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.
Growing up in a very blue-collar community — my dad is a police officer, my mom worked in admin, my grandpa did construction, my grandma was at Walmart — I never expected my journey to pan out the way it did. The corporate world I entered was uncharted territory.
I’ve always been a perfectionist
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.
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.
Making it work at McKinsey and JPMorgan
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 — 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.
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 — not me.
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.
Yet by the middle of September last year, I was on my way to Madrid.
Building leverage made the leap to Spain possible
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.
After the six figures I made at JPMorgan, I’m now paid a €1,000 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.
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.
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.
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.
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