I’m really struggling with burnout at my job right now and got a new offer but I’m not sure what to do. My long term goal is to move away from technical Salesforce stuff and get more into project management and business development in tech.
My current situation: I work at a consulting firm where they send Salesforce people like me to help their advisory teams with clients. I’m a Senior Business Analyst putting in crazy hours (60-80 per week) mostly doing system configuration, running demos, and collecting requirements with solution architects. There’s not much room to advance here. I make $145k plus an 8% yearly bonus.
The new offer: Senior administrator position at a government agency. The work would be much more relaxed and I could potentially go back to consulting later at a higher level. I’d be the main system owner which is cool, and I’d have time to learn new skills like getting my PMP certification and maybe building a small team. Pay would be $155k with no bonus structure.
Third option: I could try to move to the advisory side at my current company but I’d basically be starting over. This would help me get out of Salesforce work and into more management focused roles. My concern is that it might be tough to get assigned to projects during the switch.
Any thoughts would be really helpful!
You already know what you want - you’re just overthinking it. Government job means easy money and actual work-life balance while you figure out your next move. Consulting will still be there when you’re ready, except you’ll have that PMP cert and won’t be burnt out. Staying put for ‘advisory opportunities’ is gambling on promises - we all know how that goes lol. Take the guaranteed 10k raise and stop working yourself to death.
Government role wins hands down! You’re burnt out from those insane hours - your health matters more than any career move. The system ownership plus extra cash gives you breathing room to chase your PM dreams properly!
I’d pick the government job too, but not for the usual reasons. Those 60-80 hour weeks? You can’t keep that up. I burned out hard pulling similar hours and recovery took forever. The government role isn’t just better pay or work-life balance - it’s giving yourself room to think strategically instead of just surviving. Being the main system owner gets you real ownership experience that translates straight to PM work. Your thinking gets so much clearer when you’re not running on empty all the time.
I’ve been in a similar spot, so here’s my take: really think about whether that government role actually moves you toward your project management goals or just gives you a breather from burnout. Government jobs can be great for learning, and that system ownership responsibility could be solid leadership experience for your PMP. But don’t write off the internal move too fast. Yeah, starting over sucks, but you’ve already got credibility and connections there. The advisory path lines up better with your business development goals, and those project assignment issues you’re worried about? They’re usually just temporary growing pains. I’d sit down with leadership and have a real conversation about timeline and support for the advisory transition before you decide. Sometimes the harder path ends up being way better for where you actually want to go.