Hey all - early 30’s and feeling really lost in terms of trying to figure out what I want to do in life. I’ve been in consulting for 5 years and just hate it. I’m torn between doing something for the greater good and making good money. Is there any way to do both?

Also if anyone has recs for helpful books or podcasts on figuring out life, I would appreciate any and all suggestions!

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Likewise. Mid 30s, same dilemma. Using this year to figure out, definitely not looking to stay in the consulting

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I think a lot of peope (maybe most?) struggle with this and throughout their career too....and that the only way to get closer to the answer is to keep reflecting on it, exploring options (talking to people you trust and people in roles you find interesting) and then when you find something that might be a fit, take the leap and give it a try

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Right there with you. Would love to do something in government even on a local level, but it’s really not my personality type. Maybe something for you

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👀Don't do govt. It's sad but nothing gets done. If you hear people "achieving" things, it's small wins that shouldn't have taken as long as it did. It's not just consulting firms though, the whole govt. climate is very slowwwwww. You get sucked into inefficient real quick.

Read “So Good They Can’t Ignore You”. Someone on FB recommended. I realized it’s correct.

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Thank you C2! I’ll check it out

I’m working through this book right now. I like it. It comes with a lot of exercises, which makes it feel productive and tangible.

Designing Your Life: How to Build a Well-Lived, Joyful Life https://www.amazon.com/dp/1101875321/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_znNDFbPNVNR21

Thank you for posting! I’ve been struggling with this for sometime. While I was still in college I was okay with being undecided, going down the consulting path. Well after 6 years, I’m ready for a change. What that is, I have no idea. I have many interests, however they require starting anew or are more of a passive interest that I don’t want to make a career. I’ve always been skeptical of those that know exactly what they want to do at such a young age, however today’s the best time to begin making that change

Not sure how this would work in COVID but:

Short Term - Get you interfacing with people outside of consulting. Pick an org / cause you care about and see if they're doing fellowships and apply (Planned Parenthood ambassadorships, political issue advocacy, etc.) If that's not an option, volunteer your professional skills pro-bono to the org / issue.

Mid Term - What are you good at that you enjoy doing in your current role? What did you dream of doing after college that you passed up for consulting? Figure out where the two intersect. Try to leverage the short term rec into landing something.

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