Hey everyone, I’m a 27M at a crossroads and could really use some perspective. I feel like I’m wasting my potential in my current role, but my health and personal situation make a "standard" career jump feel impossible right now.
My Background:
Education: BE in Mechanical Engineering + MBA in Business Analytics & Marketing from a top-tier regional insitute
Experience: I have corporate experience in social media analytics, secondary research, and influencer mapping for Fortune 500 and pharmaceutical clients (using tools like Brandwatch and Meltwater).
Current Role: Assistant Professor at a management institute, where I’m trying to modernize the curriculum with AI and data-driven frameworks.
Technical Skills: Python (currently upskilling), Power BI, Tableau, and Strategic Storytelling.
The Struggle:
Toxic Workplace: My current academic environment is draining. My HOD is extremely toxic—constantly screaming at staff and micromanaging small tasks. I’m being forced to do "admissions calling," which feels like a waste of my MBA and professional skills.
Mental & Physical Health: I’ve been battling PDD (dysthymia) for years, but recently things escalated to panic attacks and unprovoked seizures. I’m on medication (Depran L/Eptoin) that helps, but it also causes significant emotional blunting, making it hard to feel motivated or "normal".
The Location Trap: I moved back to my hometown for family support, but there are zero corporate analytics roles here. I’m terrified of moving back to a big hub like Bangalore and living alone because of the seizure risk, even though my heart knows that’s where the growth is,
but right now I feel stuck in a loop of survival rather than growth.
The Ask:
I feel like I'm "too qualified" for the mundane tasks I'm doing but "too broken" by my health to jump back into a high-pressure corporate environment.
Has anyone transitioned from a toxic academic role back to corporate analytics?
Given the seizure risk, are there specific industries or "remote-first" roles I should be targeting that value an MBA/Analytics background?
Should I quit my current role after this semester to focus entirely on health and upskilling (Python/AI), or is the current job market too risky for that?.
Any advice on how to find way in my career while my body is still healing would be life-saving