TECC 181: One Engineer’s Plan for Recovering from Burnout

In this episode, I provide coaching and guidance to an engineer struggling with career burnout.  By the end of this episode, he is inspired and has a plan to change his career for the better. He then also adds a twist to this episode and starts asking me some career-related questions on the decisions I made in my career. Engineering Quotes: Here are the key points discussed on recovering from burnout: Doing the same thing year in and year out made me feel like I was not advancing in my career. This lead to me feeling more burned out than being a help to the company I was working for. Burnout is not only defined by working too many hours, it can also be defined as burning out mentally if you are doing something repeatedly without seeing any results. As an engineer you have the ability to improve the lives of many people regardless of what discipline in engineering you are in. I am waging an inner war within myself, part of me saying that It’s OK to challenge the standards and push for something greater instead, while another part of me remains comfortable with what is going on. There are always opportunities out there to do the things you want to do in order to impact the world. However, there is also a risk associated with taking those kinds of leaps in your career. You have to ask yourself how far you are willing to push the envelope, and how uncomfortable you are willing to become in terms of taking the next step in your career. I ask myself every day if you should sacrifice comfort for the unknown, or do you stay with the unknown and try to build upon the unknown? If you are unhappy in your job, you will need to make a smart career move that may include joining a company that will help you to make a real difference in the lives of others through your career. More in this episode… In the Take Action Today segment of the show, I will give you some tips on helping you to identify your passion in your career. About JP JP is a mechanical engineer who has been working in the sustainability field for the last 7 years. He has performed building energy performance analysis on various buildings throughout the USA during his career. Most of his career was based on post-construction buildings but he has a few years’ experience in the pre-construction side. JP's career has had an emphasis on sustainable design and renewable energy.  He asked to remain anonymous for this episode. The opportunity to step away from everything and take a break is something that shouldn't be squandered. - Harper Reed Resources and links mentioned in this session include:  Engineering Management Accelerator Upcoming Free Engineering Management Institute Webinar Engineers Without Borders TCEP 076: Two Professionals in the Civil Engineering Industry who are Impacting the World Beyond their Engineering Projects Wine to Water Fundraising TCEP 089: Why Civil Engineering CEOs Need to Focus on People with Nick DeNichilo TCEP 092: Business Development Skill Building for Civil Engineers Books Mentioned in the Episode: Zen and the Art of Happiness Engineer Your Own Success: 7 Key Elements to Creating an Extraordinary Engineering Career  This episode is brought to you by PPI, the leader of FE, PE, or SE exam preparations. Use promo code T-E-C-C-8 for a 20% discount at PPI2Pass.com How do you identify when you are suffering from burnout? We would love to hear any questions you might have or stories you might share on recovering from burnout. Please leave your comments, feedback or questions in the section below. If you enjoyed this post, please consider downloading our free list of 33 Productivity Rout...