Skip to main content

Episode 6 - What They Don't Tell You About Working in Tech

Overview

This week we're diving into all the things you may not hear in the marketing material for getting more "Pasifika into Tech". Sure you got all the highlight reels and "pros" of working, but did they tell you what's not so great about working in tech? and as a Pasifika person?

info

Watch this episode on Youtube.

Tech News

The news articles we looked at on stream:

Tech Burnout: A Silent Crisis in the IT Industry

  • 42% of IT professionals experience burnout at some point in their careers
  • 56% of IT professionals can't relax after their working day.
  • Burnout stems from work-related stress, causing mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion
  • Common signs of burnout include lack of motivation, self-doubt, irritability, cynicism, and physical symptoms like headaches and pain
  • Employers play a crucial role in reducing technology burnout by providing measures like flexible work hours, mental health benefits, and team-building activities
  • Tech leaders should prioritize work-life balance, mental health, employee growth, open communication, and well-being to prevent burnout and promote productivity

Discussion

Today's topic we dive into office politics, technical tensions, power dynamics, and how to navigate a career in tech

  • Realities of Burnout
    • Contributing Factors
      • Highly Passionate workforce
      • Proving your worth
      • Requirement for Continuous Learning
    • Types of Roles (high functioning burn out)
      • Startups
      • Contractors
      • VFX Engineers e.g. Weta Productions
      • Gaming Industry
  • Perks and Benefits
    • Meals, laundry, transportation, doctors, gym, massages, health insurance
    • You don’t have to leave our campus, you can work 24/7
    • WiFi on the free buses so you can work during commute
    • “Work from home” no 9-5… aka (unpaid) on-call for life.
    • “Unlimited” PTO
    • No severance payout during redundancies
    • Do you have time to enjoy the perks?
    • Balance of burnout and benefits
  • Power Structures vs Politics
    • Is the term “politics” a blanket term for disagreements?
    • Can’t be avoided so suit up and play the game
    • Learning how to navigate