Burned-out boss eyes a reset without direct reports

A 33-year-old corporate leader is weighing a sharp career swerve: leaving management behind and possibly taking an administrative assistant job because, as she told MarketWatch, she no longer wants to supervise employees.

The reader, identified by the pseudonym “Over It” in Aditi Shrikant’s Dollar Signs advice column, said she has lost interest in climbing the corporate ranks. She told MarketWatch the stress and responsibility of leadership do not feel worth the money, and that a recent wedding made other guests’ noncorporate careers look more engaging and satisfying.

Shrikant’s answer was clear on the big question: leaving corporate work is not automatically a mistake if the job is making someone unhappy. But the MarketWatch columnist urged the reader to slow down before swapping a leadership role for a lower-paid title.

Her advice centered on figuring out what part of the current job is causing the strain. Shrikant wrote that both the reader’s skills and her anxiety could carry into a new role, so a different title alone may not solve the problem.

The money hit comes first

Shrikant said the reader would probably give up a meaningful amount of income if she left a corporate leadership position for administrative work. She advised reviewing current spending, finding places to cut if pay falls, and considering whether the reader’s partner would help cover lifestyle costs during the adjustment.

The column did not frame ambition as a requirement. Shrikant wrote that more workers should examine whether management fits their abilities and interests, especially if they do not want to coach other people or support their career growth.

Still, she pushed the reader to change the question from wanting out to identifying the kind of work that would make daily life better.

Burnout may be clouding the decision

Cait Donovan, described by MarketWatch as a keynote speaker on burnout and leadership, told the column that chronic stress can make the brain’s dopamine-related reward system less active. According to Donovan, that can make it harder for someone to feel satisfaction from work they once found rewarding.

Donovan warned that a job with less responsibility does not guarantee more happiness. She told MarketWatch that leaving a role is often the first move people consider because it carries the strongest emotions, but it may not be the thing that fixes the problem.

Her recommendation was to examine the reader’s current duties in detail and identify which tasks are draining. Shrikant also suggested looking for another role inside the same company, possibly one with fewer direct reports while preserving pay and benefits.

Build the next job before quitting

Lindsay Boccardo, identified by MarketWatch as a Generation Z career coach, advised the reader to map out an ideal workday hour by hour. Boccardo said that exercise can help someone define what they are moving toward, based on values and temperament.

The column also urged the reader to decide what tradeoffs she can accept, using a 15% pay cut for steadier hours as one example.

Boccardo said the reader should be careful about how she explains the move in interviews. Rather than saying she does not want to manage people, Boccardo suggested framing the shift around the work she wants, such as building systems instead of leading teams.

Shrikant’s bottom line: the reader’s desire to reject a conventional version of success may be valid, but the smartest move is to make the choice after addressing burnout, checking the budget and defining the job she actually wants.

This story draws on original reporting from MarketWatch.