Madi Plot Lib

So, you’re burned out.

“The market is just tough right now”, they say.

But you can’t shake the feeling that you might not be doing everything possible to secure a new job. Are you even hirable?

The list of new technologies to review or learn keeps growing and changes almost daily as you try to stay on top of each new job prospect and its JD.

It’s all becoming too overwhelming. Napping all day is starting to look VERY appealing.

Okay, okay. Perhaps a bit dramatic, but maybe you can relate.

So, what can you do to start turning things around?

Prioritize rest

I learned the hard way that poor rest equals poor job searching. Unfortunately, the fix was to prioritize rest first. While it might sound scary if your savings are running low, sometimes giving yourself permission to rest can boost motivation. Just don’t forget to schedule in rest when motivation kicks in again to sustainably keep going.

Notice trends in JDs and use that to help you prioritize your learning

Constantly changing what you’re studying is going to make you feel more burned out. Especially if you’re trying to keep up with specific technologies in each new JD only to abandon ship if the job opportunity falls through. Instead, look for trends and mainly study those topics. I used ChatGPT to help me create study guides for various topics that are essential to Data Engineering. (It was much better at this than the step below.)

Get serious about planning your time

Take the recurring technologies you discovered above and mix in daily blocks of studying those topics. I used ChatGPT to help time-block my days, though it wasn’t great at that part. The goal is to have a schedule you’re excited about with a healthy mix of must-dos, want-to-dos, and genuinely enjoyable activities.

Get serious about how you’re studying

Watching YouTube might sound like a good solution, but are you actually absorbing that info? Consider hands-on projects like building apps or enhancing existing ones with the new technologies you’re learning. For example, I am planning to add some natural language processing to an existing app I have. Bonus points if the idea genuinely excites you.

Reach out to your network

Connect with people who think highly of you. It might make you feel more like yourself again and remind you that you’re not alone. Remember to be cognizant of their time, and if you’re looking for mentorship, to make your intentions clear and to offer to pay when applicable.

Check back in frequently

Is what you’re doing working for you? Schedule in time each week to reassess and change accordingly.

Reflect on your “why”

Maybe you don’t have much energy to spare, but pondering this topic can lead to introspection about your purpose, a crucial part of burnout recovery. For me, I would love to be a mentor for early-career or aspiring technologists. As such. I’d love to work towards being a tech lead or manager. It may sound corny, but that goal actually does keep me going.

Next steps

For more info on burnout recovery, see this article. It’s a treasure trove and has helped me so much. Also, before you groan and skim over headings in the article, please actually give them a try. I used to internally roll my eyes when people mentioned things like exercise and goal-setting in my personal life, but because of that I didn’t do my due diligence (even though I thought I had). Now, my time running and doing yoga while listening to my startup podcast (or MFM – IYKYK) isn’t something I exactly look forward to, but when I’m feeling especially overwhelmed, I know it will help. And goal-setting and planning is something I can reliably come back to that will make me feel better when I am having a particularly hard day.

Let me know if you tried any of these suggestions or if you have other suggestions!

_{Disclaimer: If you’re experiencing negative self-talk or symptoms of anxiety and depression, please get help. I am a huge advocate for therapy and in no way am trying to replace the invaluable self-knowledge that talking to a licensed mental healthcare professional can provide.}