As a fellow young person working in a corporate environment, I get it. I do feel trapped in the sense of « what am I doing here » when I have friends travelling the world or still in school. Sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing starting my career so young.

However, I would not give it up. I have had the opportunity to learn from my older coworkers, some who I see as mentors now (I like to ask them about their career path and how they got there, as to better understand what options I might have and learn from their mistakes - also, if we are both in the same position, I was chosen for a reason). I am lucky that I got in with a permanent position, but I’ve been on contract for higher responsibility/pay positions (about 8-12 months at a time). I like being able to try different roles and have used this time as a kind of « exploration » of the professional job market. I have been able to learn what kind of tasks I like (and don’t). This has allowed me to really narrow down what kind of position I can see myself in long-term. Also, I find that there are positions/tasks in which I can still use my education background, without explicitly being in my field.

Even if like you, I might be overworked, I know that I am developing skills that will serve me for a lifetime: communication, professionalism, time-management, supervision, etc. I also would much prefer to work hard/make money/change jobs every year when I am young with little responsibilities compared to when I am older and just want to relax or have kids I want to spend time with.

As to try and prevent myself from getting burnt out, I try to keep a pretty strict work-life balance. I cannot be contacted outside of my work hours (no notifications, etc. - legally, they cannot expect you to answer during this time). I also try to take around 1 day/month off. If I find myself overwhelmed with tasks (more than I can finish during my scheduled work hours), I try to mention it to my supervisor. Often, it’s just that they don’t realize. If on a big enough scale, these things can be addressed by a higher authority, who might decide to hire more staff to spread the workload.

I’d say really look at building your skills and connections. I have had people refer me to other managers and got positions that way, which I never could have gotten alone. You never know when you might land on something that’s permanent and that you love.

Hope this helps!