how do you avoid burnout and getting taken advantage of?
noonespecial: This advice is going to have a little bit sharper edge than what I usually dispense:If some one pays you $50k to work for them, give them $50k worth of work. The rest of the time is your time. You can donate it to your employer if you'd like because the work interests you (I'm sure they won't object), but it probably would be better to use that time to find balance in your personal life.If you and your employer have different ideas about what $50k worth of work looks like, you'll part ways. Its a market. They don't have to buy what you're selling, and you don't have to sell. If you don't want to be the seller, start your own company and be the buyer. If nothing else, it will radically change your perspective on these experiences.The people you worked for were not evil, they just got above the expected return on their investment in you. I'm sure they're thrilled, but good references are about all you should expect from that.