Starting a new job should be an exciting chapter, filled with hope, ambition, and the eagerness to grow. That’s exactly how I felt when I began my role as an Accelerated Growth Consultant. But what unfolded over time shattered me in ways I never thought possible.
The excitement I brought to this job was quickly replaced by dread, anxiety, and a constant feeling of inadequacy. My manager silently targeted me, and it became clear over time that he had simply decided one day that I wasn’t someone he wanted on the team. It wasn’t overt bullying, but the kind that slowly eats away at your confidence and sanity. He excluded me from important conversations, sabotaged my work behind closed doors, and painted me as incompetent during graduate reviews with fabricated claims.
I wasn’t alone in this experience. Other teammates were subjected to the same treatment, often deciding to leave the company because they simply couldn’t cope. Some of them confided in me about how this manager made them feel so worthless that they contemplated suicide. It’s horrifying to think how one person could cause so much pain and distress in others.
When I reported these issues to HR, I was met with gaslighting. My concerns were minimized, twisted, or ignored entirely. HR seemed more interested in protecting the company than addressing the harm caused by this manager. Despite multiple complaints from different people, he faced no accountability. Instead, he was rewarded with promotions and opportunities in other departments and even international roles.
The Accelerated Growth Consultant role itself was stressful and chaotic. There was no clear structure or straightforward path to success. It wasn’t like a traditional sales role where you could track your progress and adjust accordingly. Instead, everything depended on whether the clients decided to spend—and if they didn’t, you were the one held accountable. It was a constant cycle of confusion, stress, and fear of missing targets.
By the time I left the company, I felt utterly drained and destroyed. A piece of my soul had been taken. I came in full of energy and positivity, only to be worn down by a system that allowed toxicity to thrive unchecked.
This experience taught me how deeply workplace bullying and poor leadership can impact mental health. No one should ever feel like their job is tearing them apart from the inside, and no one should suffer in silence because their concerns are dismissed. It’s time for companies to take reports of bullying seriously and hold managers accountable for the harm they cause. Anything less is unacceptable.
