Important things to consider before searching for your next developer role
And how to get clear on what's important to you
Burned out, bored and disconnected
A lot of developers feel burned out several times in their career. Not only does this happen to developers, but in every area of professional focus. So when this does happen to you, it’s important to figure out what’s causing it. Is it the culture of the current company? Are you frustrated and exhausted from your work that you can connect to the team you’re on? Or you’re no longer excited (or never were) by the product/charter/tech stack/or type of development you do every day?
Take a moment to reflect on this for yourself. Then consider finding a trusted person and ask them if they are willing to help you discover the source of your malaise. I’m also available to speak with if you want a perspective of someone who has worked through the hard feelings of burnout several times in my career. Our conversation is completely free of charge and there is no obligation to use my coaching services after we speak.
Understanding the sources of your disconnection
To get you started understanding the causes of feeling burned out, bored, and disconnected, the following are questions to guide you (note that you could do this first by yourself, then talk it through with someone):
Am I excited and happy at my current job? If yes, looking back on these memories, what are some examples that stand out to me that got me excited? If not, what did I hope for this job to be that it hasn’t lived up to by my standards?
When I reflect on the company I work for and its product, do they get me excited and bring out my curiosity? Or am I bored and disconnected from them?
When I reflect on my immediate manager, does this person make me feel like an important part of the team? Can I bring any question or concern to them and trust that they’ll be open and honest with me and take action on my behalf?
When I reflect on my team, do they make me feel like an important part of it or are we disconnected from each other? Can I learn from my teammates without them judging my questions and my current level of developer maturity?
Am I excited by the programming language(s), tech stack(s), development processes, and type of software (e.g. web vs embedded, payments backends vs physical robots) that I develop?
Thinking through these questions gives you a foundation to think through what life changes to make and begins to provide you a path forward.
It can feel intimidating to think about making major changes, especially finding a new company to work for or a new development focus. But if you’re currently miserable, then I encourage you to lean into it by learning more about yourself. This is an important part of self-care and excelling as a software engineer.
Enjoying this article? Subscribe so you don’t miss any future ones covering topics like this and others including technical guides around languages like Rust and Elixir software development best-practices as well as ways you can get involved in building open source software.
Moving beyond feeling burned out
How do you move beyond feeling burned out and start to imagine what might come next?
Consider taking significant time off if you still feel a strong sense of burnout and apathy towards software development. Many professionals in the United States (and other countries) have no practice doing this, so it can be difficult to consider this. Taking regular time off is more common in several other countries, so take the following as some inspiration. It’s not uncommon in several European countries to take 2 week holidays at least twice a year. Some even take the entire month of August off every year as is common in the Scandinavian countries.
Why is this important to practice for getting clear on what comes next? If you’re exhausted, you’ll have little or no ability to connect with what gets you motivated. This fits with a food analogy - if you’re suffering from nausea, how would you know what you’re hungry for while you still feel that discomfort? The same thing applies here - exhaustion and burnout are the professional equivalent of nausea. Rest, take time away from using technology, and reconnect with yourself. Take a trip somewhere out in nature doing something that will inspire and restore the core of who you are.
Getting clear on what comes next
Figuring out what you want out of your next developer role doesn’t have to be as daunting as it may seem.
Start by assessing what are some of the most important aspects of your current role and then consider ones you want for your next one. These are some things to consider to get your journey started:
Is working with a specific tech stack very important? Why or why not? If not, do you know what ones you’d prefer to work on and the ones you would not? For example, working with Rust, C, or C++ would excite you, but using Java or C# would not. Another example: development of open source libraries and frameworks or development of proprietary ones?
Related to #1, is the general domain of technology important to you? If you’ve been working on web-based systems, are you excited by this? Would you consider shifting to something new like embedded / IoT, robotics, systems programming, or writing rich desktop applications?
Software development can be lonely if you don't create the right social dynamics in your life. Consider the social and relational sides of a future work arrangement. Is it important that you find a close-knit team? Do you want to be able to interact with these teammates in-person on a regular basis or a few times per year? Taking an in-office role vs a full time remote or hybrid role is something important to consider for yourself.
Does the mission of the company and the vision of the products or services matter to you? You can find a developer role that allows you to use exciting technologies and tools while solving problems that are meaningful to you. Do you like solving problems in the fintech space or do you want to work on products or services that help solve climate change?
Sometimes, working through these things can cause you to feel like an imposter, which can feel very painful. Don’t force yourself through this process - be very kind and patient with yourself like how you’d treat a best friend. It's important to work through it, but there is no need to rush.
Also, try and keep the ideation and exploration exercise separate from the process of actually finding a new role to apply to. Otherwise fear creeps in and you’ll muddy the understanding of what would be motivating and satisfying in your next role. I can’t stress this point enough.
Concluding thoughts
Taking some time to rest and find yourself again after feeling burned out is an important first step in finding a satisfying next role. After that, getting clear on what it is you value in a role is the next major step to take. As I mentioned above, being patient and gentle with yourself by taking things one step at a time, is important. This helps ensure that you'll find a new role doing development work that is exciting and emotionally sustainable to you. With this level of self-alignment and understanding, you'll feel better about who you are and where you're heading.
As always, thanks for reading and passing this along to others who would enjoy reading the Relational Technologist.
Please enjoy!
P.S. If you want someone to talk through this with, consider scheduling some time with me. I’d love to help you process through this journey together.
Did you enjoy this article? Subscribe so you don’t miss any future ones covering topics like this and others including technical guides around languages like Rust and Elixir software development best-practices as well as ways you can get involved in building open source software.