Feeling Burned Out? How to Know When to Quit Your Job — and What to Do First
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
In this episode of NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast, hosts Sean Pyles and Elizabeth Ayoola explore a new segment called "What's in Your Wallet," where they reveal the contents of their own wallets, from Sean's fortune cookie and Amex Gold card to Elizabeth's unique practice of keeping her entire wallet in her car. (03:40) The main discussion centers around a listener named Angel who faces a career crisis - feeling burnt out from remote work while weighing whether to quit their high-paying tech job to pursue real estate licensing or education. (16:16) The hosts bring on their producer Tess Vigeland, author of "Leap: Leaving a Job with No Plan B," to provide expert insights on career transitions and the pros and cons of "quiet quitting."
- Key themes include career burnout solutions, the psychology and practicality of quiet quitting, and financial considerations when making major career moves without a safety net
Speakers
Sean Pyles
Sean Pyles is a co-host of NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast and uses an Amex Gold card as his primary travel credit card. He keeps a thin blue cardholder wallet with around $40 in cash and maintains $500 in emergency cash at home for worst-case scenarios.
Elizabeth Ayoola
Elizabeth Ayoola is a co-host of NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast who recently moved to Texas. She has an unconventional approach to wallet management, keeping all her credit cards (which include multiple annual fee cards) stored in her car rather than carrying a traditional wallet.
Tess Vigeland
Tess Vigeland is the producer of Smart Money Podcast and author of "Leap: Leaving a Job with No Plan B to Find the Career and Life You Really Want." She previously hosted a national personal finance show for NPR for nearly a dozen years before making her own dramatic career leap without a backup plan.
Key Takeaways
Quiet Quitting Can Provide Breathing Room During Burnout
Rather than viewing quiet quitting as purely negative, it can serve as a strategic tool for managing burnout while maintaining income. (27:55) Sean argues that quiet quitting allows people to compartmentalize work and prevent it from consuming their entire identity, especially when dealing with difficult bosses or unsustainable hours. The key is doing just enough to meet basic job requirements while redirecting energy toward planning your next move, rather than becoming a truly low performer who burns bridges.
Your Body Signals When It's Time to Leave a Job
Tess Vigeland emphasizes that physical symptoms often indicate when a job situation has become unsustainable. (30:03) She experienced hair loss with no medical explanation, while others in her research reported new back problems and headaches. These bodily responses to chronic work stress serve as important early warning systems that shouldn't be ignored, as they indicate the situation has progressed beyond normal workplace challenges.
Build a "Freedom Fund" Before Making Career Leaps
Having substantial savings provides the flexibility to make bold career moves when necessary. (31:56) Angel's situation with over $500,000 in savings at age 29 puts them in an exceptional position to take risks, considering the average retirement savings for people under 35 is just $49,000. Tess recommends calling emergency savings a "freedom fund" because it represents the freedom to make moves that prioritize your wellbeing over immediate financial security.
Develop Identity Outside of Work Before Making Career Changes
One of the most challenging aspects of leaving a job is the identity crisis that follows, especially in American culture where we heavily identify with our professions. (32:19) Tess found that having meaningful activities, relationships, or pursuits outside of work makes career transitions much easier to navigate. This prevents the common scenario where people return to unsatisfying jobs simply because they don't know who they are without their professional titles.
Take Reflection Time Between Career Transitions
Most people rush immediately from one job to the next without taking time to reflect on what they truly want from their career and life. (34:47) Tess recommends giving yourself breathing room - even just two weeks - between leaving one position and starting the job search for the next. This reflection period allows for crucial self-discovery about what kind of career and lifestyle you want, rather than simply defaulting to similar roles out of habit or urgency.
Statistics & Facts
- Employee engagement in the US fell to its lowest level in a decade in 2024, with only 31% of employees being engaged according to a Gallup study. (17:56) This statistic provides context for why quiet quitting has become such a prevalent workplace phenomenon.
- In 2022, when quiet quitting first gained social media attention, Gallup found that quiet quitters made up about 50% of the workforce. (18:09) This shows the massive scale of employee disengagement in modern workplaces.
- The average retirement savings for people aged 35 is just over $49,000, while the median amount is under $19,000. (19:55) This puts Angel's $500,000+ in savings at age 29 into perspective, showing they're exceptionally well-positioned financially to take career risks.
