Year Five. The average lifespan for a software engineering job is 4 years. Okay, I've never actually seen proof (or contradiction), but that's the general feeling in the groups I associate with. Perhaps that's selection bias - my employer has generally changed on year 3 or 4. Perhaps this is the exception and not the rule, in that case feel free to simply read this as an experience report. However, I do think it's somewhat common for developers to leave around year 3 or 4.
This entry contains speculation on why they leave, and offers one idea on what employers can do to break that cycle. My 4 year employment cycle generally looks like this Year One: "I'm in over my head. In Year Three and Four at DRW I spent some time thinking about how I felt, and observing the behavior of some colleagues that were also on year three and four. A company you don't work at always seems to have infinite possibilities; however, after a few years with an employer, it's extremely clear what your options are.
Avoiding Burnout | Always On by Andrew Dumont. It was my first startup. I was 18 and we had just raised our first real financing round – $250,000 from a local angel group. A lot was riding on us, even though the scale seems minuscule in hindsight. We had just upgraded from a basement to an actual office, and we were on top of the world. Numbers were rising and the team was growing, it felt like we were invincible. After the highest highs, the good times started to fade. Eventually, I burnt out. I remember coming home and curling up into a ball. I was shot. It was a terrible feeling that took me months to shake out of. Each person has their own limit, and I was completely oblivious to mine. After much trial and error, I did, and here’s how I did it. Morning Workouts I start out each day with a workout.
An Evening Walk Evenings were tough for me, I wasn’t sure how to turn it off. Fiction Reading I was never a big fan of fiction. A Day A Week Intellectual Hobbies Small Wins So much of burnout is mental. A Healthy Diet Limiting Decisions Kudos. So You Don't Want to be a Programmer After All. I get a surprising number of emails from career programmers who have spent some time in the profession and eventually decided it just isn't for them. Most recently this: I finished a computer science degree last year, worked about a year in the Java EE stack. I liked requirements engineering and more 'management stuff' in university, but let's face it: you tend to be driven to be a programmer. I enjoy programming itself. I'm not doing it that badly, I even do it better than some people. But it's too frustrating. Stupidly complex stuff (that people consider "standard" even if it's extremely complicated!) And this: Since the first year of studying programming at university I have known in my heart that computer programming is not meant for me, but I was afraid to do anything about it and here I am now 12 years later programming with no passion.
Well, what about the rest of the Stack Exchange network? Nope. The colored part in this target that says "All Programmers"? A startup? It is Time for Tech to Nurture a New Kind of Leader. 3 Ways to Avoid Decision Quicksand. Top 10 Instant Stress Busters. You Only Live Up to the Standards You Set.
Welcome to the New Lifehacker. Productivity: 8 Things You Should Not Do Every Day. If you get decent value from making to-do lists, you'll get huge returns--in productivity, in improved relationships, and in your personal well-being--from adding these items to your not to-do list: Every day, make the commitment not to: 1. Check my phone while I'm talking to someone. You've done it. You've played the, "Is that your phone?
Oh, it must be mine," game. You've tried the you-think-sly-but-actually-really-obvious downwards glance. Maybe you didn't even say, "Wait. " Want to stand out? Stop checking your phone. Other people? And they care. 2. The easiest way to be the smartest person in the room is to be the person who pays the most attention to the room. You'll be amazed by what you can learn, both about the topic of the meeting and about the people in the meeting if you stop multitasking and start paying close attention. It's easy, because you'll be the only one trying. And you'll be the only one succeeding on multiple levels. 3. They're the ones who deserve it. 4. They can wait. The 6 Keys To Being Awesome At Everything. I've been playing tennis for nearly five decades.
I love the game and I hit the ball well, but I'm far from the player I wish I were. I've been thinking about this a lot the past couple of weeks, because I've taken the opportunity, for the first time in many years, to play tennis nearly every day. My game has gotten progressively stronger. I've had a number of rapturous moments during which I've played like the player I long to be. And almost certainly could be, even though I'm 58 years old. During the past year, I've read no fewer than five books — and a raft of scientific research — which powerfully challenge that assumption (see below for a list). We've found, in our work with executives at dozens of organizations, that it's possible to build any given skill or capacity in the same systematic way we do a muscle: push past your comfort zone, and then rest. There is something wonderfully empowering about this. Don’t be the hardest worker in your job or in your job hunt. If you work the most hours you look the most desperate.
You shouldn’t look lazy, but don’t be the hardest worker. After all, why do you need to work so much harder than the next person? Are you not as smart? Not as organized? Not as confident in your ability to navigate a non-work world? In many cases all three are true for those who work the hardest. The fact that the hardest worker is not necessarily the most successful rears its head before work even starts: A study conducted by Alan Krueger, professor of economics at Princeton University, shows that when it comes to workplace success, it doesn’t matter if you get in to an Ivy League school, it matters if you apply.
Nonstop work offers diminishing returns after graduation as well. Don’t tell yourself that you work nonstop because you love your work: If you really loved your work, you’d take a break so you don’t mess it up. Ironically, moments that elevate your level of success at work often require time away from work. What Stress Actually Does to You and What You Can Do About It. When I get stressed at work, it is usually because I'm pushing myself too hard to get something complicated done or dealing with a breakdown in some bureaucratic process somewhere. I usually walk away from it for a few hours or the afternoon and do something less time-critical that typically involves getting my hands dirty with hardware. Not sure why I find working with hardware to be relaxing, but it is for me - it's logical, predictable and usually not time-critical.
I always have these low-stress filler activities available for this purpose. Usually, when I have an abnormally stressful week, I'll take a half day or full day off, or I'll work from home at a slower pace. At home, I'll listen to XM radio's Symphony Hall channel. One of the most stressful things I encounter is indecision - so I really try to make good decisions quickly, but not rashly to minimize the stress involved. 8 Pieces of Professional Advice I Didn't Want But Definitely Needed. WikiHow - The How-to Manual That You Can Edit.