Junior's Paradoxes In IT

Nowadays, IT is considered as one of the most perspective and highly paid production branches. Many people are trying to enter this area to find an interesting and creative job that can satisfy all their needs. These newcomers (juniors) often have a very rough and vague understanding of IT in general and how to work there. Let us check the common problems of these people and what paradoxes they face.

Paradox 1: Tough Entrance

The very first issue every newcomer in IT faces is the problem of finding the first job. The market is enormous, and there are a lot of companies that are always looking for employees. So, what is the problem then?

The problem is in the size of the market and the lack of experience. IT can afford to choose between the junior specialists as a trendy area because the market is full of juniors. To find even a very basic and easy job, the employee must show extraordinary skills that often may not even be needed in actual work. The employer has a list of candidates and can choose the best ones. The junior’s segment is the only segment in IT where such a situation occurs, and the only reason is the popularity and hype around IT in general.

Paradox: If a junior wants to enter IT, he has to show extraordinary skills that can often be used more efficiently and be better-paid elsewhere.

Paradox 2: Hard Work

It is the logical consequence of the previous item. A junior has to work hard to compete with other juniors if he wants to continue working in this area. So, juniors are get used to hard work from the very beginning.

Such a level of effort and expected high quality is a good thing for the industry in general. It means that people have high standards from the very beginning and will continue following them in the future.

There is a catch, though. The employer often interested not in the quality of the work directly, but in the work's financial efficiency in general. IT is a business, so the employer, like any other businessman, wants to have a company that quickly and cheaply produces a product but sometimes sacrifices the quality. It is a classic project management triangle where the employer tries to minimize the price within a reasonable development time, keeping the quality near the minimum acceptable level.

Paradox: A junior works very hard, but the results are often mediocre and do not match the initial high-quality standards.

Paradox 3: Early Burnout

The hard work and inconsistency between the expected and actual results often lead to mental exhaustion and burnout. It may happen everywhere, at any job, but IT has one of the highest rates because everything happens very quickly here.

Another factor that often causes burnout is perfectionism. We have already seen that people spent a lot of time and effort to enter IT. Most of these people who managed to do that often either were perfectionists from the very beginning or became ones when they started to work here. Perfectionism itself is not an issue; it is always good to do the job correctly. The problem is in the typical average quality combined with very high internal standards an employer sets for himself. This conflict causes internal discomfort, mental issues, and finally, burnout.

Paradox: The harder a junior works, the less satisfied he is with the results, and the earlier he faced burnout.

Paradox 4: How Can People Work Here?

Every person after a burnout asks this question. The person often can not solve the internal conflict led to burnout, and either changes the job (company) or completely leaves the IT area. It is a sad story, but this is a reality every junior has to be ready to face.

The people who studied software engineering or any other IT related area at the university get used to this kind of process and pressure from the beginning. They understand how it works and why it works like that, and so following these standards. Just a few are ready to change something and make things differently; all the others maintain the existing processes and follow the known approaches.

The main problem of the junior is the lack of this understanding. Moreover, every recruiter or person a junior initially faces will maintain the ideal picture of the IT. This understanding may come after reading books, talking to more experienced colleagues, starting a personal project, etc. So, a junior has to be ready to change his opinion about the IT area in general.

Paradox: People who work in IT for a long time do not follow the same rules and approaches a junior has to follow to enter IT.

Summary

The four described paradoxes form the one logical chain. A junior works hard to enter IT, then works even harder in the beginning, sees the average quality and unclear processes, and finally faces burnout. There are two possible outcomes — either this person understands and accepts how IT works, or this person leaves the IT.

This chain is not something unique to IT — a newcomer may face the same issue in any other area. The unique factors here are the speed and, consequently, the pressure. IT is a dynamic, adaptable, and quickly changing area, so every employee has to follow the rules to play this game.

Some people go through this chain several times, and every time they face burnout and the choice in the end. They can either adapt or leave, and it is only their choice.

Every junior should know that IT is just another business that needs people to do the job. Yes, sometimes it has an unusual environment, unstable conditions, or unclear processes. The crucial part is understanding and accepting this situation to become a good specialist and satisfy all the personal needs.