a burnt out 27 yr old software engineer reflecting on her 5 year career at amazon | career chat

Summary

In this honest life update, a software engineer reflects on their 5-year journey at Amazon and in the tech industry. Struggling with burnout, anxiety, and PTSD, they share how these challenges have impacted their career and personal life. Despite external success, the speaker feels unfulfilled and stuck, questioning their future path. They emphasize the importance of mental health, setting boundaries at work, and the need for self-care. Moving forward, they express a desire to build something personal, starting with a simple website project that brings them joy and purpose. The video serves as a transparent exploration of navigating career struggles and personal growth.

Takeaways

• 😀 Reflecting on career and personal growth: The speaker shares a life update, discussing the ups and downs of working in the tech industry, specifically at Amazon, for the past five years.
• 😀 Burnout is a real issue: The speaker discusses ongoing struggles with burnout, revealing how they initially thought a vacation would help but soon realized that recovery from burnout is non-linear.
• 😀 Mental health challenges: The speaker opens up about being diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety, emphasizing how personal trauma, stress, and burnout have contributed to these challenges.
• 😀 Need for mental health days: The speaker advocates for the normalization of taking sick days for mental health, suggesting a need for separate mental health days apart from physical illness leave.
• 😀 The importance of setting boundaries: One of the biggest lessons learned over the five-year career is the necessity of setting boundaries early on to avoid burnout and toxicity at work.
• 😀 Career dissatisfaction: Despite achieving success in a top company like Amazon, the speaker feels stuck, unfulfilled, and unsure of their long-term career direction.
• 😀 Changing life priorities: With the speaker's 27th birthday marking a shift in life stages, their priorities have changed, and they are reflecting on how their goals differ from those in their early and mid-20s.
• 😀 Regret over lack of breaks: The speaker expresses regret over not taking enough breaks throughout their career, leading to a constant state of stress and burnout.
• 😀 The impact of stress on health: The speaker shares a personal story of developing body rashes due to stress, highlighting how unresolved stress can physically manifest.
• 😀 Desire for personal fulfillment: The speaker reveals their desire to build something for themselves, leveraging their software development skills to create something personally fulfilling, such as their own website.

Q & A

What inspired the speaker to create this life update video?

The speaker was inspired by conversations with friends who work in the tech industry, where they found shared experiences and struggles, despite being at different points in their careers.

How long has the speaker been working at Amazon and in the tech industry?

The speaker has been working at Amazon for 5 years, which is also the duration they’ve been working in the tech industry.

What is the speaker's current struggle in their career?

The speaker is experiencing burnout and feeling stuck in their career. They are unsure about their future in the tech industry and are seeking fulfillment.

What did the speaker learn about burnout during their career?

The speaker learned that recovering from burnout is not a linear process. Taking a vacation or setting boundaries may not immediately resolve burnout, and it requires ongoing effort and time.

How has the speaker’s mental health been affected by burnout?

The speaker has been diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety, which they attribute to the extreme burnout they experienced in early 2024, along with personal traumatic events.

What does the speaker think about the approach to mental health in the tech industry?

The speaker believes that mental health is not adequately addressed in the tech industry and advocates for normalizing mental health days separate from sick days for physical illness.

What is one of the biggest lessons the speaker has learned in their 5-year career?

One of the biggest lessons is the importance of setting boundaries early on in your career to prevent burnout and toxic work habits from becoming ingrained.

What is the speaker's biggest regret in their career?

The speaker regrets not taking enough breaks or vacations for their well-being during the past 5 years, and they believe this has contributed to their current burnout.

How does the speaker feel about their work-life balance and personal fulfillment?

The speaker feels that despite working hard and achieving career milestones, they do not feel fulfilled. They are seeking purpose and fulfillment beyond their job in the tech industry.

What does the speaker want to focus on in the coming year?

The speaker wants to focus on creating something for themselves outside of work, such as building a personal website or product that reflects their passion and skills.