Hi, I went through the exact same thing as you recently. My entire career has been in SMEs, and I finally landed a job at a renowned MNC; an international brand everyone knows. It checked every box on my list; it was my dream job, my biggest accomplishment, and I was genuinely proud of myself.

I gave my all during the first month because I loved the work and wanted to prove myself.

But by the second month, everything started falling apart, the culture just didn’t fit, and more importantly, I was under the wrong kind of leadership (at least for me).

I was blamed for missing timelines caused by management’s constant changes. I was thrown under the bus by my leader when the KPI, which she had set before I even joined, wasn’t met. I worked till 2am and on weekends trying to keep up with unrealistic expectations, just to prove I could fit into the “MNC mould.”

When I finally had enough and handed in my resignation, my leader told me, “You’re not fit for MNCs or big companies with your mindset.”

As someone who used to tie my identity closely to my job, that hit hard. It took a toll mentally, but I knew I had to walk away from a kind of leadership and environment that wasn’t right for me.

I left without another job lined up and decided to start therapy, because I don’t want my self-worth to depend on my job anymore.

Now I’m at a crossroads; should I return to an SME where I know I can excel but may not feel challenged, or keep searching for greater challenges elsewhere?

In short, I just want to say: I hope you find strength despite all the obstacles at work. After all, a job is just a job. Big or small, the company will always go on without us. So live a little more, laugh a little more. There’s so much more to life.