PhD from Cambridge >> 1 yr post doc research >> big4 tech consulting (1 year).Want out because I'm surrounded by socially inept nerds and can't flex my creative side even when I have previous experience. The internal departments are too watertight for a tech Consultant to be given a Competitive Strat project role even if it's only CDD really.What would be the best route to happiness ? Given market conditions.1. Quit >> MBA >> apply for MBB2. Quit >> Marketing firm (Ogilvy etc) >> reapply to Big 4 but Strat div3. Stay >> negotiate a move into diff division (but based on what?)4. Stay >> wallow in tech grief

Very similar position. I feel your pain.

i used to be in your position.My advice is that you should not worry too much..you have only 1 yr post grad experience. This is nothing...understand that no one will let you do the creative work you want to do ( even at ad/mkt agencies) with such little experience.Learn to tolerate what you do. Learn different things in your company. Moving wont really solve much.

Why bother asking? You're just going to do #4, along with the rest of your Big4 colleagues who, despite all evidence to the contrary, believe they're the one special case who got overlooked for bigger and better things.I propose option 5: keep sulking for another decade until your career peaks as a manager, taking your bitterness out on everyone who works with you along the way. Then quit to work as a one-man contractancy, where you describe yourself as managing partner of a boutique firm and get by on occasional £15/hr temp jobs while your significant other keeps the roof over your head. When your significant other leaves you, slink back into Big4 on a lower salary/grade than you left on and with an even bigger chip on your shoulder. Repeat until death.

I was in not too dissimilar situation a couple of years back. It took me a while to pluck up the courage and leave. A lot of insecure grads end up going for a big4 without understanding how much of a cog in the wheel they'll be or fully understand what their job/career is about and they chug along in a state of alienated anxiety dreaming of being something else yet staying to feel in their 'protected' brand bubble with their disgruntled peers.1. ...More education?! I'd get some real business experience before that.2. Not sure how much marketing will allign you for a strat job unless it's a top company and you do some ground breaking stuff.3. I'd be amazed if you pulled this one off4. Your call5. Take an industry role doing something more businessy in a sector you like/understand, for a company that's not too big yet expanding and be happy.

Brand, Thanks a lot for your honest input.Anon, re: "despite all evidence to the contrary, believe they're the one special case who got overlooked for bigger and better things", those colleagues would be wrong because they are offshoots from some deserted campus in Loughborough/Nottingham Trent/Sheffield and not Cambridge and not with top grades.In all my obsession with the market conditions and disillusionment with academic Research, I believe I may have made a mistake in applying for the big 4. The tough bit (if I do quit and apply elsewhere) would now be convincing the MBB why I want them instead.

So the "socially inept nerds" are the "offshoots from some deserted campus in Loughborough/Nottingham Trent/Sheffield" rather than the "PhD from Cambridge". Quite a turn up for the books.Whichever route you take it's worth checking your ego before embarking on anything else. You're much more likely to find happiness and flexibility from your employer if the people you work with like you. The tough bit might be convincing people they want to work with you, since a Consultant thinking they're streaks ahead of everyone else when they still qualify themselves by their education, instead of real world achievements, doesn't excite too many people. I know someone with "PhD from Cambridge >> 1 yr post doc research >> big4 tech consulting (1 year)." If it's you, you've not that great. Research might be the better option.

"You've not that great"?

Cambridge didn't do my course. After a degree from Nottingham, 4 years in industry, 8 years in consulting and an MBA I'm now enjoying a nice career with an Investment Bank.If only Cambridge had done my course and I'd then gone on to get a PhD I could now be sticking my head up my own backside on an internet forum!

MC - no MBB is going to touch you. You've had the benefit of one of the best educations in the world and so far you've decided......to leave post doc research after a year..to leave big 4 after a year..to blame your unhappiness on your colleagues whom you clearly regard as socially and intellectually inferior..to seriously consider more education might be the answerYou come across as a snobbish, egotistical quitter.

