses to fire you, you may not be his racehorse but he knows if you leave tomorrow he would be screwed and you would not be easy to replace. If you truly did suck, he would have already fired you....trust.


thanks for your insightful response.

i don't know why he hired me to be honest. he even mentioned it himself that i don't have experience like others. but he admitted to me that he thinks i have potential and he can "nurture" me. the problem is, his nurturing is not the good kind (i.e. "You need to develop this, you should work on this, your weakness is this"). His include a lot of put downs and lies (yes, lies). I prefer not to write them here on this board, but if ur interested, PM me.

another thing is, and i do believe this is relevant- he's an asian guy (CBC). i too am an asian (girl). i am the ONLY female who is an associate consultant (other girls are admin staff). we work with mostly white guys on our team. the things he says to me, he would NEVER say to the white guys cause the white guys would be more likely to stick up for themselves. and they know their *****. i am the least experienced out of everyone. i feel like he treats me this way because he knows asians are less confrontational and he can get away with it.

i am currently looking for jobs. hopefully its true what they say- the easiest time to find a job is when you already have one.

[Yu_Qing]

Ouch 70 hours a week? Hectic times. I wanted to get into the management consulting field though I heard mostly negative things about it, it scares me lol. I think you should start looking for a job ASAP especially if you don;t enjoy it one bit. I know of MBA's who have quit their jobs within three months and landed a job in which they are comfortable and well-settled. The reason organizations hire MBA's is mainly because the candidate has POTENTIAL. And with previous experience, you should be fine. GOOD LUCK!!

thank you!

[alpharius]

Getting to this convo a bit late.....

Yu_qing - you've got to stick in there for a year and then they'll let you go with a golden handshake. I think I know which firm you're in - but in any case, they all operate on the up or out methodology, which means that when its time for you to go - they'll give you a nice reference letter. The trick is finding a client to jump ship to, and there other problem is that there tends to be more consultants than open spots for them to jump ship to.

After I graduated I avoided the big firms because I met and knew many of the people working there - and the last thing that many of these companies want to do is actually help the client.

My suggestion - try for the big banks - especially BMO - which tends to snap up female consultants relatively quickly. CIBC isn't bad either.

[Yu_Qing]

Getting to this convo a bit late.....

Yu_qing - you've got to stick in there for a year and then they'll let you go with a golden handshake. I think I know which firm you're in - but in any case, they all operate on the up or out methodology, which means that when its time for you to go - they'll give you a nice reference letter. The trick is finding a client to jump ship to, and there other problem is that there tends to be more consultants than open spots for them to jump ship to.

After I graduated I avoided the big firms because I met and knew many of the people working there - and the last thing that many of these companies want to do is actually help the client.

My suggestion - try for the big banks - especially BMO - which tends to snap up female consultants relatively quickly. CIBC isn't bad either.

Hey thanks Alpharius. I'll try to jump ships but I was thinking of moving to a consumer goods company or a tech company. I applied for a few positions at banks (even when i was in school) and never had much luck. i interviewed at CIBC the same time i interviewed for this current job. CIBC rejected me (it was for the rotational technology leadership program).

I'm slowly approaching the one year mark...what scares me is i haven't gotten any interviews yet.

[alpharius]

Yu - the CIBC internship program seems to look for certain types of people. It might be coincidental, but for the two years that I was at Rotman and the year before that, it tended to go to people of a certain ethnic descent. Having known two of the three, I can assure you that it wasn't merit based but perhaps it was personality based as both people were easy going.

As for the interviews, I think its pretty much a numbers game unless you have an "in" in the form of a pre-existing contact who can vouch for you. Existing clients would be ideal as they know the work that you can do already. I debated whether you should be mentioning this to co-workers, but I would ultimately decided against it. Up and out doesn't really promote strong and deep employee bonds, and they might use that information against you. Are there any former classmates from Rotman that you still keep in touch with?

[LostInTruth]

70 hours a week is nothing. Be thankful you get paid fairly and be thankful you're even allowed at the beach instead of being where you belong: back at your desk doing work.

Sounds like you've gotten in over your head with this whole MBA and upper class business. Ever hear the phrase, if you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen? Well you should have stayed the hell out of the kitchen buddy.

He refuses to fire you, count your lucky stars. Most others with poor performers would have been out on their ***** a long time ago. You're to get back to work and do your job to an acceptable level and stop complaining.


+1

I'm not familiar with all the posters in here, but what this poster says makes sense.

To try and get yourself fired is not going to help you in the long word OP; it would take more determination to quit, or keep the job and look elsewhere.

Having an MBA should be a huge asset, unfortunately, several people have it and still no career but a lot of debt.

