Burnout at work is affecting more professionals than ever, especially Gen Z and millennials who care deeply about their jobs but feel constantly overwhelmed and exhausted. In this episode of I Hate My Job! Now What?, Sarah explains why burnout isn’t a motivation problem and why working harderwon’t make you more valuable.

Instead, she challenges the culture of urgency, overwork, and constant responsiveness, and invites you to shift from measuring success by volume to measuring it by impact. Through real client patterns, research, and career stories, Sarah explores how burnout often shows up when capable people areoperating below their strategic level.

If you’re burned out, frustrated, or stuck in a cycle of doing more but feeling less effective, this episode offers a calmer, more sustainable way to think about work—and practical reflection questions to help you work differently.

Reflection Questions:

Is this a moment for full effort—or is good enough actually appropriate here?Before I say yes, what problem am I really being asked to solve?Who else should be involved to increase the impact of this work?If I’m irritated by this task, is it a signal that I need to reframe how I’m approaching it?

Resources & Links:

Learn more about coaching at: ⁠sarahdecker.com⁠

Follow Sarah on Instagram ⁠@advanceprofessionalcoaching⁠·       Share this episode with your work bestie!

Chapters:

00:00 Understanding Burnout in Today's Workforce

03:01 Redefining Value and Impact at Work

06:50 The Toxicity of Performative Busyness

09:22 The Importance of Relationships in Career Success

15:00 Shifting from Effort to Impact

What if you evaluated your career the same way you evaluate your relationships?

In this Valentine’s-themed episode, I invite you to take a simple four-question “quiz” to check in on your relationship with your work. We explore four common career patterns—including outgrowing a role, working in an unbalanced dynamic, going through the motions, and the on-again, off-again relationship so many people recognize.

This isn’t a “quit your job” episode—it’s an honest, compassionate check-in designed to help you notice patterns, feel less alone, and reflect on what you want next, at your own pace.

Quiz:1.     How stretched do I feel in my current role — intellectually, creatively, or professionally?

2.   How trusted do I feel where I work?

3.    How energized do I feel by my work most days?

4.    How often does the question, ‘Is this still right?’ come up for me?

Resources & Links:

Learn more about coaching at: sarahdecker.com

Follow Sarah on Instagram @advanceprofessionalcoaching

Share this episode with your work bestie!

Feeling pulled in a million directions as the year ends? In this episode, Sarah invites you into the passenger seat of her SUV for five grounding, deeply human reminders that will help you release what’s draining you, honor what you truly need, and walk into 2026 with more clarity, peace, and self-trust.

Reflection Prompts:

• What do you not want to do anymore — and how do you know?

• What feels forced in your life right now?

• What makes your body tighten, hold its breath, or feel drained?

• Where in your life are you tolerating something that has already ended?

• What are you carrying out of habit that you no longer want to bring into the new year?

• Where can you choose meaning over obligation this season?

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about coaching at ⁠sarahdecker.com ⁠
• Follow Sarah on Instagram ⁠@advanceprofessionalcoaching ⁠
• Share this episode with your work bestie 💛

Chapters:

00:00 The Busy Parent's Productivity Secret

02:18 Grounding in Overwhelming Times

05:11 Identifying What You Don't Want

08:41 The Power of Peace and Productivity

11:09 Recognizing Burnout and Moving On

14:57 Letting Go to Make Space

18:23 Choosing Presence Over Performance

19:41 Summary

In this episode, career coach and hiring manager Sarah Decker opens the lid on what really happens when someone scrolls your resume over lunch — and what moves you into the yes, no, or maybe pile.

Homework: Begin your Master Resume

1. Word Document: Header

First and Last Name

Email address, Phone Number, City State

2. Professional Summary

3. Recent Work Experience

Job Title

Employer

Accomplishments, Experience, Impact

(Repeat for all Jobs)

4. Education

5. Skills and Certifications

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about coaching at ⁠sarahdecker.com ⁠
• Follow Sarah on Instagram ⁠@advanceprofessionalcoaching ⁠
• Share this episode with your work bestie 💛

Chapters:

00:00 A Day in the Life: Balancing Work and Family

02:52 The Importance of a Strong Resume

06:00 Sorting Resumes: Yes, No, and Maybe Piles

09:06 Crafting the Perfect Resume: Key Elements

11:55 Navigating Job Applications: Strategies for Success

15:07 Understanding ATS: Making Your Resume Stand Out

18:12 The Power of Language: Framing Your Experience

21:04 Encouragement for Women: Apply for the Job

23:55 Creating Your Master Resume: A Living Document

27:04 Final Thoughts: The Resume as a Door Opener

In this episode, I share the very real, very messy story of how Advance Professional Coaching was born in the middle of early-pandemic chaos. It’s a reminder that sometimes your calling arrives in the most overwhelming seasons of your life.

Reflection Prompts:

1. Where are you feeling a spark or pull... even in the middle of your fully, messy life?

2. Who has already reflected a skill, talent, or gift back to you that you're not using yet?

3. What is one tiny step toward a shift you could take without blowing up your whole life?

Resources & Links:

• Learn more about coaching at sarahdecker.com
• Follow Sarah on Instagram @advanceprofessionalcoaching
• Share this episode with your work bestie 💛

Chapters:

00:00 Navigating Life During the Pandemic

03:15 The Unexpected Opportunity

05:34 Building a Coaching Business

08:33 Embracing the Working Mom Identity

10:58 Finding Time for Growth

13:12 The Birth of Advanced Professional Coaching

15:28 Reflection and Moving Forward

16:57 Notes to Past Self

In this episode, career coach Sarah Decker shares thetrue story of her own “I hate my job” moment, the quiet breaking point that changed everything, and what it really looks like to outgrow a job and start over.

Reflection Prompts

1. What did you first whisper, "I hate my job" (even quietly to yourself)?

2. What might that feeling be trying to tell you?

3. If it's not failure, what might it be opening space for?

Resources & Links

• Learn more about coaching and support at sarahdecker.com
• Follow Sarah on Instagram @advanceprofessionalcoaching
• Share this episode with your work bestie 💛

Chapters

 00:00 The Defining Moment of Change

09:14 The Breaking Point andSelf-Discovery

13:25 Evolving Purpose and NewBeginnings

16:02 NEW CHAPTER

Ever whispered “I hate my job” to your work bestie? You’re not alone. In this first episode, career coach Sarah Decker gets real about the conversations we all have behind closed doors, why so many of us feel stuck at work, and how to start finding your way back to what lights you up.

Reflection Prompts:

1. What’s the real thing I want to say about my job right now, not the polished version, the real one?

2. Where do I feel an itch for more, more energy, more alignment, more meaning? 

3. If I stopped trying to follow the “right” path and instead followed my gifts… what might open up?

Resources and Links:

• Follow Sarah on Instagram @advanceprofessionalcoaching
• Learn more about coaching and support at sarahdecker.com
• Share this episode with your work bestie 💛

Chapters:

00:00 The Role of Relationships in Career Transitions

03:51 Creating a Safe Space for Honest Conversations

04:15 Understanding Job Market Trends

06:12 Embracing Career Evolution and Growth

10:07 Identifying Your Unique Gifts and Passions

13:41 Overcoming Career Change Fears and Misconceptions

14:18 Reflection Prompts for Career Clarity