Burnout is becoming increasingly common in today’s workforce. Many employees find themselves feeling exhausted, cynical, and ineffective at work. This can lead to decreased productivity, poor performance, and increased turnover. Explaining to a future employer that you left a previous job due to burnout can be challenging. However, by providing context, focusing on what you learned, and highlighting positive steps, you can share your experience in a professional manner.
What is burnout?
Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion. It’s brought on by prolonged or repeated workplace stress. Some common signs and symptoms of burnout include:
– Feeling depleted, drained, or fatigued
– Increased cynicism, negativity, or apathy about your job
– Feeling ineffective and like you can’t complete tasks successfully
– Decreased productivity and poor performance
– Lack of engagement or feeling disconnected from your work
– Physical signs like headaches, GI issues, muscle tension, insomnia
– Emotional signs like sadness, irritability, anxiety, anger
Burnout reduces your productivity and saps your energy, leaving you feeling disengaged from your work. It often develops gradually due to workplace stressors like:
– Excessive workload or unrealistic expectations
– Toxic workplace culture or difficult relationships
– Lack of autonomy, control, or work-life balance
– Insufficient support or resources
– Unclear or overly demanding job responsibilities
– Mismatched job fit in terms of skills and interests
If left unaddressed, burnout can harm your health, wellbeing, and career trajectory. That’s why it’s crucial to recognize the signs early and take proactive steps to improve your situation.
Why might you leave a job due to burnout?
There are several reasons why excessive burnout might lead you to leave a job:
Your health and wellbeing suffer – Ongoing stress takes a toll both mentally and physically. You may leave to focus on your health.
Performance declines – Burnout drags down your productivity and quality of work, which could put your job at risk. Leaving may be proactive.
Morale and engagement tank – Feeling detached, unfulfilled, and cynical about work is draining. You may leave to find more meaningful work.
Home life is disrupted – Juggling workplace stress and personal responsibilities gets exhausting. Leaving creates more balance.
The situation feels untenable – If efforts to improve conditions fail, leaving may feel like the only option.
Symptoms won’t alleviate – If nothing changes and your emotional and physical condition continues deteriorating, leaving becomes critical.
Essentially, leaving a job due to burnout is often a way to protect your health, wellbeing, and performance. It can provide relief and allow you to seek a better professional fit.
How do you explain this to a future employer?
Explaining a job departure due to burnout to a prospective employer requires care and preparation. Here are some tips:
Focus on what you learned – Frame the experience positively as a learning opportunity that gave you insight into your needs, priorities, and growth areas.
Avoid negativity about past employer – Don’t disparage or blame your previous organization. Keep comments professional.
Highlight solutions and course corrections – Share proactive steps you took to address the issues like communicating concerns, trying to reset work-life balance, seeking mentorship, or pursuing training.
Discuss how you’ve addressed burnout symptoms – Talk about positive changes you’ve made post-burnout to manage stress, build resilience, and boost wellbeing.
Emphasize fit and motivation for new role – Convey your enthusiasm for the open position and how it aligns with your strengths, passions, and career goals.
Reframe weaknesses as opportunities – If burnout revealed development needs, position them as growth areas you’re eager to work on in a healthier environment.
Be concise yet transparent – Share enough detail to provide context but avoid oversharing or dwelling on the negatives.
Sample scenarios and responses
Here are some examples of how to successfully explain leaving a job due to burnout:
Question: I see you only worked at X company for 18 months. Why did you leave that job?
Response: I learned a tremendous amount at X company but eventually found myself burnt out from the intense workload and high-pressure environment. My health and performance began suffering, so I decided it would be best to find a more sustainable job situation. Since then, I’ve learned skills in time management, stress reduction, and personal wellness that I’m eager to apply in a new position. I’m motivated to contribute my talents to an organization where I can thrive long-term.
Question: Your resume shows a pattern of leaving jobs after fairly short tenures. Can you explain why you left your last position at Y company so soon?
Response: Y company was my first job out of college, and in hindsight, it wasn’t the best fit for someone just starting their career. The role turned out to be far more demanding than I’d anticipated. I struggled with meeting unrealistic deadlines and an extreme multi-tasking workload that quickly led to burnout. I realized I needed more mentorship, support, and work-life balance. I learned just how vital it is to find an alignment between your values, priorities, and job environment. I’ve grown from that experience, and I’m searching for a role where I can apply all my skills while also taking care of my wellbeing.
Question: I noticed some gaps in your work history. What prompted you to leave your marketing coordinator role at Z company after only a year?
