Happen To Your Career - Meaningful Work, Career Change, Career Design, & Job Search Career Burnout Happens When You Keep Climbing the Wrong Ladder: How Jackie Chose Fit Over Promotion
Feb 9, 2026
A career story about burning out from climbing a path that did not fit. It explores stepping off the promotion treadmill to prioritize health, connection, and learning. The conversation covers spotting bodily and emotional signals, rebuilding through sleep, therapy, and nutrition, and choosing roles that match core values and interpersonal needs.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Promotion Led To Toxic Leadership
- Jackie moved from face-to-face nursing to a managerial role after excelling in her first job and getting promoted. Soon she encountered a toxic leader whose behavior destabilized her nervous system and triggered health decline.
Car Accident Became A Turning Point
- Jackie described a car accident and how her boss gave her grief when she asked for the morning off. That moment crystallized for her that the job environment was unhealthy and unsupportive.
Remote Role Worsened Depression
- Jackie started a new remote management role at the start of COVID and immediately felt disconnected from patients and colleagues. The remote setting, combined with poor fit, spiraled into depression and unhealthy coping.