- Siobhan Llewellyn, 30, quit his $100,000 job last year after suffering “extreme burnout.”
- She started working part-time as a professor, which helped launch her “dream” business.
- Despite financial problems, she says she was “happier than I’ve ever been.”
A year ago, Siobhan Llewellyn was making $100,000 a year, but she knew her situation wasn’t sustainable.
Her job, an e-commerce marketing manager position in Toronto, left her “extremely burnt out,” the 30-year-old told Insider. She couldn’t even read her emails or attend meetings, and she was feeling “deep anxiety and panic.”
Also, being away from the office when her job was fully remote, she faced a three-hour round trip commute three days a week.
“It was a perfect storm,” she said.
One morning last March, she decided to “throw in the towel.”
“I had put aside my mental, physical, and emotional well-being for so long that I knew I needed to make a big change.” I was doing it, so I can say my body made the decision for me.”
She currently works part-time as a marketing professor at two universities and is building her “dream” social media business. Despite her significantly lower income (at $90 an hour, which she expects to be about $50,000 a year), Llewellyn “has never been happier,” according to documents seen by an insider. said.
“Part-time was my ‘out. It has given me the freedom to pay the bills, maintain structure in my life, and discover my next steps,” she said. “It’s amazing what you can come up with when you have time to think.”
Llewellyn is based in Canada, but her story reflects a broad desire for part-time work. As of January, 22.1 million Americans voluntarily work part-time, according to Labor Department data. That’s about six times more than the 4.1 million Americans who were part-time but wanted a full-time gig.this Mark the best ratio Changes in part-time employment from voluntary to involuntary employment over 20 years.
The data tells us that the U.S. labor market is doing well, but there are also many Americans who aren’t seeking full-time gigs due to health issues, childcare responsibilities, and burnout. According to one survey, her one-third of women took time off from her job last year for mental health reasons. Deloitte research 5,000 women worldwide.
Finding part-time work may not be easy, but many workers who do find it have a better life.
Shifting to part-time and entrepreneurship required significant cost savings
Llewelyn says she works about 15 hours a week between her two part-time teaching jobs. She says she was given time to launch her dream business.
In February she founded Wellmarket Collectiveis an online platform that offers community groups, events and workshops to help people connect with experts and navigate their health and wellness journey. In January she instagram page She is an inspiration to others who feel stuck in their careers and has already amassed over 30,000 followers.
Llewellyn says her business is not yet profitable. She’s focused on increasing her visibility, and she wants her memberships to start earning her as soon as she rolls out her model.
Meanwhile, her lifestyle changes have created financial problems for her and her husband, who works full-time.
“Little luxuries” were the first thing they ditched, she said, and they conducted an “audit” of all memberships, subscriptions and streaming services to determine what they could live without. added. They’ve also put big vacations on hold, changed where they shop for groceries, and ate out less.
“We knew it would likely cover the bill, but the extras had to take a backseat,” she said. It looks silly, but it actually helps you save money each month.”
She also had to work hard not to tie her identity and self-esteem to her earnings. In addition to helping her get through this.
“I was always going to work on someone’s dream or idea, and I was probably tied to a nine-to-five schedule,” she said. , when you realize that everything is no longer a priority.”
Advice for those considering a part-time job
Despite burnout, Llewellyn says her goal wasn’t to work part-time forever. She’s “a very ambitious and driven person” and “loves her job,” but says she needs to recover, reassess her life, and ideally find something she’s more passionate about. she said.
“I didn’t want the fact that I left the company to stop me from being successful in whatever I chose,” she said.
For these purposes, she says, part-time was “a great option.”
For others considering a full-time to part-time shift, Llewellyn offers some advice.
First, talk to someone who has worked part-time and ask them about their experience.
“I have attended countless coffee dates to learn how other people live and work.I always feel more confident and inspired to make a difference. I’ll be back soon,’ she said.
Then start building your emergency savings fund if you haven’t already. Llewellyn says she and her husband saved her six months’ worth when she transitioned to part-time. This took a lot of the financial pressure off her and gave her time to think about what she wanted to do with her life, not to mention rising inflation rates around the world. can make saving more difficult.
Finally, before quitting a full-time job, she recommends asking your current employer if it’s possible to work part-time.
Llewellyn says her new work lifestyle has its pros and cons, but the biggest benefit is more time and freedom. .
“Don’t get me wrong, I was scared and lost and had a complete identity crisis,” she said. “But I felt free. It was like I finally gave myself the time and space to ask what I wanted to do with my life and how I wanted to do it.”