Navigating Job Stress: Strategies for Developers' Career Decisions

Developers should assess stress sources and define personal growth before deciding to change jobs.

### Navigating Job Stress and Career Growth: Key Considerations for Developers
* 💼 Many developers face significant concerns about employment and job changes, often feeling **trapped in a dead-end situation**.
* 🤔 Before deciding to resign, it's crucial to **assess the source of your stress**, whether it's **external pressures from colleagues** or **internal feelings of inadequacy**.
* 🧠 Micro-stress, which consists of **minor stressors from coworkers and unpredictable demands**, can accumulate and lead to **significant unhappiness in the workplace**.
* 📋 Documenting your responsibilities and prioritizing tasks can help manage sudden increases in workload, ensuring you maintain **efficiency and clarity** in your role.
* 💬 It's essential to recognize how **personal sensitivity to communication** can influence your work experience and to focus on **business goals rather than interpersonal conflicts**.
* 📊 According to the 2030 Programmers Developer Survey, over **72% of career concerns** stem from a **lack of expertise**, highlighting the importance of **aligning your career path with your growth aspirations**.
* 🚀 Whether you seek authority in a startup or expertise in a larger organization, understanding your **definition of growth** is vital before considering a job change.
* 🔍 If your current role does not align with your aspirations, start researching potential companies and reflect on your **independence beyond the current employer's brand**.

When we face difficulties at work and contemplate resignation or job changes, it often feels like we are trapped in a dead end. Despite pondering for several nights, a suitable solution rarely comes to mind. Especially during the process of considering resignation, we start to question whether simply enduring the situation is the right answer. On the other hand, we often hear stories of people who left their jobs because it was too difficult, only to look back and realize that their career had stagnated. Recently, while consulting, I noticed that many developers seem to have significant concerns about employment and job changes. I, too, grappled with thoughts of resignation in my third year. Although I was satisfied with my work, the intentional mockery and teasing from colleagues became incredibly difficult to endure. However, I did not decide to resign immediately. Therefore, today I would like to outline three points for you to consider before making a decision about changing jobs or resigning as a developer.

I would like to ask you some questions that can not only help in making decisions but also provide you with the freedom to leave at any time. So, let's get started. First, where does stress come from? It’s important to consider whether stress originates externally or internally, and whether it can be overcome. If it is already manifesting in your body, taking care of your health should be a priority. There are many studies that show stress weakens the immune system and can lead to diseases. Looking back, it seems my body was sending many signals a year before I resigned. I remember feeling unwell for no reason, even though it wasn’t a change of season, and feeling inexplicably tired. Ultimately, I resigned due to the headaches that were piercing my mind. Have you heard of the term micro-stress? Rob Cross and Karen Dillon, experts in organizational and networking fields, discuss micro-stress.

We define it as the moments of minor stress triggered by the people around us. These occur so routinely that we hardly notice them, but once they accumulate, they can cause significant damage. The small things that we often overlook can create feelings of unhappiness at some point. One of the causes of micro-stress is the unpredictable behavior of superiors. We often experience this, such as when a team leader suddenly demands unreasonable schedules, or when a designer requests a change with just a pixel adjustment, or when a planner suddenly changes specifications before a launch. There are no particular evils, but they continuously alter what is expected of you, little by little. This leads to confusion about whether to prioritize one task over another, or if you should start on the newly assigned work, or if your concerns were just unfounded worries. As a result, your mind becomes cluttered with excessive worry about the tasks you were already handling.

There are times when you have to put in more than double the effort. In the end, it becomes unclear what you need to do, and your work is completed differently from your intentions, which leads to negative feedback. This, in turn, causes you to doubt your abilities. To overcome this, you can start by understanding the leader's tendencies. If you grasp what priorities govern that person's behavior and the overall situation and context of the company, you can immediately counter when changes deviate from those standards. Usually, attempts to persuade with common sense fail surprisingly often, and emotions can also fluctuate. However, since the demands from higher-ups may stem from excessive requirements, responding with the reasons that the decision-maker considers important makes the message more effective. Another source of subtle stress is the sudden increase in responsibilities. When someone resigns or deadlines are moved up, the workload inevitably increases.

