'You brushed me off; now I'm leaving': Burnt out junior associate quits after his boss says he's bad at his job; boss begs him to stay

Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor

Jul 22, 2023 11:00 PM EDT

Quality of life is something that companies rarely include in their job descriptions. As a freshie just out of college, you don't realize that corporations are entirely willing to take advantage of your fresh-faced view of the working world, working you to the bone until you're burnt out. That's exactly what happened to a newly graduated junior associate who finished college in 2020, got a job right away, and slaved for years for a nepo-baby boss with no grasp on company functions.

After 1.5 years of indentured servitude, OP finally realized that he was being spread thin. Seeing a therapist and medicating himself for the stress endured at work, OP was on his final straw one day when his boss strolled in and reamed him for his 'poor' work on a particular project. Knowing the boss had no clue what he was talking about, OP was peeved. Boss man just wanted someone to scream at in order to feel important in the office, but OP wasn't going to take it anymore.

Keep scrolling for the full story on how OP's mistreatment at work drove him back to a forgiving job market with higher salaries and better opportunities, while leaving his toxic workplace (and horrible boss) behind him. For more stories of younglings trying to get work in this job economy, check out this story of a guy who botched an interview because he forgot who he'd applied for.