‘Feeling burned out’: Bengaluru techie earning ₹35 LPA contemplates 6-month career break, sparks debate

Despite a lucrative salary and about six years of experience, the techie shared that he felt overwhelmed by the daily grind.

Is a career break worth risking a high-paying job in the current tech market?

Grappling with this exact dilemma, a 28-year-old Bengaluru-based Product Manager (PM) took to social media to weigh the pros and cons of walking away from a ₹35 lakh per annum (LPA) salary to combat severe professional burnout.

Dilemma: Burnout vs. Professional Trajectory

Despite a lucrative salary and about six years of experience, the professional shared that he felt overwhelmed by the daily grind.

Seeking advice on Reddit, he wrote, “I’m considering taking a 3–6 month break because I’ve been feeling burned out and want to focus on my health, spend time with my wife, travel, and think about what I want from the next phase of my work life.”

Financially, he said he was exceptionally well-positioned to take a sabbatical.

Having married six months ago, he noted that his wife is currently working and that their monthly household expenses hover between ₹1.25 lakh and ₹1.5 lakh.

Crucially, he is debt-free, his parents are financially independent pensioners, and he boasts an emergency fund and total savings of around ₹50 lakh.

However, the fear of a resume gap in a turbulent job market remains a significant deterrent.

“The main thing holding me back is the potential impact on my professional trajectory,” he explained, asking peers if recruiters genuinely care about short career breaks. “I’d be giving up a ₹30–35 LPA income for several months and would eventually need to re-enter the PM job market.”

Netizens give divided verdict

The post quickly ignited a fierce debate among professionals who discussed the realities of taking a sabbatical in the IT sector. While some users encouraged the break, others warned of the gruelling current state of tech hiring.

A verified recruiter weighed in to ease the PM's anxiety, noting that short breaks are rarely a dealbreaker in product management. “A 3-6 months gap for PM roles is fine, but I'd suggest making some projects and stuff in advance and then adding them to your portfolio... I have personally hired people with such gaps,” they advised.

Another user revealed that they left a similarly compensated role for what was meant to be a short break. "That stretched to ~18 months with short consulting assignments of my liking in between," they shared. "Joined the workforce 2 months back, at a much higher comp. Kar lo, ho jaaega (Go for it, it will work out)."

Conversely, several professionals strongly advised against quitting without a backup plan, citing the current macroeconomic climate.

“Just take a vacation—leaving the job is an extreme decision,” warned one IT professional who struggled to re-enter the workforce after a hiatus.

Another user shared a grim cautionary tale: “I decided to take a break from my Big 4 job for 3 to 6 months as well. That break, sadly for me, was a misstep. After 2.5 years, I am sitting with no job and a highly depressed state of mind due to getting rejected left and right.”

About the Author

Arshdeep Kaur is a Senior Content Producer at Mint, where she reports and edits across national and international politics, business and culture‑adjacent trending stories for digital audience. With five years in the newsroom, she strives to balance the speed and rigor of fast‑moving news cycles and longer, context‑rich explainers. <br><br> Before joining LiveMint, Arshdeep served as a Senior Sub‑Editor at Business Standard and earlier as a Sub‑Editor at Asian News International (ANI). Her experience spans live news flows, enterprise features, and multi‑platform packaging. <br><br> At Mint, she regularly writes explainers, quick takes, and visuals‑led stories that are optimized for search and social, while maintaining the publication’s standards for accuracy and clarity. She collaborates closely with editors and the audience team to frame angles that resonate with readers in India and abroad, and to translate complex developments into accessible, high‑impact journalism. <br><br> Arshdeep's academic training underpins her interest towards policy and markets. She earned an MA in Economics from Panjab University and holds a Post‑Graduate Diploma in Broadcast Journalism from the India Today Media Institute (ITMI). This blend of economics and broadcast storytelling informs her coverage of public policy, elections, macro themes, and the consumer‑internet zeitgeist. <br><br> Arshdeep is based in New Delhi, where she tracks breaking developments and longer‑horizon storylines that shape public discourse.

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