Response: Z company was dealing with rapid expansion at the time but unfortunately didn’t have the resources in place to support the growing team. As the workload became overwhelming, I started experiencing symptoms of burnout like fatigue and feelings of inefficacy in my role. My attempts to improve the situation by requesting mentoring and more resources weren’t successful. I decided to make my health and wellbeing the priority by finding a less demanding opportunity. I learned so much at Z company that will make me a valued team member. I also realized the importance of workplace culture and alignment of values when choosing where to apply my skills. I’m pursuing positions where I can contribute without compromising my health.
Tips for transitioning after leaving due to burnout
If you left your last job because of burnout, employ these strategies to set yourself up for success as you transition:
Reflect on what you need – Write down must-haves like a reasonable workload, supportive culture, strong teamwork, adequate resources, etc. so you can identify the right fit.
Take time to recharge – Give yourself adequate downtime after the last job ended to rest, recover, and reset. Avoid rushing into another stressful role.
Consider career adjustments – Make changes if needed based on what you learned, like switching fields or transitioning into a less intense professional track.
Review your skills – Reassess your hard and soft skills and determine how to best apply them moving forward. Consider gaps you want to fill through training.
Build resilience – Develop healthy coping strategies, habits, mindsets, and support systems to arm yourself against future burnout.
Update your resume strategically – Craft your resume so it focuses on accomplishments, growth, and strengths versus job hopping or inability to handle workload.
Practice interviewing – Brainstorm potential questions around why you left. Script concise, diplomatic responses focusing on lessons learned.
Expand your network – Tap connections who can alert you to suitable opportunities and provide strong references. A warm introduction goes a long way.
Preparing for your next position and taking time for self-care will help you bounce back after burnout. Be patient with yourself throughout the transition.
How to avoid burnout in the future
To avoid repeating the cycle of burnout, implement these strategies:
– Set boundaries and practice saying no – Don’t accept more than you can handle
– Leave work at work – Refrain from after hours emails or calls
– Take regular breaks – Step away from your desk, take walks, go outside
– Maintain work-life balance – Keep non-work commitments and make time for self-care
– Ask for help – Delegate tasks, hire contractors if needed, or ask colleagues to collaborate
– Prioritize your biggest tasks – Tackle most important items when you have the most energy
– Learn to manage stress – Do meditation, yoga, deep breathing, go for walks
– Leverage calendar blocking – Reserve time for focused work, don’t overschedule yourself
– Take vacations and sick days – Wholly disconnect and recharge
– Build positive relationships – Foster trust, communication, teamwork with colleagues
– Advocate for yourself – Ask for resources, training, mentoring or different responsibilities
– Know your limits – Be aware of capacity and don’t exceed it
– Track symptoms – Note physical, mental, emotional signals indicating overload
– Have fulfilling life outside work – Invest time in relationships, hobbies, health
– Seek support – Talk to supervisors, HR, mentors or professionals if needed
Making your wellbeing the priority will help prevent burnout. Don’t hesitate to make changes or speak up if you feel overwhelmed.
When to seek professional help
If you’re experiencing chronic or severe symptoms of burnout, seeking help from a professional may be warranted. Consider talking to a therapist, counselor, psychiatrist or doctor if you have:
– Persistent exhaustion, even when getting adequate rest
– Physical symptoms like chest pains, heart palpitations, dizziness, fainting
– Inability to concentrate, make decisions, or complete tasks
– Memory problems or feeling confused
– Drastic mood changes like intense irritability, uncontrollable anger or crying
– Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness, or inappropriate guilt
– Loss of interest in activities or hobbies you once enjoyed
– Thoughts of self-harm or suicide
A professional can help assess if you may be dealing with deeper mental health conditions like depression or anxiety in addition to burnout. Therapists can help you work through emotional issues fueling your stress. Doctors may check for underlying medical problems and provide medication if appropriate. Coworkers and friends can offer support, but turn to professionals for clinical guidance.
Don’t neglect seeking help for ongoing burnout. You deserve care from professionals trained to diagnose and treat these complex conditions.
Key Takeaways
– Burnout is characterized by emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion brought on by prolonged work stress.
– Leaving a job due to burnout can improve health, wellbeing, and work performance. New opportunities allow you to find a better fit.
– When explaining a departure due to burnout, focus on lessons learned, professional growth, and your motivation. Provide concise, positive context.
– Reflect on your needs, recharge, build resilience, and expand your network to transition successfully after burnout.
– Implement boundaries, stress management, and self-care to avoid repeat burnout. Seek professional help if symptoms are chronic.
– With the right framing, you can share your experience with burnout professionally and set yourself up for success in roles better aligned to your skills and values.