Since I usually could handle everything, I accepted tasks without much thought. However, as overtime increased, I found myself merely enduring the situation. At this point, I might lose the courage to resign or the confidence to change jobs. It’s advisable to clearly document the responsibilities and scope of my current position and to prioritize the most important tasks that contribute to the company before starting any new work. It’s also a good idea to request the organization to readjust existing tasks. Particularly, I should identify which aspects consume the most time and consider delegating them or asking for help, which would help ensure work efficiency. Secondly, I have discussed the external stressors until now, but I need to check whether the stress comes from myself. In the book I Think Too Much by psychotherapist Christelle Petitcollin, it is mentioned that people who think a lot tend to be more sensitive to sensations and emotions than others.

When we have a conversation, the order of information that enters our ears is typically words first, followed by speed, rhythm, tone, and intonation, with voice being the last. However, people who tend to overthink often recognize voice first. They notice whether a person's voice is high or low, rough or smooth, and so on. Just the uniqueness of someone's pronunciation can distract them from focusing on the content, making their thoughts feel complicated. Do you also find yourself in this category? Even if we don't go to such a sensitive extent, it's inevitable that we are influenced by intonation and tone during conversations. I have often felt upset due to a mocking team member in meetings. However, I made an effort to understand the message being conveyed and tried to avoid contact with such team members as much as possible, focusing on the team's business goals. As a result, I was able to achieve success and promotions. So far, regarding stress...

was a question about growth, and finally, I would like to share my definition of growth. According to the 2030 Programmers Developer Survey, over 72% of career concerns are related to a lack of expertise. However, each person has a different career path they want to pursue, and there is no single correct answer. Additionally, each company offers different experiences. If we define growth as having as much authority and responsibility as possible while being able to control things overall, then joining a startup might be a good option. If growth is about applying the skills you are usually interested in and honing in a practical setting to enhance your expertise, then getting a job at a larger tech organization might be preferable. Nowadays, there are startups emerging that provide services for pets or promote the consumption of leftover vegetables. If you want to make a significant contribution to society, joining a startup with a social purpose can also be a good choice. If what you desire and what you can gain from your current company do not align...

If the situation is different, it would be better to consider changing jobs. If you've made that judgment, it’s advisable to start looking for such companies right away. At this time, the question you should ask yourself is whether you can be independent when you remove the company sign. If you have already researched potential companies, you would have organized what skills and talent profiles they are looking for, and you can find the intersection between your current company and the company you want to move to in order to build your achievements. Today’s content was a bit lengthy, so let me summarize. To change jobs to what you desire, you need to have a calm mindset. I talked about how to respond when stress comes from external sources versus internal sources. Lastly, I suggested defining your own growth and organizing the achievements that are needed in a place where you can grow. Thank you for watching today, and have a great day!

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코딩새우

Facing challenges at work can lead to feelings of being trapped and contemplating resignation.

It's important to assess the source of stress, whether internal or external, and prioritize health if it's manifesting physically.

The concept of micro-stress, as discussed by experts Rob Cross and Karen Dillon, highlights the cumulative impact of small stressors in the workplace.

Micro-stress refers to the minor, routine moments of stress caused by the people around us, which can accumulate and lead to significant unhappiness.

Unpredictable behavior from superiors, such as unreasonable demands and sudden changes, creates confusion and excessive worry about task priorities.

To mitigate micro-stress, it's important to understand the leader's tendencies and respond to their demands with the reasons they consider important, while also recognizing the impact of sudden increases in responsibilities.

Taking on too many tasks led to burnout and a loss of confidence in making a job change.

It's important to document responsibilities, prioritize tasks, and seek help or delegation for time-consuming work.

Overthinking can amplify stress, so it's crucial to focus on the message in conversations and maintain distance from negative team members while keeping an eye on business goals.

Growth is subjective, with different paths and experiences for each individual.

Joining a startup offers authority and responsibility, while a larger tech organization provides skill application and expertise.

If your current company's offerings don't align with your desires, consider changing jobs and researching potential companies to build your achievements.