Of course there are "startups" and there are "startups." Which is to say that 3 founders and 2 employees is a 'startup' but so is 50 employees and 2 founders. That is why I dislike generalizing about "startups" and prefer to talk about values.
But I agree whole-heartedly that some jobs are just painful. Sometimes they start out great, and the company changes, and then they are painful. Sometimes its the other way around, and sometimes they are all great or all painful.
So lets step past the 'burnout' part, the damaged goods part if you will, and talk about who you are. Try to come up with times where you felt really great about your job, could be a task completed, feedback received, or even just the amount of light in the office. Let those memories inform you about what you really value (as opposed to things you think you should value). Now armed with knowledge about what you value, think about ways to interview companies which would help you know if those things are likely to be there.
I joke sometimes that people often spend a lot of time interrogating a potential boyfriend/girlfriend but don't invest the same energy in interrogating a potential company. While it is true that as a job seeker you are in the 'inferior' position to the job offerer, but both of you want exactly the same thing, a happy, productive employee. That occurs when you love your job and knowing what it takes for you to love your job and being up front with that with your potential employer will pay big dividends.
But I agree whole-heartedly that some jobs are just painful. Sometimes they start out great, and the company changes, and then they are painful. Sometimes its the other way around, and sometimes they are all great or all painful.
So lets step past the 'burnout' part, the damaged goods part if you will, and talk about who you are. Try to come up with times where you felt really great about your job, could be a task completed, feedback received, or even just the amount of light in the office. Let those memories inform you about what you really value (as opposed to things you think you should value). Now armed with knowledge about what you value, think about ways to interview companies which would help you know if those things are likely to be there.
I joke sometimes that people often spend a lot of time interrogating a potential boyfriend/girlfriend but don't invest the same energy in interrogating a potential company. While it is true that as a job seeker you are in the 'inferior' position to the job offerer, but both of you want exactly the same thing, a happy, productive employee. That occurs when you love your job and knowing what it takes for you to love your job and being up front with that with your potential employer will pay big dividends.