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> but the big difference between then and now was that when I was home, I was home. Work stopped, and I could do something else for a bit and didn’t have to wor
by avalys 5y ago
> but the big difference between then and now was that when I was home, I was home. Work stopped, and I could do something else for a bit and didn’t have to worry about anything until the next work day. I didn’t feel much of the mental fatigue I do now.
This really has nothing to do with Big Tech and is a nearly universal characteristic of any job that requires mental effort instead of physical. Yeah, if you're getting paid to move boxes all day, the boxes don't follow you home. If you get paid to think all day, the thoughts do. Nothing much you can do about that other than learn to deal with it.
My friends who are scientists think about their research in their free time, and worry about upcoming conference deadlines, etc. My friends who are lawyers think about their cases and upcoming filing deadlines. My friends on the business and sales side think about clients and deals and marketing. That's just how it goes. Be glad someone is willing to pay you for it and that your brain doesn't wear out from thinking the way your back wears out from carrying boxes.
This person just sounds like they have trouble setting boundaries and some general anxiety issues. I am a SWE at a FANG company right now, in a reasonably important and high-profile area, and the work-life balance is way better than any other job I've had at smaller companies both in and out of "tech".
- yodsanklai 5y agoA friend of mine is a pilot on long flights. He said that the great thing about his job is that he can totally switch off from work as soon as he leaves the plane. Feels like the best of both world. High paid job without the stress.
- ggregoire 5y agoFor the other curious: https://epicflightacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/major-airlines-captain-salary.jpg https://epicflightacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/maj... https://epicflightacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/cargo-airlines-captain-salary.png https://epicflightacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/car... It's way higher than what I expected.
- avalys 5y agoI’m hardly an expert, but I understand it could take 15-20 years of a flying career before you reach the point of being a “first-year captain” at a major airline (the first column in this chart).
- emdowling 5y agoYes, exactly. Expect to spent at least 10 years as a first officer before getting a shot at Captain. I’d wager that Covid has pushed that out to 15 years. I have family and friends who are pilots, and the landscape is brutal with yearly pay rises falling far short of inflation in a lot of cases, and bonuses being minimal or non existent for the last few years
- Cyph0n 5y agoI could be mistaken, but I recall reading that there are quite a few hoops to jump through before you can fly for the big boys. For example, you would typically start with shorter/less important routes on smaller airlines. Also, the pilot unions keep the good routes (and salaries) for the more senior pilots, so tenure plays a big part in how much you get paid.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- spdionis 5y agoAgreed with every word of your comment but > your brain doesn't wear out from thinking the way your back wears out from carrying boxes. this is not obvious at all.
- killa_kyle 5y agoI worked as a mover in NYC for years before becoming a software developer. Even though I make more money and have an easier life in many ways now, the mental fatigue of working a "knowledge" job is stressful in ways that outweigh most of my hardest physically and emotionally taxing days moving.