Newbie in the field
Hello everyone, I am a newbie programmer.
Lately I've been dealing with huge stress from work. I’m kinda struggling with the internship, just wondering if you ever wanted to quit? What did you do to gain the strengths back?
Lately I've been dealing with huge stress from work. I’m kinda struggling with the internship, just wondering if you ever wanted to quit? What did you do to gain the strengths back?
Well my remedy for this kind of work stress was to undertake a 2-3 hour 'walk' in the country-side - taking in a convivial pub!
But how people deal with big stress differs from one person to another. I knew a colleague who did at least 1/2 hour boxing at the end of the day. If the work stress can't be changed at work - have you had a chat with your manager (either at work or socially away from work) - then you are either in the wrong job/profession or you need to work out how you deal with it. But whatever, huge permanent stress is bad for your health. If it continues for too long, you may need medical help at some point...
You also need to understand why you're suffering from this stress. Is it time pressure, not being able to undertake the work given through lack of knowledge, taking on too much work or ... Are there other internships there as well - or are you the only one. If more than one, how are they coping? If you are taking on too much work, don't forget that you can say no - I've already got xyz work ongoing. There's a difference between some pressure (often can be productive) and excessive long-term stress. Of course, what is one person's pressure is anyone's stress. It varies from person to person. But handling this and finding out what makes a person 'tick' is all part of being a manager - managing their staff.
But my immediate advice is to talk to your manager - or if you don't want to do that for whatever reason - then with someone in Human Resources. You need to talk this through with someone. You can't keep all that bottled up in you. It isn't good for your health. There's a difference between some pressure (often can be productive) and excessive long-term stress.
PS. Do you have a work mentor? Someone outside the management/HR chain you can go to for advice/guidance etc?
Also, you don't say what kind/size of company you're working for.
But how people deal with big stress differs from one person to another. I knew a colleague who did at least 1/2 hour boxing at the end of the day. If the work stress can't be changed at work - have you had a chat with your manager (either at work or socially away from work) - then you are either in the wrong job/profession or you need to work out how you deal with it. But whatever, huge permanent stress is bad for your health. If it continues for too long, you may need medical help at some point...
You also need to understand why you're suffering from this stress. Is it time pressure, not being able to undertake the work given through lack of knowledge, taking on too much work or ... Are there other internships there as well - or are you the only one. If more than one, how are they coping? If you are taking on too much work, don't forget that you can say no - I've already got xyz work ongoing. There's a difference between some pressure (often can be productive) and excessive long-term stress. Of course, what is one person's pressure is anyone's stress. It varies from person to person. But handling this and finding out what makes a person 'tick' is all part of being a manager - managing their staff.
But my immediate advice is to talk to your manager - or if you don't want to do that for whatever reason - then with someone in Human Resources. You need to talk this through with someone. You can't keep all that bottled up in you. It isn't good for your health. There's a difference between some pressure (often can be productive) and excessive long-term stress.
PS. Do you have a work mentor? Someone outside the management/HR chain you can go to for advice/guidance etc?
Also, you don't say what kind/size of company you're working for.
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New jobs, and that includes internships, are a very difficult time for a programmer.
The last time I changed jobs, I was basically handed a giant industrial program and given tasks to start modifying it for new features. Its huge, its old, and its convoluted in places. Its stressful to try to learn the ins & outs of a large code base AND be productive AND get to know new tools and people and so on. After a time you do learn the new parts and where to look for stuff and it gets easier, but that can take a good year or so. Interns have it worse, you have to manage something in a short time and learning the code base isnt feasable.
Once you settle into a job, you should have that good feeling that you got when you first started to learn to code and you were excited to make the computer DO something. It should be enjoyable and rewarding in that same way, except you are of course making it do bigger things now than just print your name. Most days really should feel like that; everyone has periods where they struggle and its not fun, or its boring, but far more often than not it should be fun.
If the place feels toxic, though, figure it out fast and cut & run. If you can't get help you need, if they treat you as 'just that intern who won't even be here in a month', if the task they asked of you feels like 'no one wants to do that, give it to the intern that won't be here in a month' ... nothing is going to change if they hire you on. New employees and interns will likely have the same experience... and if its bad, this is not a good place.
The last time I changed jobs, I was basically handed a giant industrial program and given tasks to start modifying it for new features. Its huge, its old, and its convoluted in places. Its stressful to try to learn the ins & outs of a large code base AND be productive AND get to know new tools and people and so on. After a time you do learn the new parts and where to look for stuff and it gets easier, but that can take a good year or so. Interns have it worse, you have to manage something in a short time and learning the code base isnt feasable.
Once you settle into a job, you should have that good feeling that you got when you first started to learn to code and you were excited to make the computer DO something. It should be enjoyable and rewarding in that same way, except you are of course making it do bigger things now than just print your name. Most days really should feel like that; everyone has periods where they struggle and its not fun, or its boring, but far more often than not it should be fun.
If the place feels toxic, though, figure it out fast and cut & run. If you can't get help you need, if they treat you as 'just that intern who won't even be here in a month', if the task they asked of you feels like 'no one wants to do that, give it to the intern that won't be here in a month' ... nothing is going to change if they hire you on. New employees and interns will likely have the same experience... and if its bad, this is not a good place.
Yeah - baptism of fire. I had one of them very early in my career. I've still got a scar from that! I learnt. Since then when I've had job interviews and they ask you at the end if you have any questions - unless it's already been covered, I ask what the induction process is and what would be expected in my first few weeks. Their answer sort of gives you a feel for the 'culture' and whether you're going to be a good fit or not. For one job I got the answer 'whatever you're told'. I turned down that job...
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