Need Advice: Feeling Demotivated and Struggling at Work

Hi Everyone,

I need your advice on a career situation I’m currently facing. Here's some context:

I am a 28-year-old professional with an MBA from IIM. I have 3 years of experience in product management and strategy roles across different industries. I joined my current company as a Product Manager in July 2024. This is my third company in the last 2.5 years post my MBA. I came in with the mindset of staying here for at least 2 years to establish stability in my career. However, the past few weeks have been challenging, and I’m finding it hard to stay motivated.

Recently, I’ve received abrupt negative feedback from senior leadership and CEO regarding my performance. While my direct manager says he is happy with my work and doesn’t have any concerns, he hasn’t backed me up in front of the management. Leadership feedback has made me feel undervalued and humiliated, and my self-respect has taken a hit. Additionally, the role has turned out to be more execution-focused, with limited opportunities for real product management work and mostly towards maintenance of the product.

I’ve been trying to process all of this, but my morale is very low, and I feel like I’m no longer adding value here. There’s a part of me that wants to leave immediately, but I’m also worried about the impact of another switch on my resume. I have decent savings and family support, so taking a career break is an option. However, I’m concerned about how that will affect my long-term career prospects.

Here are my questions:

1. Should I stick it out in this company for a few more months to complete at least 1 year?
2. If I decide to leave, how can I position this decision positively for future opportunities?
3. If I take a career break (1.5–2 years), what should I focus on during that time to ensure I can re-enter the workforce strongly?

Any suggestions or advice on how to navigate this situation would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!