I’m a New Grad Who Gave up a Six-Figure Finance Job

I majored in political science but took classes at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. Being around career-focused students who always talked about their résumés and internships challenged me to start caring about those things.

I tried out a variety of internships in college: I worked at a non-profit media outlet, an advertising company, and a think tank.

My strategy has always been to add 100-150 jobs to a spreadsheet with their details and apply to five each day until I run out. In my final summer before graduation, I managed to land three internship offers — from a consulting company, a consumer goods company, and JPMorgan.

When I got that phone call that I got the JPMorgan internship, it was so exciting and I felt really grateful. I would be working in their private banking division in Seattle. I wasn’t too nervous because they made it clear that even if we knew nothing, they could teach us.

Despite everything I have heard about banking from other friends, the interns and even the analysts we worked under did not have to work beyond our hours or on weekends. I didn’t find that my internship was taking a toll on me — physically or mentally.

When it came to getting full-time return offers, I expected to get it because I thought I did a good job and felt like I deserved it. They picked three out of five in my cohort, including me.

But by the time the offer rolled around, I think I had already had this lingering sense that this wasn’t the environment I wanted to be in long term.

I definitely had mixed feelings about the offer, even though it put my starting salary at $100,000 a year.

The number one factor in my pros and cons list was financial stability and knowing that a six-figure salary was one signature away. I don’t come from money, and my mom is a single parent to me and my three siblings. I was able to attend university because of several scholarships.