I was happy at Apple, but I burned out after becoming a manager. I took a career break at 30 and have no regrets.

Meredith Meyer Carrie Kizuka Photography Meredith Meyer was promoted to an engineering manager role at Apple in 2022. She says the promotion and return-to-office rules contributed to her burnout. Meyer explained why she decided to leave Apple and take a career break. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Meredith Meyer, a 30-year-old in the Bay Area who previously worked as an engineering manager at Apple. The following has been edited for length and clarity. When I started ...