{"id":14,"date":"2026-05-12T18:06:57","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T18:06:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/americanhomejournals.com\/?p=14"},"modified":"2026-05-12T18:06:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T18:06:57","slug":"i-worked-at-mckinsey-and-jpmorgan-before-moving-to-spain-to-teach-heres-why-the-corporate-world-was-a-necessary-step","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/americanhomejournals.com\/?p=14","title":{"rendered":"I worked at McKinsey and JPMorgan before moving to Spain to teach. Here’s why the corporate world was a necessary step."},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

This as-told-to is based on a conversation with Victoria Yorio, 26, a teaching assistant with NALCAP in Madrid, Spain. Business Insider has confirmed her previous employment at McKinsey and JPMorgan. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n

Read more The reviews are in: Warren Buffett\u2019s faithful fans share their thoughts on Greg Abel<\/a><\/p>\n

Growing up in a very blue-collar community \u2014 my dad is a police officer, my mom worked in admin, my grandpa did construction, my grandma was at Walmart \u2014 I never expected my journey to pan out the way it did. The corporate world I entered was uncharted territory.<\/p>\n

I’ve always been a perfectionist<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I’ve been a go-getter perfectionist since high school, when I’d get 100 on tests and still do extra credit. I graduated from George Washington University in three years, with a degree in international affairs and minor in Arabic, which I’d heard was one of the hardest languages to learn.<\/p>\n

I landed my first full-time job at USAID, working remotely and living at home in New Jersey because of the pandemic. The work was interesting, but the salary was low, and I had student loans. I wanted the autonomy to move out of my parents’ house and to build more generalist skills, and I didn’t want to choose whether to go out to dinner or pay my phone bill.<\/p>\n

Making it work at McKinsey and JPMorgan<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Some kids spent all of college preparing for consulting recruiting, but I didn’t even know what a consultant was when I was an undergrad. It felt like a pragmatic career path, though, so I applied to McKinsey and landed a role as an analyst in Dallas.<\/p>\n

The job came with a good salary, but also a lot of travel and personal sacrifice. I realized in two years that it wasn’t the lifestyle for me, though I really appreciated the experience, and I would do it all over again.<\/p>\n

I knew I wanted to do something similar, and learned through networking that internal consulting at a big company could be a good fit. A recruiter at JPMorgan responded to a LinkedIn message, and I joined as a strategy associate in New York City.<\/p>\n

The hours were better than McKinsey, since I usually worked 9:00 am to 6:00 pm and made six figures. For the first time, I had a chance to think about what I wanted from my life. I had hustled since high school, and I won the prize: a good job, a studio in Manhattan, nights at restaurants and cool DJs, and travel. But I felt empty and unfulfilled.<\/p>\n

At first, I thought I was struggling to adjust to New York. I went to meet-up events, tried volleyball and yoga and stand-up comedy, but something wasn’t clicking. My definition of success crumbled \u2014 I had reached it by 25 and didn’t feel any joy. I realized I didn’t know who I was outside of a job title or aiming for a goal. The problem wasn’t JPMorgan; I think I could have worked anywhere and reached the same conclusion.<\/p>\n

Read more Blackstone president Jon Gray shares how to make the most out of working at a big firm<\/a><\/p>\n

One mentor asked me, “What would be the most rebellious thing you could do in your life right now?” I immediately said I’d quit my job to move to Spain and teach English. She asked why I wouldn’t do it, and I said because it was stupid, crazy \u2014 not me.<\/p>\n

But I found a program and applied to scratch an itch, not because I thought I’d go. The time crept up to decide about the program, so I talked to my boss, who asked if I’d regret not going. She was very supportive, and so was her boss when I handed in my two weeks’ notice. People don’t talk about how hard it is to leave a job that’s good to you.<\/p>\n

Yet by the middle of September last year, I was on my way to Madrid.<\/p>\n

Building leverage made the leap to Spain possible<\/strong><\/h2>\n

I went into full consultant mode when I arrived in Spain, finding an apartment in four days and negotiating the rent. I’ve been teaching English to sixth graders preparing for their Cambridge Certificates, a language test, and I can see the progress right before my eyes.<\/p>\n

After the six figures I made at JPMorgan, I’m now paid a \u20ac1,000 monthly stipend. It’s a pretty tight budget compared to what I’m used to in America, and I’ve had to dip into my savings to create a lifestyle I enjoy.<\/p>\n

Having a financial safety net has given me the comfort to take this leap, since I built financial leverage when I was younger. It’s easy to say, “just follow your passion,” but I don’t recommend doing that without building leverage first. It would be irresponsible to ignore how important financial stability and a professional network are to charting your own course.<\/p>\n

I used to be obsessed with doing the hardest thing and being the best, but at this point, I just want to do something purpose-driven. I’ve started posting about my journey online, and I’ve gotten an overwhelming response, so maybe I’ll pivot to coaching.<\/p>\n

Before coming to Spain, I drafted five- and ten-year plans. Now, it’s a one-year plan. Where do I want to be next year? What do I think will make me happy next year? For the first time in my life, I’m okay not having all the answers mapped out.<\/p>\n

Read more Companies laying off staff this year include Meta, Amazon, and Coinbase \u2014 see the list<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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