New Delhi, India

In the very expensive world we live in, would you ever quit a job that pays you over $203K? That is exactly what an employee of McKinsey & Company did. The unidentified former associate in a conversation with the Business Insider said he made the decision because the job was affecting his mental health. 

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Going in for a 'bad time'

The former McKinsey associate joined the company in 2021, and he told the publication that going in he always knew he was there "for a bad time, not a long time."

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"I knew that the work would be challenging, and I also hoped that if I stuck it out, I'd be able to build up my analytical toolkit and learn how to problem-solve really well," he said.

However, he soon found himself struggling with the pressure and sheer amount of work, which he had to do without any apprenticeship.

"It's supposed to be a really apprenticeship-heavy culture, but that wasn't my experience," he said.

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"I was there to learn, but it was a frustrating experience because no one was there to teach me. I wanted somebody to sit down with me and teach me the basic skills required for the job, like how to problem-solve for a meeting, how to wordsmith a deck, and how to fix my mistakes."

"I was alone on an island while my manager drowned in her other work. I felt like I wasn't learning anything," he said, adding, "I was alone on an island while my manager drowned in her other work. I felt like I wasn't learning anything."

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When people think of a work day, they typically think 9 to 5. However, this person was forced to work from 7:30 am until 11:30 pm.

"On a typical day, I worked from 7:30 a.m. or 8 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. And it was pedal to the metal — I didn't leave my desk, forgot to eat, and dropped tonnes of weight. I barely remembered to go to the bathroom. I only remembered to get up when I noticed my dog looking at me all sad," he shared.

He also revealed that he was subjected to a toxic work culture, with a few associate partners and partners who "freaked out over mistakes and belittled people's thought processes."

So, what do you think? His quitting a high-paying job that many of us would kill for was warranted, or no?

(With inputs from agencies)