Technology, big money, and... job burnout - Career Weekly vol. 6

More than 70% of programmers suffer from job burnout

Do you feel that you lack energy? Do you struggle to find the motivation to get things done every day? Do you feel irritable or annoyed? And then there is the added stress? These are the symptoms of job burnout, which three years ago was included in the International Classification of Diseases by the WHO.

According to a recent study of 1700 devs in Poland, this problem affects almost 70% of programmers. This figure makes a huge and, unfortunately, rather grim impression. Of course, not on every person, because it is difficult to count on the empathy of someone who looks at IT solely through the prism of earnings. Nevertheless, the problem is serious and cannot be covered up even with a bag full of money…

The research summary states that programmers are not supported by their employers. As many as 82% of respondents indicate that job burnout has never been discussed in their workplace, and 95% get their knowledge of it from the internet. The diagnosis from Dr Google is only the beginning, so let’s look at potential solutions.

Those who feel ‘looked after’ by their employer in terms of mental health appreciated training, wellbeing campaigns, private healthcare in the company, and encouragement to take a day off if they are in poor form. The problem is also being tackled on its own, with 66% trying to seek solace in hobbies or other ways of relaxation (film, sport, music) and 55% waiting for the situation to return to normal without doing anything. In addition to this, 71% of people are also considering changing jobs, even though the market situation is very dynamic.

Regardless of all the circumstances, we wish everyone a lot of health, peace and joy at work! And if you lack any of these, force your Team Leader to talk to you – frankly and openly. Remember, problems that remain unaddressed cannot be solved.

Source:

https://wypaleniezawodowe.it

Nvidia (still) hiring and helping to leave Russia

Well, let’s now move on to slightly better news. Nvidia, for whom this year is not at all one of the best, surprises with optimistic hiring forecasts and… unusual benefits.

After a failed attempt to buy Arm, a massive drop in gaming revenues and the lowest share valuations in 52 weeks, Nvidia does not look at all like a company that is losing ground. On the contrary, it is acting very boldly, increasing investments and trying to take care of every specialist. First, Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, assured employees that he would keep his promises of raises and no layoffs, and now it has been confirmed that the company has carried out a bold ‘evacuation’ of its specialists from Russia.

Russia’s brutal attack on Ukraine caused many companies to decide to leave the Russian market. Of course, some companies were merely posturing their actions, but Nvidia was not among them. The graphics card manufacturer had already suspended shipments to Russia on 3 March and halted all business operations in the country on 5 April. Now, the corporation has gone a step further – finally closing its headquarters in Russia and offering employees to move to another country. According to unofficial information, Nvidia is offering to fly in on charter planes, and the offer made to employees is confirmed by the Moral Rating Agency, an organisation that checks how well companies with a presence in Russia live up to their pledges.

It has to be said that this is a very wise move – both business-wise and image-wise. Not only has Nvidia stopped contributing to the taxes that fund the bombing of Ukrainian cities, it has also (presumably) saved its specialists from being mobilised into the Russian army. Unfortunately, it was not stated how many Nvidia employees left Russia, but it is an idea worthy of being pursued by other corporations.

Sources:

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/nvidia-closes-russian-offices-will-fly-relocating-employees-out-of-the-country-report-says-11664908547

https://www.businessinsider.com/nvidia-salaries-compensation-engineers-developers-2022-9?IR=T

Is recession an opportunity for low-code and no-code tools?

When I read article after article about the coming cooling of the global economy, I thought to myself that this was another reason to look for savings through automation and the implementation of new, simple tools in the company. Therefore, I was completely unsurprised by texts that praise low-code and no-code tools, presenting them as a ‘remedy for hard times’. The last few weeks have seen a real hype around these solutions – both online, and at industry conferences.

Of course, if you’re a senior or mid-career professional, you’re unlikely to have to fear that WYSIWYG tools will take your job away. Rather, it’s a way to quickly fill the gap created by an insufficient number of IT professionals

Advocates of the low-code and no-code approach have no doubt – time, money, and resources are gained with such tools. Even your child will be able to cobble together a simple application or database! Without recruiting a new developer. Without additional costs. Without the problem.

The reality, however, is somewhat more complex. “Ready-made” applications do not always meet the needs of users. What’s more, they are not easy to integrate into pieces of more high-code code, and on top of that, they do not relieve the burden on developers at all as much as the advertisements promised. Solutions created through low-code and no-code are definitely more difficult to test and may require access to key infrastructure elements to function correctly. Risky!

To sum up, wizards won’t take your job, but sooner or later you will talk to your boss about them. Be prepared!