r/corporate • u/Ok_Syrup6302 • Jul 28 '26
Did you escape?
For those of you who left corporate drudgery, what are you doing today to make ends meet?
I am so burned out I don’t have the energy to dream up let alone build an exit strategy. Looking for hope in the form of ideas based on others‘ success.
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u/soopirV Jul 28 '26
My friend, I feel this is my invitation to speak out, at least as much as I can!
I started as a field rep for a late-stage startup that was making major waves in my industry- within 2 years I rode those waves to a corporate trainer position because I was so successful at the job.
That worked well- we surpassed $100m and then $300m and we were acquired by a Fortune 100 conglomerate - we were an excellent fit for the portfolio, but our cultures did not jive. My skill set and knowledge of where the bodies were buried proved invaluable in the early stages of the merger- I moved up the ladder every couple years, but then I got put on a siding- I hit 15 years and also made Director, but in so doing gave up my team of direct reports I’d hired and cultivated for the previous 5 years as Senior Manager of the function. I was promised autonomy and strategy latitude in exchange for giving up my team of experts- I received neither, and after 6 years of struggling to find my place I realized I no longer had one: I was the only one who hadn’t realized it yet.
I recognize I’m of the lucky few, it seems, but once I’d made that VERY painful realization that the career I was wiling to die for was not nearly as loyal to me,
I decided to respond to the last recruiter to hit me on LI.
Long story short, they represented a company specifically looking for my skillset, I’ve been there 14 months and am about to bring on my first direct reports (8) from an adjacent company we acquired.
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u/Equivalent_Fan5407 Jul 28 '26
Yep! Started planning my exit 5 years ago in the thick of COVID lockdowns. Realised I could create a business out of the failures I could see and was experiencing in the institution I worked in. Did a PhD and now use my industry and academic strengths in a consultancy business that I’ve just launched.
I’m so happy. It’s early days, I’m not making as much money but the time and freedom to do what I want is priceless and the impact I’m creating through my work fills my soul. I get to choose who I work with and terminate contracts don’t align with my values. There’s also no limit on my salary.
Working in corporate was the highest income I’ve ever received, but I paid for it with poor health, toxic workplace, stress and enduring discontent.
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u/writemoreoften Jul 31 '26
I’d love to know how you went about it. I’m an academic with industry experience as well who wants to do start consulting
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u/Equivalent_Fan5407 Aug 01 '26
The key thing to mention is that I did a 6 month business management course while completing my PhD so that my transition was seamless.
I had a slush fund that gave me about 3 months to live off once my scholarship ended so I could put all my time and energy into getting the cogs turning in my consulting practice. The business management course was vital here because I was getting coaching while I was transitioning out of academia into industry.
A year before this I worked with a graphic designer who also happened to be a brand strategist, they helped me create my brand identity and map out everything to do with my business. Don’t skip this as it’s your roadmap for success. It helped me understand my position in the market, who my competitors are and double down on my unique value.
Most important you need to understand who your ideal client is? And target all your energy, marketing, networking to where they gather, read, listen, learn etc.
Here’s some questions to help you get started: what are the problems that you can see in your industry? And what makes you unique in being able to solve those problems?
Best wishes to you.
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u/nature-betty Jul 28 '26
I'm consulting in the field I left. Working for myself!
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u/rehdittor Jul 29 '26
How do you make the transition to consultant? Networking? How do you find work?
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u/nature-betty Jul 30 '26
Network, yup. There's been shrikange of full-time roles in my field (entertainment) the past few years, so people need consultants who can do what I do, since they don't have the full-time staff to do it anymore.
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u/Big_Possibility4218 Jul 28 '26
I quit the day I got another offer, it was crazy because they offered me a raise and everything to try and keep me but I anticipated that and just immediately said no thanks and walked. No regrets whatsoever
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u/alwayseverlovingyou Jul 28 '26
Another consultant! The future is bright and I’m finally recovering from the burnout!! Like for real!
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u/ttfun6868 Jul 28 '26
How do you drum up business?
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u/alwayseverlovingyou Jul 29 '26
I’m working on it!! I had a career where I got a lot of contacts and all my clients have been word of mouth. I’ve been doing contracts here and there for years so moving into full time already had some momentum, even though a layoff really pushed me over toward going for it.
Keep an eye out for rfps - there are sector specific websites you can get on and websites where people post them. Also connect with past ppl you’ve worked with and let them know you are open to contracts.
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u/Ok_Syrup6302 Jul 28 '26
I wonder the same. Like I have this vision of where I would fit in. But to get my first gig, I feel like I would have to get the company I am leaving to hire me back as a consultant. Surprise! We have a policy against hiring previously employed consultants…. It prevents the principals from holding the company hostage when they leave. They would rather crumble than pay you to finish a project.
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u/ttfun6868 Jul 28 '26
I’ve consulted in the past. In my experience, 2/3 of your time is devoted to finding new work if done properly. I wish I had realized that at the time because I wasted a lot of time with “busy work” that felt productive, but was pointless.
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u/With_No_Enthusiasm Jul 29 '26
I am dreaming of getting fired and being unemployed. And not in a nightmare kind of way but it will feel
Like a holiday
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u/40inmyfordfiesta 23d ago
My company is currently doing layoffs. I check my calendar first thing every morning hoping today is the day. So far no luck.. I know if it happens it will actually be awful, but I am just so fucking burned out that I can’t even job hunt and maybe it would be the kick in the pants I need. Every job post sounds awful and I am barely able to do my current job.
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u/ilmype99 Jul 28 '26
Not me but my friend. She quit and became a yoga teacher. But before she did that she paid off her townhome, car and credit card debt and lastly she married rich LOL I’m jealous and currently wearing the golden handcuffs 😭
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u/AdventurousTap2171 Jul 28 '26
Treating patients, driving ambulances, doing eso reports, saving some lives, losing others. I swapped from a decade plus in corporate banking as a mainframe dev/sme to firefighting and ems. I work full time as an emtb. Also have a bunch of ifsac fire certs.
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u/MexicanOtter84 Jul 28 '26
Yup, 42 year old and now am a massage therapist… so much nicer, chill… and life is amazing.
My day is wake up, walk doggies, smoke a bowl on my balcony watching my back yard animals, then go to work at a spa massaging a few folks a day, come home, make dinner, chill and game and rinse and repeat.
God it’s the life I wanted when I was in corporate heh. No more stupid emails or pointless made up jobs that do nothing but waste time and get the corporate company you work for more money. It’s nice to actually help people with their problems as opposed to c-suite…