Everybody states equality, but when it comes down to it, nobody wants to be treated equally in the workplace as they'll always try to use something to their advantage. Not trying to be crass, but you said you're a woman, & that should not be a "handicap" as I'm sure their are 1000's of unemployed, educated, hard-working (not saying you're not!) women who will gladly take your place. I do however understand you have responsibilities, but you cannot expect the job to bend over backwards to accommodate you when you knew coming in what you would expect (and you've been there less than a year). It's like the part timers I work with. They get good pay + benefits, but when their hours are reduced they get upset. Understandable, but part time guarantee hours is 16, and the thing that baffles me is they still have it better than FULL-TIME workers making minimum wage. Kinda OT, but just a small rant.

Again, no disrespect to OP, but JK400 while harsh, is not too far off from reality. Do stereotypes exist in the workplace? Sure. From ethnicity to citizenship it's an unfortunate you cannot overcome, but sometimes you have to be the change that you seek (I believe Obama said that).

Anyways, good luck on whatever you decide OP. Again, no disrespect.

[niroopg]

thanks for your insightful response.

i don't know why he hired me to be honest. he even mentioned it himself that i don't have experience like others. but he admitted to me that he thinks i have potential and he can "nurture" me. the problem is, his nurturing is not the good kind (i.e. "You need to develop this, you should work on this, your weakness is this"). His include a lot of put downs and lies (yes, lies). I prefer not to write them here on this board, but if ur interested, PM me.

another thing is, and i do believe this is relevant- he's an asian guy (CBC). i too am an asian (girl). i am the ONLY female who is an associate consultant (other girls are admin staff). we work with mostly white guys on our team. the things he says to me, he would NEVER say to the white guys cause the white guys would be more likely to stick up for themselves. and they know their *****. i am the least experienced out of everyone. i feel like he treats me this way because he knows asians are less confrontational and he can get away with it.

i am currently looking for jobs. hopefully its true what they say- the easiest time to find a job is when you already have one.

Maybe this is his way of courtship. He wants to wed you.

[bbpower]

If you are going to start a family, then just quit and start a family. I am to warn you that after most female have kids and stayed home, they are dying to go back to work. At least you won't be working for this horrible boss / department any longer. To screw with the boss, you should just have a kid, take mat leave, hold on to the position for 1 year, and then quit when you are back from mat leave.

+1 Your work seems stressful. Take some time off.

[theknighttemplar]

70 hours a week is nothing. Be thankful you get paid fairly and be thankful you're even allowed at the beach instead of being where you belong: back at your desk doing work.

Sounds like you've gotten in over your head with this whole MBA and upper class business. Ever hear the phrase, if you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen? Well you should have stayed the hell out of the kitchen buddy.

He refuses to fire you, count your lucky stars. Most others with poor performers would have been out on their ***** a long time ago. You're to get back to work and do your job to an acceptable level and stop complaining.

man,you really have a slave mentality... working 70 hours a week and you say she must be thankful.do you actually have a life...?I don't think so..... you're one of those idiots who stay overtime doing nothing just and lick his boss ***** to get a promotion... affecting this way other normal ppl who work in that office.She doesn't have to endure a toxic environment working with such a jerks...the job market is huge and all you need is to find an HR who thinks outside the box... I'm sick of these idiots who say the same stupid cliche: who will hire you if you jump the boat...bla bla bla...? come'on!you're pathetic!you slaves!!!!

[dealseeker2011]

It's really hard to be in your position. Think about it a lot of times. And I'm sure whatever will happen will be for your best.

[thestar99]

I am in accounting field worked crazy hours but nothing like yours. I would say stick it out for one year and try to apply for government jobs. After working in private sector now I know why everyone wants to get into government.

Excellent pay, Excellent benefits and great hours sound like a dream for most of us in private sector

With your experience and MBA you should have a good shot at getting interviews. Another thing you can do if things get out of hand is look for temporary assignments which should be not as hard as full time to find. Biggest question is can you afford to take a big pay cut if you quit. PM me if you want list of recruiting firms to assist you in your job search

[VonMatterhorn]

You don't need to be miserable for the entire year. Start looking, just don't quit until you find another job. I am an engineer and found a job in my last month of school which looked very promising. One month into it I started to hate it, so I kept applying to other jobs on the side. Found a better job after one month (now 10th month into this job) and then gave my notice.

Don't let go of what you have until you find something better.

[Kohanz]

70 hours a week is nothing. Be thankful you get paid fairly and be thankful you're even allowed at the beach instead of being where you belong: back at your desk doing work.

Sounds like you've gotten in over your head with this whole MBA and upper class business. Ever hear the phrase, if you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen? Well you should have stayed the hell out of the kitchen buddy.

He refuses to fire you, count your lucky stars. Most others with poor performers would have been out on their ***** a long time ago. You're to get back to work and do your job to an acceptable level and stop complaining.

