Do you need a new job or do you need a break?

Anu Bharadwaj was a rising star at Atlassian, but just two years into her role, she was ready to quit. Exhausted from long hours and constant pressure, Bharadwaj walked into her boss’s office to resign. Instead, he made her a counteroffer: Take a year off to do whatever she wanted and if she decided to return to tech, the door at Atlassian would remain open. Anu spent the year as far away from tech as possible, devoting her time to her longtime passion for wildlife conservation. She ultimately returned to Atlassian, a Sydney-based software company, and went on to lead its massive transition to the cloud, advancing to COO, and then president. Her year in the wild inspired a different approach to listening, navigating company interests, and taking on new challenges. When you’re burned out and ready to quit, it can be hard to tell whether you’ve outgrown your job or simply need some distance. Here are some helpful questions to answer before you make your decision. 1. Is the job the problem, or the company? Anu was no stranger to the tech world, starting as a game developer for Microsoft. But Atlassian felt different. Her personal ethos aligned with the company’s in a way she hadn’t e…