4 ms·

This is very interesting to me. Why did you feel higher stress in lower wage positions? I only ask because I worked low-to-minimum wage part time jobs from age

This is very interesting to me. Why did you feel higher stress in lower wage positions? I only ask because I worked low-to-minimum wage part time jobs from ages 14-22 before graduating from school and getting a "real" job, similar to SWE. I found the eact opposite: stress increased with $. I always felt low stress in service jobs because I knew exactly what to do every moment, and knew exactly what happens if something goes wrong. Moreover, I knew I could find another job pretty quickly if worse came to worse - there's just so many places that need waiters, factory workers, cashiers, baristas... In contrast, my new job often has vague tasks and expectations, constant evaluation against my peers, and much more complex outcomes - all of which drive stress for me.

Joof 6y ago
So for me, I get stressed when I have less control over my work / time / etc. The less you make, the more they tell you exactly what to do, when and how to do it and you lose flexibility. There's no trust. As I've moved up, I'm largely trusted to know what I'm doing. I can basically set my own hours, do what work I think is impactful and nobody really checks in on me. Some days I accomplish very little and nobody cares, other days, I accomplish a lot. Bonus points in that I have tons of employee protections (I wouldn't be fired without at least a large severance) and I have so much money saved that I don't need to work for long periods of time. My healthcare is covered and my living finances are less than a quarter of my base salary.
clairity 6y ago
that's because you're talking about competency stress and the parent is talking about existential stress. because stress is primal, it's easy to conflate the two, but they're not the same. as you get older, your ability to depend (at least as a fallback) on parents diminishes (in many dimensions, not just financially).
georgeecollins 6y ago
My guess would be (having had the exact same experience): - greater autonomy and less micro-management for skilled jobs - more job security because you are difficult to replace On the other side high skill jobs are more stressful because the stakes are higher and the techniques for success are more uncertain. In my experience, high skill jobs are less stressful when I am doing something I have prior work experience and I have confidence in my ability. When I don't they can be extremely stressful.
- curiousllama 6y ago
  > high skill jobs are less stressful when I am doing something I have prior work experience ... When I don't they can be extremely stressful This makes sense. I tend to jump between roles (DS, PM, consultant, etc.), which might account for some stress come to think of it...
deleted 6y ago
[deleted]

Joof 6y ago

So for me, I get stressed when I have less control over my work / time / etc. The less you make, the more they tell you exactly what to do, when and how to do it and you lose flexibility. There's no trust. As I've moved up, I'm largely trusted to know what I'm doing. I can basically set my own hours, do what work I think is impactful and nobody really checks in on me. Some days I accomplish very little and nobody cares, other days, I accomplish a lot. Bonus points in that I have tons of employee protections (I wouldn't be fired without at least a large severance) and I have so much money saved that I don't need to work for long periods of time. My healthcare is covered and my living finances are less than a quarter of my base salary.

clairity 6y ago

that's because you're talking about competency stress and the parent is talking about existential stress. because stress is primal, it's easy to conflate the two, but they're not the same. as you get older, your ability to depend (at least as a fallback) on parents diminishes (in many dimensions, not just financially).

georgeecollins 6y ago

My guess would be (having had the exact same experience): - greater autonomy and less micro-management for skilled jobs - more job security because you are difficult to replace On the other side high skill jobs are more stressful because the stakes are higher and the techniques for success are more uncertain. In my experience, high skill jobs are less stressful when I am doing something I have prior work experience and I have confidence in my ability. When I don't they can be extremely stressful.

curiousllama 6y ago
> high skill jobs are less stressful when I am doing something I have prior work experience ... When I don't they can be extremely stressful This makes sense. I tend to jump between roles (DS, PM, consultant, etc.), which might account for some stress come to think of it...

deleted 6y ago

[deleted]