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic or if you've actually drank that much of the Koolaid.

[Kohanz]

Hey,

First off as someone who works in Finance/Consulting painful egotistical world. I will say you should not even consider quitting without having something lined up and by something I mean something good. Quitting 1 year out of an MBA is basically the kiss of death you are basically admitting you were way above your head or not qualified for the position you got (which I doubt). This industry (your industry) does not take lightly to "spaces on the resume". But it seems you have posted before and I bet each time you finish/get time between assignments, you think wtf why do I not quit already.

As for the miserable life and boss. I would say some of things your boss says/doing is most likely 20-30% of the finance/consulting world. The bottomline is certain people like to choose their race horse early and guess what this boss of yours has decided you are not the horse for him, unfortunate but reality. That said what you need to comprehend is even a "D" in your boss's book is going to be gold on your resume and much further ahead than other people, so there is no reason to be down or think just cause you can never be his race horse or perfect that you have no future in the job or industry. Likewise you are correct there is no reason to even think of HR (hah at HR, HR has no power in a firm like this) since most likely your boss brings in a lot of clients and $$$, this is why he acts how he does and does not give a damn if any of his staff lives or dies. He has one sole person to care for and answer to and that is the client, likewise the more he beats on his staff and others more likelihood he has clients who are beating the crap out of him 10x more.

So start looking around for other things be it marketing in a CPG, non-profit or something in financial services. But till you land something good, try to deal with the misery. Just know that no matter what he says, there is a reason the firm hired you and others like you. The same reason he refuses to fire you, you may not be his racehorse but he knows if you leave tomorrow he would be screwed and you would not be easy to replace. If you truly did suck, he would have already fired you....trust.

Good, level-headed reply from someone with actual experience in the matter.

[Vladimir]

my first job out of college was like this. I was highly motivated at the start.. but then the boss was a jerk and extremely ungrateful, long hours, unfriendly co workers.. etc.
I was there for 6 months and was just about to quit when all of a sudden my boss told me I was laid off (not just me , 1/5th of the company was laid off). I was jumping for joy that I was laid off.. meant I didn't have to quit. Luckily I was still living with my parents at that time so wasn't desperate for another job.. Got my current job now and love it.. been here for 5 years.
A lot of my friends seem to jump ship every 1 - 2 years.. and it works great for them.. they tell me it is the best way to get a raise. 20% raise as well as a better job title each time they jump ship.
I am more of the old school type who would rather just stay at a job I enjoy than try to climb the corporate ladder as quickly as possible.

[clumzy1]

Interesting responses... What is the standard time you guys usually stay in a job and is money the only reason to look for another job?

[Vladimir]

Interesting responses... What is the standard time you guys usually stay in a job and is money the only reason to look for another job?

I think it entirely depends what you are primarly looking for in a job.
Is it money?
Is it power?
Is it enjoyment?
Or looking for something different?

For me #3 is my top priority. I don't care if I am making 200k a year. If I am working 80+ hours a week, am constantly stressed out.. it isn't worth it, whereas other people would put up with 5x the amount of BS for an extra 30% money. I have had a total of 2 full time jobs (hated my first one and was there for 6 months until I got laid off.. was just about to quit anyways), love my current one where I have been at for 5 years), 2 coop jobs (hated one liked the other both 4 month terms), and 1 part time job(liked it.. grocery store.. was there for 5 years but then had to quit for school.. was 2nd longest part timer there.. ).

My one cousin says she will never ever stay at a job for more than 2 years because she constantly needs something new so for her #4 is most important. She is now 30 and has had about 8 different full time jobs in 4 different fields.

[clumzy1]

I think it entirely depends what you are primarly looking for in a job.
Is it money?
Is it power?
Is it enjoyment?
Or looking for something different?

For me #3 is my top priority. I don't care if I am making 200k a year. If I am working 80+ hours a week, am constantly stressed out.. it isn't worth it, whereas other people would put up with 5x the amount of BS for an extra 30% money. I have had a total of 2 full time jobs (hated my first one and was there for 6 months until I got laid off.. was just about to quit anyways), love my current one where I have been at for 5 years), 2 coop jobs (hated one liked the other both 4 month terms), and 1 part time job(liked it.. grocery store.. was there for 5 years but then had to quit for school.. was 2nd longest part timer there.. ).

My one cousin says she will never ever stay at a job for more than 2 years because she constantly needs something new so for her #4 is most important. She is now 30 and has had about 8 different full time jobs in 4 different fields.


You make good points here... When you say power you mean responsibilities? I also believe something new also has to with the line of work you are in. For me, enjoyment and to learn something new is above and beyond anything else, along with a raise in salary does not actually hurt.

[Yu_Qing]

thanks for your responses everyone, i really appreciate it.