Hmm. In response to the last few posts:1. The tough bit (if I do quit and apply elsewhere) would now be convincing the MBB why I want them instead. No, the tough bit will be convincing them why they want YOU.2. I know someone with "PhD from Cambridge >> 1 yr post doc research >> big4 tech consulting (1 year)." If it's you, you've not that great. Now come on, no need to lie!3. If only Cambridge had done my course and I'd then gone on to get a PhD I could now be sticking my head up my own backside on an internet forum!No need to be so smug. Clearly you've done well and the original poster is up his own backside, but cambridge is still better than nottingham (by quite a long way).4. to blame your unhappiness on your colleagues whom you clearly regard as socially and intellectually inferior But he might be right!

I think you should quit - and do your colleagues a favour. The way you present yourself, talk down your employer and colleagues, makes me think you are the socially inept nerd.Frankly I doubt MBB or a top end marketing firm would see any value at all in hiring you.Go away, learn some manners, humility and - if you can muster it - some loyalty. THEN you might be remotely near as good as you like to think you are.

ANON - Cambridge produces around 1000 PhDs every year. I'm sure there are a few people around with similar backgrounds.

I've done much the same stuff as you (Cambridge, PhD, post-doc, tech con). Given that:- you're surrounded by socially inept nerds (I take it this means you're socially highly skilled - because we all know a PhD and postdoc really give you people skills)- you've got said Cambridge PhD, making you the superior intellect (!) of your peer groupwhat I find confusing is why you would want to quit? I mean, given these advantages, you must really be succeeding, top 1%, right? With the kind of performance related raises you'll be getting, you'll be earning a partner's salary in no time!It surely couldn't be that you're just condescending and inept, and not able to cut it outside academia?

ANON, there's no smugness about it. I'm not the one who thinks someone owes me a living just because I've got an Oxbridge PhD. Yes I realise that Oxford and Cambridge look better than Notts on paper, but that's not much use if you haven't got the get up and go to capitalise on it.

1. Quit >> MBA >> apply for MBBAs others have said no way - you've spent your life studying already. Plus any decent MBA would want more than 1 year work experience.2. Quit >> Marketing firm (Ogilvy etc) >> reapply to Big 4 but Strat div"Marketing firm" sounds very general ... plus why would you go there as a stepping stone to MBB3. Stay >> negotiate a move into diff division (but based on what?)4. Stay >> wallow in tech griefSounds like best option for now but as others have said you need to change attitude a bit and try and get more out of it.

"What would be the best route to happiness ? Given market conditions." IF your happiness depends on market conditions I feel sorry for you, yet another educated robot whose self worth depends on his take home packet and the value of his portfolio. Get a life, volunteer at a soup kitchen, then come back to consulting with your head in the right place. Or, get into inwestment wanking instead.

+1..slow day at office today for me..

Don't listen to the criticism by some of the board. They are probably at big 4 themselves and think that makes them hot. You've not got an ego, you just want something better, there's nothing wrong with that.

I can confirm I am not "at big 4" - although I'm not sure why that would disqualify me from anything if I was....?Aspiring to achieve something better is AMBITION.Blaming the social ineptitude of colleagues and intransigence of one's employer for failing to achieve that "something better" is EGO.Thinking you are better than other MC's because of where you went to Uni is EGO.The OP defines himself purely in "labels" - PHD, Cambridge, creative. He believes that his only fault was to sell himself short in taking his present job, i.e. if he had gone to a "proper" company he would by now be working with better people (clever, articulate people like himself , no doubt), doing brilliant work and succeeding.His other two options are variations of DO NOTHING.His only appetite for helping himself is to find a solution where his genius will be adequatley recognised.I stand my assessment - the guy is a quitter. I'd hire backbone over brain any day of the week.

Please email me your address and I will send you a backbone by return post (please specify if what it came from is important).You can use it as much as you like. I'll invoice you for a flat day rate of £1125.

Hear hear Mr Cool.I would go further and say that it's not EGO that's the problem - anon way back in post 4 nails it. grads with 1 year of experience believing, despite evidence to the contrary, that they are the "Special One" and if only the world gave them a fair shot, they would be partners by 28 on £200k. the key is Entitlement - he's a Cambridge PhD after all, how dare the world not recognize this?Frankly the one who should be getting him "outta here" is his employer, as it will be very difficult to motivate mr MC to do the grunt work required to move up to the next level.