Spent 5 years in a job I hated, now questioning the MBA I started to escape it
Hi, 28M here. I've spent the last 5 years in corporate sales, and I've hated it for a while now. I've always felt very lost, like none of the obvious paths sound interesting to me. I at least know I don't want to go into finance or accounting, but beyond that, I feel like I'm shooting in the dark.
This might sound radical, but I decided to pursue an MBA in Spain for a fresh start. My original thinking was that it would buy me time for some self-exploration and figuring out what I actually want. But as soon as I started, I realized how intense this year is going to be (it's a one-year program). Instead of getting space to think about where I want to put my energy, it feels like a year of just putting my head down and grinding. I'm already burnt out from years of doing a job I didn't like, and honestly, most of the material we're covering doesn't interest me much either. So now I'm second-guessing the whole thing, since it means another year of my life plus draining my savings.
The alternative I'm considering is moving back home with my parents, taking some time to work on my mental health, and doing as much job shadowing and as many informal interviews as I can to get some direction.
Has anyone been in a similar spot? Would love to hear how you figured out your next step.
Posted Sep 13, 2026, 6:16 AM UTC