How Do You Spot a Burnout Job?
It was the type of job I’d always hoped I’d be have someday: a position at a major university teaching the violists and educators of tomorrow. Numerous colleagues encouraged me to apply, because it was an obvious next step in my career. In the small world of classical music, I had crossed paths and played concerts with the other professors before.
I talked it over with my partner. I thought about it.
Then I decided not to apply.
The Dawson of 5 years ago would have jumped at this opportunity. He probably wouldn’t have seen past the prestige to the low pay and exhausting schedule, the bloated job description with no tenure. But having worked several burnout jobs and suffered consequences to my finances, mental state, and even my physical health, I now know better.
What is a burnout job?
Working a burnout job is like being in a bad relationship. This type of job demands everything from you—nearly all your time, your energy, and your mental peace—only to give you next to nothing in return.
Nobody willingly commits to a burnout job. Instead, we’re lured into burnout jobs because they are disguised as something we want: prestige, a step up the career ladder, or the workplace stability we might crave as freelancers. By the time we recognize the burnout job for what it is, we’re exhausted mentally and physically, and often not much better off financially than when we first started.
Fortunately, there’s a way to avoid these types of gigs. Before accepting a new job, ask yourself these questions:
Does the pay adequately compensate you for the time you’re expected to work?
Being a musician involves a lot of unpaid labor, mainly in the form of practice. But that doesn’t mean our time isn’t valuable. When offered a job or gig, do the math. Figure out how much you’ll be paid per hour and decide if you’re willing to do it for that rate. That orchestra gig that requires upwards of 30 hours of practice, drive time, and rehearsal, but pays only $500? Suddenly it looks a lot less appealing.
Does the prestige of the job make up for the workload?
A position with a paying orchestra or teaching at a university is a dream job for most musicians. It signals that we’ve “made it”. With this job title, we feel we have proof of our skill as musicians. But peek behind the glittering facade of a prestigious title and you might find that the working conditions are less than ideal. So-called “prestigious” jobs don’t always pay well, and your landlord is unlikely to accept your rent payment in prestige rather than money.
Is this job a good fit for your personality?
Maybe you’re an introvert, but the job requires you to be socially engaged all day. Maybe your brain naturally thinks in a big picture sort of way, but this job is all about minute details. Or perhaps the job requires you to make multiple decisions every hour, and you’re fatigued after making just one. If the job continuously requires you to think or act in a way that doesn’t suit your personality, that’s a hard pass.
Are you walking into a toxic work environment?
Do you notice tension in the environment during your interview or audition? Too many leaders fall prey to micromanaging, like a conductor who insists on writing bowings in string parts instead of outsourcing to section leaders who would do a better job. But equally frustrating is the “macro-manager”: a boss so removed from the workplace that his guidelines are too vague to be helpful and with whom scheduling a meeting is impossible.
Does this job align with your “why”?
Most importantly, does this job align with your life purpose? Your reason for playing your instrument and/or teaching? It’s unreasonable to think every job will fulfill your why 100%. But every job should be a step in the right direction on the path you’ve chosen to walk.
As freelancers, we often worry that every opportunity we turn down will be the last time we’re asked. The opposite is actually true. Passing on a burnout job gives us the time and energy to search for a position that fulfills our emotional, spiritual, and financial needs, enabling us to make a positive impact on the world around us.