QuittingAdvice #Burnout #CareerChange #MentalHealth
Feeling stuck in a job while loving what you do can create an emotional tug-of-war. This is a situation many professionals face, especially early in their careers. Here’s some well-rounded quitting advice if you’re feeling burned out but apprehensive about leaving without another job lined up.
Understanding the Situation: Burnout at First Job
3.5 years into your first job, it’s not unusual to experience burnout, especially if you’ve advanced quickly and taken on substantial responsibilities.
- Promoted rapidly: Rose 2 levels in 2 years 📈
- Supporting over 1,000 employees
- Engaged in various projects across HR groups
While you love your tasks, the burnout is undeniable. Every day feels like a battle to keep afloat, and the thought of job hunting exhausts you further.
Why Quitting Feels Risky
Leaving a job without another lined up can feel daunting, especially during uncertain times in the job market. Here are the primary concerns:
- No energy for job applications or interviews 😓
- Fear of not finding a similar role in HRBP with the same scope
- Feeling of self-sabotage due to stagnation
The question you’re facing: Is quitting worth the risk for your mental health and future career prospects?
Strategies to Combat Burnout Without Quitting
Before you make the leap, consider these steps to alleviate burnout:
- Delegate and Prioritize Tasks: Speak with your manager about redistributing some workload. Prioritizing essential tasks can relieve some pressure.
- Set Boundaries: Ensure work doesn’t encroach on your personal time. Limit after-hours communications and project engagements.
- Seek Support: Reach out to HR for resources on mental health. Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) can offer counseling and stress management tools.
- Take Short Breaks: Even small breaks during the day can rejuvenate you. Practice mindfulness, go for short walks, or indulge in quick relaxation exercises.
Preparing for a Potential Job Transition
If you decide that quitting is the best choice for your mental and physical health, here’s how to prepare:
- Financial Buffer: Save up at least 6 months’ worth of living expenses. This offers a safety net while you find a new role.
- Update Your Resume and LinkedIn: Gradually update your resume, LinkedIn profile, and portfolio with recent achievements.
- Network: Start networking discreetly within your industry. Attend HR events, webinars, and keep an eye on job boards.
- Freelance or Contract Work: Consider freelancing or short-term contracts to keep income flowing and maintain your skills.
Reflect on Your Career Goals 🌟
- What do you want?: Understand what aspects of your current job you love and which ones are dragging you down.
- Where do you see yourself?: Visualize the type of company culture, team size, and job scope that would make you happy.
Taking a step back can provide clarity on your long-term career goals and help align your next job search to match those aspirations.
Seeking Opinions and Advice
Reach out to mentors, colleagues, or career coaches. They can offer an external perspective and may provide valuable insights or alternative strategies you haven’t considered.
Don’t Ignore Mental Health 🧘♂️
Remember, your mental health is paramount. Continuing in a high-stress environment will only deteriorate your well-being. Prioritize self-care and don’t hesitate to take the hard decisions for a healthier work-life balance.
If you decide to quit, ensure it’s a decision rooted in self-care and future growth. Balancing professional satisfaction with personal well-being is key to long-term career success and happiness. Good luck!
This is not the market to quit unless you have something lined up or a big trust fund. Start putting applications out and depending on your relationship with your manager maybe have a frank conversation.
I know you really want to quit, but it’s a really really bad HR job market right now, and doesn’t seem to be getting any better. Can you do without income for 6 months up to a year? That’s how long it’s taking HR folks to find new jobs.
I would just try and stick it out until you find a new job. Apply to jobs on your lunch break or before work. You can do it.
Have you tried taking to your manager about this? If they’ve promoted you quickly, that should mean they respect you and recognize your contributions. It should also mean they want to retain you.
Tell them you are burnt out and cannot continue like this. See if she can go to bat and help manage the work load. By that, I mean either reducing the load, or putting in strict prioritization so that not everything is being done at the same time and requiring the same resources.
Being a former HRBP III helped me tremendously with effective communication and informal influencing and setting me up for success in my current role. I suggest that you stop filtering your manager’s perception of your concerns. Take a moment to outline your concerns and strategize possible solutions. Thereafter, schedule a meeting with your manager and talk through your concerns.
Is there any option for you to take a leave of some kind? Maybe speak to your doctor about your stress, or ask about a leave without pay?
Have you taken a long vacation since you started? You must have some sort of PTO built up. Take a long trip and stop thinking about work for 2-3 weeks if possible. When you come back, if you still want to quit then start looking for other jobs. This is a historically bad time to quit with nothing else lined up.
HRBP here who used to have 1100 employees in my groups, plus I ran our comp programs and consulted on most other HR programs. It’s not sustainable. Everyone said I was great, they loved the job I was doing etc etc, but with client groups that big, plus projects, I knew I wasn’t doing the kind of job I was capable of. I wasn’t able to partner the way I wanted to and while the enterprise benefited from my participation in…well, everything, my client groups suffered and I was burned out to the extreme. I did it for about 5 years.
I left for another job, but the same thing happened only with 800 in my client groups. So I left with nothing lined up. It took me six months to find a job, but I was super picky – remote, B2B software industry only, supporting only product and technical groups and I wanted to stay away from startups. Your job search will be easier if you are more open than I was.
If you’re not confident you can support yourself for 6+ months, then you’ll need to take an inventory of your work and figure out where you can create space, and talk to your manager about getting some support – which will help give you the energy for a job search.
It’s tough out there.
There’s a reason why HR people advise employees that it’s easier to get a new job when you still have one. It’s because it’s true.
It may not be fair, but the perception will be that there is that some story behind why you left your job without having another one lined up-no matter what reason you provide at the interview. And there’s no good way to tell a perspective employer that you are job hunting because your current job is too stressful or that you’re looking for more flexibility, or fewer hours. They will only hear this as you not being willing to put in the extra work.
Without a job, at some point, when you’re interviewing, you’ll start giving off a desperate vibe. It’s difficult to interview well when you’re feeling anxious about being employed. If you have enough savings to allow you to recharge and take time off before you do your job hunting, then by all means, that makes sense. But even that has risks because employers will question the gap. Maybe you can take a long vacation before you start submitting replications.
Is there any way for you to negotiate a reduced role or some kind of a hybrid work situation to minimize the stress at your current job? You stated that you really enjoy the work, so it makes sense to me to see if you can find a way to make your current job more palatable.