I burned out at McKinsey and quit the elitist consulting lifestyle. The workload was mentally straining and I felt myself losing my humility.

• Angelina Lu is a former business analyst at McKinsey & Company. 
• She left her $140,000 consultant job because of burnout and describes a difficult workload. 
• Lu says she was too proud to admit her declining mental health to managers and coworkers.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Angelina Lu, a former McKinsey consultant. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I studied material science and engineering as an undergrad at Northwestern University. But after spending two summers working in a research lab, I realized that research life was not what I wanted — I didn't feel excited by the repetitive routine of going to the lab and conducting research.