When Corporate Isn’t For You — And That’s OK
You might be sitting in your cubicle (or on yet another Zoom call) thinking:
“I don’t want to do this forever.”
Or maybe:
“I’m not even sure I want to do this next week.”
If you’ve found yourself inside a corporate job and realized it’s not for you — I want to say this clearly and kindly:
You’re not broken. You’re not doing it wrong. And you’re not alone.
Let’s Say It Together: Corporate Isn’t for Everyone
Some people genuinely like structure.
Some people like a clear title and a steady paycheck.
Some people make it work for a time, then outgrow it.
And some people?
They were never meant to be here in the first place.
You’re allowed to come to that realization. You’re allowed to admit it to yourself. And you’re allowed to make a plan to move toward something else — even if you can’t leave right now.
This series was never meant to sell you on staying in corporate.
It’s meant to help you navigate it while you’re here.
But Don’t Write It Off Too Quickly
If you’re in a corporate role right now — and it doesn’t feel right — you still have something valuable at your fingertips.
Corporate gives you:
Exposure to tools and systems you might not otherwise access
A front-row seat to leadership styles (good, bad, and ugly)
Budgets and strategies bigger than what most people launch solo with
A chance to build connections that could serve you long after you’ve moved on
You don’t have to love it to learn from it.
You don’t have to stay forever to benefit while you’re here.
Let’s Talk About Networking (Without the Ick)
The phrase “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know” can leave a bad taste in your mouth — especially in environments where nepotism is real.
But making connections inside corporate doesn’t have to feel gross.
It doesn’t have to feel fake. And it doesn’t have to be reserved for people who went to the “right” schools or walked in with the “right” last name.
If you do good work — work that reaches across teams, makes people’s lives easier, and builds your reputation as someone who shows up — people remember that.
Those people may become clients. Partners. Referrers. Investors.
Or they may just be someone who says your name in a room you weren’t in.
That matters.
And it doesn’t have to stop when you leave.
Use Corporate — Don’t Let It Use You
If you’re still here because:
You need the paycheck
You’re planning your next move
You’re building something outside of 9 to 5
That’s valid.
You can use corporate like a launchpad.
A placeholder. A bridge. A way to fund your future.
You can deprioritize internal growth for a season and treat it as the stable container it is. A job where you clock in, do the work, clock out — and then go build your actual dream in the hours that follow.
Just because corporate isn’t your forever doesn’t mean it has to be your enemy.
What You Learn From This Is Still Worth Learning
Knowing that this world isn’t for you? That’s information.
And information is power.
If your time in corporate taught you:
What kind of work you don’t want to do
What kind of leadership you don’t want to follow (or emulate)
That structure doesn’t motivate you — but autonomy does
…then that was time well spent.
So don’t regret your corporate detour.
Just make sure you’re taking everything valuable from it with you.
Action Required:
If you’ve been feeling out of place in corporate — not just tired, but misaligned — take a breath and ask yourself:
Am I burned out, or just not built for this system?
Am I staying because I want to… or because I don’t know what else is possible?
What parts of corporate life feel draining no matter how many boundaries I set?
Now: write a permission slip.
Not to quit tomorrow — but to tell yourself the truth without judgment.
Then do one thing:
Explore a path that lights you up, even if it’s just research.
Talk to someone who’s left the system.
Imagine a life where your value doesn’t depend on performance reviews or org charts.
You don’t have to make a dramatic exit. But you do owe it to yourself to be honest about what fits — and what doesn’t.
