Karren Brady’s career advice on overcoming cycles of burnout
APPRENTICE star and West Ham United vice-chair Karren Brady answers your careers questions and meets an inspirational CEO.
Here she gives a reader advice on repeatedly feeling burnt out from the daily grind.
Q) I have been in my current job for only six months, but just like in my previous position at a different company, I’ve hit a wall. I feel burned out and overwhelmed and like I’m just living to work.
I’ve had five different jobs in the past four years, all around the same non-management level, and each time I end up leaving at around this point as I feel like I can’t cope with the daily grind.
How can I break this cycle once and for all, and find a role that has longevity?
Laura, via email
Read more Karren Brady
A) You need to stop thinking about jobs for a second, and ask yourself what it is that makes you happy.
What are your passions and interests? I bet none of your answers are in any way related to your last five jobs.
For example, if you love sports and the outdoors, why sit and work in an office all day when there are plenty of jobs that would incorporate your passions, such as coaching or working for a sports club?
Life is too short to spend it doing something that makes you unhappy.
Most read in Fabulous
You need to stop the cycle of going from one wrong job to the next, and explore what it is that would make you fulfilled and satisfied.
Nationalcareers.service.gov.uk is a great place to start – it might give you job ideas you haven’t thought of.
At the same time, make sure you are spending some time doing those things you are passionate about, as well as talking to friends or family.
Read More on The Sun
It’s very easy to feel overwhelmed with work and with the world at the moment, so it’s important to carve out time to add some joy into each day.
Got a careers question for Karren? Email [email protected].
A day in the life of...
Linda Wade, 46, is the CEO and co-founder of visual intelligence company Spinview. She lives in Hertfordshire with her husband Dave, who owns a marine fuel brokerage firm, and their two daughters.
I wake up at…
6.30am. I make coffee and check my emails. At 7.45am, the kids and I leave for the school run, then during a walk with our dog Coco, I telephone my co-founder Zoran to chat about the day.
A normal day involves…
At least six hours of virtual meetings with our 28 staff, financial lenders and customers.
For team meetings we often use our immersive technology on VR headsets, which gives a sense of physical presence.
Our avatars can change appearance and meet in any of our digital twin buildings or made-up spaces. We once had a board meeting in a virtual forest.
My day also involves helping with HR, overseeing sales, marketing, PR and finding partnerships and expansion opportunities.
We’re working with Transport For London to create a digital twin of the London Underground tracks and tunnels and provide data on both the physical structure, as well as the carbon emissions and health aspects of the Underground, to support plans for a zero-carbon railway by 2030.
Other than to grab lunch, I’m desk-bound until the kids finish school and then I play taxi.
I get stuck into helping with homework and cooking, but I’m back online in the evening from 8pm-ish to do emails, communicate with the US and finish admin tasks before bedtime by 11pm.
The best part of my job is…
Helping companies reduce their carbon emissions. Also being a successful female founder in tech is rewarding. There’s often a lot of negativity towards women in the industry, so I’m keen to use my role to change things!
And the worst…
There’s money in the bank now, but when we were trying to grow, cash flow was a real challenge. It’s been incredibly stressful. I’d wake in the night wondering: “Where am I going to find money to carry on?”
I wind down by…
I’m lucky, my husband enjoys cooking good food from scratch, and the kids and I love to eat it — we’re a great match!
For more information, visit .
Be a boss
Bossing It is Fabulous’ series about ordinary women who have launched incredible businesses.
It aims to inspire other women and show that if these ladies can do it, so can you!
Read more at machibet777.site/topic/bossing-it.
- Got a careers question for Karren? Email [email protected].
Karren cannot answer emails personally. Content is intended as general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice.