why does everyone want to break into tech?

Click here for 10% off your first month - betterhelp.com/amandamaryanna this video is sponsored by BetterHelp.
In today's video, I discuss TechTok, why everyone wants to break into tech, and the romanticization of working in tech!
~time stamps~
0:00 - intro
5:12 - the pay and the perks
8:20 - the anatomy of the work in tech vlog
9:04 - is work in tech propaganda?
12:21 - anti-work and working in tech
15:54 - break into tech ... tok
18:52 - final thoughts on techtok
~sources~
Here’s How Many Google Interviews It takes To Hire A Googler
www.cnbc.com/2019/04/17/heres...
Living On 210k A Year In NYC
• Living On $210K A Year...
Employers are pumping up the perks. But which do workers really want?
www.morningbrew.com/hr/storie...
Critique of Work Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Critiqu...
How Viral TikToks Make Breaking Into Tech Look Easy
www.businessinsider.com/how-b...
The Great Resignation: Why Millions of Workers Are Quitting
• The Great Resignation:...
~socials~
instagram: / amandapanda767
tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@amandapanda76... 6772018427601257478&tt_from=copy&source=h5_m
for business inquiries: [e-mail]

[@BrendaGarcia-ty2ml]

Instead of switching to tech (which will just saturate the market and lower wages once they see women poc come in) we need to unionize all industries so that everyone gets paid well

[@naya4607]

THIS! As a techie I agree!!!

[@jowmeinp]

Yes!!!!!

[@augustvirgo26]

This omg, I’m actually going into nursing but this is one of the reasons why i believe nurse pay is so low. It’s a female dominated career with a lot of POC working in it.

[@aaliyahjackson9734]

@@augustvirgo26 great observation

[@natnat8393]

Exactly!

[@arcanernz]

TikToks that glamorize tech is so annoying. They should glamorize meetings, planning, documentation, and studying by yourself for long periods of time while your friends go out; or debugging for multiple days and still finding no suitable solution just to finally hack around the problem while staying up late to meet a deadline.

[@lucozade8007]

100%! The way they glamorise it is so irritating

[@nicolegoose567]

The pressure keeps me on me toes.

[@charitybenignos4941]

THIS!!

[@ohmyprettygirl]

My thing is that 90% of these videos don’t show the hard or grueling aspects nor how competitive they truly are. Its always “look at all the free food i get”, “look at how cool and quirky my office looks”, “look at all the cool fun events i gey to go to for free”, “i go home after 5 hours” (assuming they don’t wfh) and “i used to make 40k with no degree now i make 100k working from home”. It paints an unrealistic picture and I know bc I fell for this. Last year I genuinely thought Id break into tech and stressed myself out in the process of trying to learn certain skills when I realized I wasn’t even passionate about any of it. I was merely charmed by the *potential* lifestyle. Now im in school for something im genuinely interested in (completely unrelated to tech) and can see myself doing.

[@architecstar4165]

You couldn't have said it better. I recently thought I'd break into tech. It literally took a conversation with a friend and actually doing research, for me to realize that it's not a priority for me.

[@Eater_of_Souls]

It is good that you left the tech industry so you could work on something you are truly passionate about

[@migz_8894]

What are you studying now?

[@sbel6626]

Meanwhile I'm the complete opposite: I went into tech purely for the money, got a software engineering degree that I can't stand, and spend my time romanticizing literature and dark academia cause thats what I would have done if I had financial security growing up

[@noelanilewis5104]

It’s not too late to follow your dreams, fear is temporary but regret is forever. You got this, friend :)

[@_zeph]

god i feel like that's something that i'd completely connect with once i pursue tech in college. since the pandemic, my family and i have been going through an awful financial crisis to the point where we had to extend my break from high school until everything becomes stable enough again. i only aim to take up and work in tech to help provide for us in case something like this happens again, but i know that my passion lies in literature and graphic design.

[@_ashmason007]

@@_zeph same y'all im tearing up we're all in the same boat honestly i hate it but i got no option

[@sarafernandez4920]

but like, did you get a job?

[@deeabee96]

we exist lol! took a software engineering job after college that was a backup for what I really wanted to do and my lust for life continues to diminish drastically

[@julianbell9161]

I’m an electrical engineer. I’m born, raised, and live in the Bay Area and idolized the valley growing up. I’ve gone multiple times to the Silicon Valley Computer History Museum. The history of the valley is amazing and full of so many brilliant people. Then I grew up and heard stories from people of how horrible it is to work in the valley. I have friends that worked at Google, Apple and Marki Microwave and they have all told me how horrible it is. I work for the boomer, unsexy power company that is fully unionized, pension fund, great work life balance, great benefits, and overtime pay. My friends are all jealous. The base salary is less than what you would get at Google, and I don’t get unlimited kombucha, but everything else makes up for it. The valley is an over glorified nightmare.

[@ChinweIdika]

Deleting or deactivating social media sites that made me feel bad about my career choices changed my brain chemistry, I’m thoroughly convinced. That FOMO evaporates when you start to remember that a majority people in their early 20s make like 40k or less per year. The techtok creators you see are like the top 5-10% of earners in the whole country. No one talks about this. The algorithm boosts aspirational content, that’s why they’re so ubiquitous online. But it’s just not real life. And even on a entry-level tech salary these luxurious lives they’re living aren’t feasible because as income goes up, so does your expenses. Nicer car, nicer clothes, better apartment, dog sitter, income tax, dining out, 401k contributions, savings. Some of them are supplementing their luxury purchases with sponsorships, not their salary. Which skews things even more. This is coming from someone born and raised in Silicon Valley.

[@eeeyooohoh]

AGREED!!!!

[@eeeyooohoh]

and im also from silicon valley or Con Valley as i like to call it 😂

[@ClaireCraig]

well put!! thank you for this comment

[@BrendaGarcia-ty2ml]

Hit the nail on the head

[@katherinekier]

I love this. I’d also love to know what you do now?

[@Kay-bu9xw]

As someone whose job is to help people get jobs in tech, it is so much harder to break into tech than people make it seem. I help underrepresented communities to break into tech and the market is still so much structured for white cis males with 4 year degrees or more. It’s very hard to break the expectations of people when they realize they can’t make six figures as soon as they come in and can’t take all the days off. Honestly, tech tok has made my job so much harder because there is so much “aesthetically pleasing info” about tech but not how actually hard it is to get in and getting into a good company at that.

[@muhammadmustjaab4703]

Just last week I saw a tiktok of someone advertising being a freelance content writer for tech companies, and they made it seem super easy. I was somewhat interested as to how to go about that, and I checked out their next video where they showed the cold email they sent to get their job, and they had like next level accolades, and they still made it seem super easy like "see all you have to do is be a marketing intern for an already well known company!"

[@Encysted]

@@muhammadmustjaab4703 "Don't forget to include your bylines from NYT, WSJ, and FT! You wouldn't believe how many people forget to do that! It's so easy to do, just provide the links to the articles you wrote and had published!"

[@Encysted]

I've heard staying in tech is also really hard? Like, having to constantly fight for your own rights. My friend makes it sound like retail, but with meetings.

[@Kay-bu9xw]

@@Encysted oh yes! It is very hard to stay in tech as well. It is very common for those in tech to change companies every 1-2 years just due to seeking better pay and working environments constantly. I usually have to prepare the people I advise that it is going to be very common to want to job hop and it is actually very normalized.

[@IntrovertStation]

I would love your information for when I’m ready to seek a UX job.

[@music4life813]

when you work in tech you are *expected* to work insane hours to get to the product out on its release date. Don’t be fooled everybody, you get compensated so much because you are doing so much. They have perks like cleaners or doggie day care so that you have fewer excuses to not be working

[@zkkitty2436]

This. I have family members working in tech and they are ALWAYS working. It never ends and I hate that they can't take the break they need because you can see that they're slowly working themselves to death

[@kcockbur]

I prefer that than to have that same stress for less pay and flexibility

[@ashleypean]

This is not always true. It really depends on the company, the team you’re on and the type of work you’re doing.

[@catlady5128]

@@ashleypean yeah, I agree. I luckily only work 1-4 hours of overtime each week. I have the lowest title I think you can have, at a bank I work for too.💀But yeah some groups/roles are not as grueling.

[@EllieElectric35]

In my experience, as someone who’s only been on the bottom rungs of tech, those perks can be a bit nefarious. They want you to love being at work so there’s less incentive to leave. There’s still a hustle culture at most companies. Yeah you’re “allowed” work life balance but people really look at you sideways if you try to implement it. A lot of those places can be pretty culty. If you work as a means to an end, you’ll get burnt out real fast if you don’t get shut out first and replaced with someone who “better fits the culture.”

[@ahilltodieon503]

What about tech jobs in other fields do they have more work life balance

[@neshanoire]

idk if it’s just me, but i get so turned off when social media romanticizes certain ideas/actions. this whole tech movement is a prime example. i admired the tech industry in the aspect of it being a stimulating industry where you learn some of the best and most sought after intricate skills (i.e., programming, data analysis). but with most of these tech videos just boasting about salaries and working less hours, i feel like it constantly takes away from what the tech industry truly embodies while luring people in just bc of the promising perks, not bc they truly value the industry. i get it, though. some people just work as a means to an end, and that’s understandable. but to those that are sincerely seeking their passion, don’t follow trends set by social media. follow your heart. ❤️

[@katherinekier]

I resonate fully with this comment. 🌹

[@evasage14]

absolutely!! this is why i abre capitalism sm because it gad being only going into jobs for the sake of money (which is totally understandable considering how capitalism makes so u HAVE to work in order to live) and not for the sake of truer own passion/ intrinsic motivation!!

[@brey3476]

Ty for this! I've been genuinely interested in CS for a few years now but its rise in popularity due to outlandish trends makes me doubt whether or not I actually enjoy learning it

[@GlamGoddes101]

@@brey3476 if u know u enjoy it regardless of whether it’s trendy or not, then that’s your answer

[@clared5812]

@@evasage14 you good bro? Your comment reads like a stroke

[@Hakeem94]

It's weird for me watch younger people fall for tech propaganda because it's the exact same is old corporate propaganda from the 90s. What we're honestly seeing with the proliferation of this content is the result of more people feeling a sense of desperation to the point that they're willing to overlook the nuances of working for one of these companies. I have my degree in economics and I have about 8 years of experience working for various tech companies in the finance department so I see firsthand how companies devalue the time of employees. This isn't to put off anyone if working in tech is your goal, but the reality is more mundane than fiction. Here's a snapshot of what you should thinking about when applying: - For junior/apprentice roles, they’ll want you onsite. - You won’t make anything close to 120k/yr starting unless you're management, engineer, analyst, etc. - Since the bar is low, thousands will apply and only a few will be chosen. - Positions may list that no degree/experience is required but I can guarantee you that the people they choose for the job have either one or both. Also for the love of god stop applying to FAANG companies. I know it's tempting and feels good to think about working for an app that's popular, but there's literally 100s of thousands of better companies with better benefits and better pay where you have a way higher chance of scoring a nice job.

[@HenryTitor]

We fall for it because we were babies in 90s.

[@Hakeem94]

@@HenryTitor so was I. I’m 28, but I clearly remember how corporations sold people the lie about corporate employment.

[@in2blueoblivion]

UX Researchers and UX designers also make great salaries

[@ShogoMakishimaxx]

Like I was NEVER in to FAANG and I'm 29. I just don't see the pleasure in being "just a number", not contributing much to shit and just making a good ass salary. I wouldn't care all like that.

[@Hakeem94]

@@in2blueoblivion This is true. This would fall under management, engineer, analyst, etc. in my original comment.

[@strawberryfrog76]

I once visited a family friend at his tech worplace and while I was blown away by all the perks and cool fun stuff they have, the vibe I got from him and his collegues was "yeah, we get dinner here... so we don't have to go home to eat." It's made to feel so homey and fun that you don't need to or even want to leave the workplace. So you can always squeeze in that one last thing on your to-do list or whatever. The guys were open about it and tbh seemed to love it - they love working, hell, they do it for fun on their off days even. But that really shifted my perspective about all the perks. I'm inherently European in that way I guess, the minute after my shift ends work does not exist in my brain until the next morning

[@TheSoulCrisis]

As it should be..........I'm American and support that mindset. lol

[@grammarjedi]

As CS major with several years into my career, I still encourage it if people are interested. 100k+ salaries are very common for engineers. Flex hours are common, remote work is booming now. If you are smart and max your 401k you can retire on time or early and be very much set financially. If you can find a good product to work on, you do make useful things that make people's lives tangibly better. Downsides: very few women in tech, the tech bro culture is very offputting and you get worn down by it. Management thinks we do magic and constantly ignores your work time estimates, leading to unwanted crunch time. Startups are hell to work in, and 90% of them fail before going to IPO. FAANG companies are alternately destroying the world with unchecked misinformation and selling you consumerist crap that is ruining the planet. You stay in tech long enough and you start to think the Luddites have a point. Midsized companies are the best mix of worklife and finding something ethical to work on, but they don't pay those sweet 6 figure salaries. Pros outweigh the cons for me, but I think we do women and minorities a disservice if we don't point out the industry wide flaws.

[@kirby8211]

i'm a woman in tech who is srsly considering leaving the field. my coworkers aren't misogynistic really it's just exhausting after a while to be one of the few women around. there's also pressure in general to have tech as a passion that continues after work hours and i just don't have it. i just see it as a job and have really become disillusioned with tech in general, it's tough to get excited by new things. i don't know if it's the job i have now and i should just get a new one or if i should change careers entirely

[@_ashmason007]

Tech bro culture is the WORST PART they will make it their whole personality, will talk about it every single convo they get and worst part force it on others and often not spread actual facts but rather lies just to sound cooler 😑 annoying as hell and leers the upcoming generation who's gonna make a career in tech into a disillusion.

[@soysaucetina]

lmao entering tech sooon

[@Aristochronic]

I’m not in tech but I’ve worked in white male dominated industries before. I already know I can handle it, so if that’s the price I have to pay for a living wage, then so be it.

[@vulpixelful]

You can get six-figure salaries at mid-sized companies that are "tech-first" (and don't consider "IT" a second thought/cost center), but probably not in your first year. Comp isn't everything and some people grow at a different pace past the 2 year mark, but definitely if you've been there _5_ years or more without breaking 100k it's time to look again

[@camilleconner2832]

I have seen so many “hr professionals” selling resumes and “break into tech” courses for upwards of 500 dollars and that is extremely gross to me

[@chimpsimp9879]

The important thing these vids don’t show is how hard these people have had to work to get to where they are. The average person working in tech takes years of education, internships, and resume building experience to be picked up by these big companies.

[@theklr]

I'd say that's more accurate on the engineering side, for the sales side... it's who you know. As a developer chasm between the engineering side v. sales/marketing is infuriating. Hence why in most "diversity" campaigns, it's mostly those in sales positions and not the engineers doing the promotion, and on both sides, don't get me started on actually becoming management...

[@eeeyooohoh]

they also dont say that their family member or high up friend probably referred them and they most likely had big connections and resources already 😂

[@sbel6626]

Can confirm. Last year of engineering school, I was drinking so much coffee and staying up so late I popped a blood vessel in my eye. These people make it look super breezy and fun but the job is extremely difficult and you need to work hard. Especially so at FAANG where often weeks are 60-70 hours

[@_ashmason007]

@@sbel6626 ok im currently in the same condition in uni and the popped blood vessel part you mentioned scared me, what do you do in that case? Do you go to the hospital or just put some eyedrops? Also did it hurt a lot? I'm genuinely worried im broke to afford the healthcare

[@Gina-gi3ip]

They don't communicate that even new graduates with Computer Science degrees apply to 600+ jobs and get maybe 25-30 interviews. Getting the degree is hard but even the paper isn't enough

[@suzylu333]

personally I think that blurring the lines between work and life is actually quite dangerous. it sets up a situation where companies can more easily take advantage of employees, while also essentially, making sure employees have no life outside of work, and work more. however, it is an extremely desirable model for people out of college for many reasons. firstly, since people are having families later (if at all) than previous generations, they need to find something to do with their time. this turns into looking for new friends, and working in these young, bustling companies is an easy way for people to make new friends. As well, oftentimes, many people relocate, and then their new friends are from their work. while working in tech seems fun, it can also be very hard work, while also further promoting capitalist ideals, and takes advantage of employees.

[@lilbeth4804]

I have learnt so much from the comment section. I studied languages up to masters level and I am currently trying to get back into the corporate world. I love working with people. Planning things, translating, communication work, magazines, publishing that kinda thing. I have noticed that people are constantly telling me to go into tech, it’s scary because people think I am not serious for not wanting that but I really don’t see myself in tech. I just want to earn enough, work in a job I love and have a good work life balance. I don’t need so much money, just enough to survive in this late stage of capitalism. I am very aware of my mortality.

[@iyxon]

This!!!

[@tasan803]

How's the translating market rn? I am interested in being a translator, but idk if the market is good

[@OmawBuame]

And that is the thing. At last you realize the sole reason for which you'll get into tech is because of the perks/salary... Language lover here too.

[@rayyanshobowale7110]

For me, it's not even that i don't want to make a lot of money, it's the fact that I'd rather work with people and have genuine love for my work.

[@juliettedemaso7588]

My hubs has worked in several of these ultra high-end office spaces, including offices with stunning rooftop bars, and even one with a “hidden” fully stocked 1920’s Speakeasy (I’m not even kidding) and I’ll tell you the employees almost never get to enjoy any of this Instagram-worthy perks. There’s no rules against using any of it, it’s just that the whole thing is like existing in set pieces, doll houses with all the fixtures painted on the walls. We fell for it the first couple of times, now we know better. It’s the typical PMC form-over-function behavior. Marketing.

[@cashmereglow7549]

Unpopular Opinion: Many "humanity/helping fields" don't have a high ROI compared to the average computer science graduate. Even biomedical sciences/research in (S)TEM doesn't pay that much. You need a doctoral level degree prior to beginning research. And even after completing, you later realize medical research (especially for women's endocrine health) is neglected and not prioritized. Unless you plan on fertility/ having kids (male scientists only like women as "incubators". So in conclusion, unless you plan to go into medicine, law, tech, finance, or engineering, those of us who want to go into helping careers are vastly underpaid and undervalued. This is coming from someone who wanted to be a dietitian or a therapist. Ironically, the fields that are underpaid in science/humanities are female dominated. Smfhhhh.

[@anikaya157]

Truth

[@bojii2939]

I really want to go into biomedical research, ideally pharmaceuticals specifically, and the conditions in the industry make me so sad :( I hate calculus too much to handle engineering

[@Yvp13]

Not an unpopular opinion

[@bbuuttercupp]

this is a very widely held opinion. pretty much the exact opposite of an unpopular opinion IMO.

[@DAndreClyburn9982]

@@bbuuttercupp what is she talking about. Correlations doesn't equal causation.

[@pimpnamedslickback7780]

I really think young ppl just want a way to make a decent living and enjoy time with one another. Tech provides that for many.

[@pelumilabiyi]

Did a coding bootcamp for 6 weeks till I realised that type of environment wasn’t for me so I quit. Now I’m doing the CS50 Harvard Introduction to Programming Course and so far I like it, it’s self paced and not as stressful💕📚

[@fyreal9123]

damn sisss, how did it go for you?

[@lobz]

Did you end up getting a software engineering job or working In tech?

[@Xxxteeero]

@@lobz in 5 months??

[@MelSpeaksMD]

Social media has a way of romanticizing everything. As the viewer/consumer we have to watch this kind of content with a hefty grain of salt.. work is work is work, even when it looks like fun.

[@drek273]

well said.

[@princessmorebucks]

As someone who broke into tech before it was a thing, it's not always as glamorous as it seems lol... I dealt with a hella toxic work environment, micro-aggresions, sxual harassment, and the best part: burnout that took years to recover from. But hey, the free food was nice! Not to sheet all over anyone's dream, but be very cautious about which company you work for. And have an exit strategy, once you start seeing major red flags, run!! 💜

[@emilyau8023]

I'm a senior doing a tech degree and I already have met sexist professors :D

[@ammanite]

Same here

[@soulsynthesissubject]

I’m interested to know what industry you are in now

[@princessmorebucks]

@@soulsynthesissubject I'm still in tech :) I took a break to be a digital nomad/freelancer, but now I am a full time employee again at a different company and fully remote!

[@emilyau8023]

@@princessmorebucks Best wishes for you!

[@cobraskin2244]

tech is so hard to learn and to be in and they make it seem so easy. they ignore the concept of crunch time altogether as if the big bucks will just rake in no matter what. i’ve literally been suffering just with my bachelors. and then there’s people with so much more time and effort and hard work. i don’t think it’s bad that they are encouraging learning coding, but they make it seem so easy to know regardless of the context that we take years to learn

[@soyandoat4106]

I totally agree with you

[@augustvirgo26]

I feel like working in tech and working at tech should be added to all of these tik tok titles. I feel like working in tech is like software development, UI/UX, etc. while working at tech is like tech sales, tech marketing, etc.

[@benfelps]

There’s the business side like any business, sales marketing HR Finance. And then the people who build the product. Different functions entirely and these “I work in tech” videos are way too vague. No one in an entry level HR or sales job is making six figures

[@technojunkie123]

Tech can feel strange to work in sometimes. I see my mom working in education and how she’a underpaid and can’t take time off during the week for doctors appointments, but when she’s off work she never has to think about work and can fully focus on other aspects of her life. I bet none of these videos talk about crunch time/overtime and how exhausting it can be when working in tech when you’re “encouraged” to work overtime just to get everything done - only for management to continue thinking you can keep working at that pace and the cycle continues.

[@karolinamalaczynski5032]

So here are my thoughts/rant about this topic. My fyp is full of tech career influencers. I am someone who got into tech by transitioning from graphic design to ux design which took a lot of effort and self education. I don’t work for FAANG, but it’s a still pretty big and well known company. Even though I make just under six figures, these tech influencers give me major FOMO, as I can’t help but compare myself to them and chase the prestigious status of a FAANG company. To me those companies symbolize security, not just in financial sense but in a ‘the world is your oyster’ way. Simply having them on my resume would ensure I’d get any job I apply to, no more being ghosted by recruiters or having my experience doubted. To me these TikTok tech influencers are selling a lie and are not fully transparent with finances and the path they took to get into FAANG. I constantly see fresh new grads (21-22) immediately getting into FAANG and living in luxurious high rises, and it just seems unrealistic…what about student loans? It took me three years to repay mine, and even though I finally paid them off and have 90k salary, I would still not be able to afford to live the lifestyle these tech influencers sell due to inflation and insanely high rent. I definitely feel a lot of these people either are debt free, have multiple income streams, live in a partner/dual income household or get financial support from parents initially to help them start off. On top of that, FAANG interviews are notoriously long and difficult (two I did were over 6 months!) and I see so many tiktokers get in after less than 3 months… it just makes me feel like I’m doing everything wrong. I also get an ick thinking about how these influencers already give 30-40hrs of their time every week to the company, and instead of living their lives they parade around as a mascot/free advertising for them. It just rubs me the wrong way when I see the absolute grip tech corp has over these people’s identities even AFTER they exit big corp, going as far as labeling themselves, ex-FAANG on their social media. I totally understand it’s an achievement and something to be proud of, but who are you outside of work? I definitely started shifting my perspective on these prestigious companies and now focus more on just working to live a comfortable lifestyle, make enough to have for any emergency and opt out of the rat’s race.

[@mekko902]

I feel like these influencers are just an extension of the Harvard/Yale/blerghblahniceuniversity influencers. They get clout just by having an elite name, and thus compound the benefits even more. It's smart, but it's also frustrating, as they're really not the people that could really transform their lives through social media.

[@sp123]

you have to remember that it takes a certain type of person to put their life on the internet. Most people working at FANG dont wear it on their sleeves

[@escobarines]

Hi Karolina. I have actually been considering going into UX/UI design both as a promise to myself to be braver and pursue a creative path, a more practical research career... Also, there seem to be more opportunities in my city than for my previous career. Would you want to chat? I don't even know how to message someone on KZbin, but I have found that a lot of the initial creators I started following are selling courses or a dream and whatnot. It would be priceless to get an unadulterated perspective. Anyhow, take care and good luck! 🍀🙌

[@usersdksdfg]

@@sp123 they literally do, they get "free" merch from their companies lol

[@yusufsharif4198]

Interesting perspective. Thank you for sharing.

[@sxwriter8569]

Honestly, I just want to learn basic tech skills. Everyone around me is basically becoming KZbinrs or were lucky to go to schools with comp-sci skills and the money to afford classes I could never get the chance too. I just wish tech was more accessible for newcomers or first-gen?

[@55CINCO55]

I'm a first gen taking the community college route and transferring into a bigger STEM focused university. I'm not paying much out of pocket.

[@princessmorebucks]

It is. Many people don't talk about support roles, because it's the bottom of the totem pole, but it's a great way to learn about a company from the inside and from the users perspective. If you're committed to leveling up and are working for a supportive company, that support role can lead to bigger and better things within the company 💜

[@rsspartanz]

@@princessmorebucks i can vouch for this, i know two immigrants who started in support and made their way into software development at my company after many years.

[@user-zp8vy4hl6b]

tech is the only field that pays a sustainable wage in this hellscape, without completely crushing you (see: banking, law, consulting). tech companies are only going to get richer, siphoning money away from other industries, and the wage disparity only worse, so jump on the bandwagon before it's too late is my opinion.

[@naya4607]

As someone who is about to get their CS degree, I can tell you right now, the company matters. I have a friend at one tech company (thats everyone’s “dream company “ yuck lol) that pays so much and is very diverse with awesome ppl, and shes working late into the night. When she finally meets a deadline, shes expected to put in more work to meet the next one and then the next one etc etc they upped her workload as the weeks went on. Its like the Gilded Age industrial workers all over again… except there are new Robber Barrens but not in diff industries like oil, mining, etc. just tech lol. I was a little jealous because of the pay, but I cant imagine not being able to pursue other interests like acting and theatre outside of work with that work style. I get paid less at my company, but I was working maybe 4 hrs a day and the others were in meetings, lolly gagging, etc

[@batesi]

Oh my God I love your comment. I was also pursuing a CS degree but I think I'm moving to a mathematical one. I also love theatre and acting and they are the only things I do in my time as an outlet. I can't imagine working many hours like crazy. I would get burnt out easily.

[@naya4607]

@@batesi so so easily

[@iman3871]

It’s the same w nursing and now I’m a little upset bc nursing is NOT romantic

[@KC-ki9uj]

I dropped out of nursing school because i hated it. now i want to break into tech lollllll im going to school for engineering

[@amber.11.11]

As a newly graduate, I feel immense pressure to find a job that pays well and balances my lifestyle and seeing TikToks on these glamourized jobs really gives me FOMO. You feel as though you're not doing enough in your early 20's, since other's look like they're so far ahead. Not to mention, Social Media really increases that anxiety because all you're seeing is the better parts of people's lives.

[@rockshock06]

This is a sign. Delete your tik tok. You’ll feel much better.

[@arielb98]

Tip: I had this same problem last year when I graduated. Please delete tiktok. It will reduce your stress. I’ve been off since August 2021 and feel better. Those tiktoks leave out so much

[@paxtoncargill4661]

to make a lot of money you just need to be irreplaceable at a medium to big company. my coworker is an immigrant from Sierra Leone and never had a formal education, he makes 150k a year because he can clean a specific machine in a day and have it turned around for pharmaceutical production compared to the normal 3 and is very knowledgeable about everything in the production process.

[@Yandel21ableify]

Social Media is not the real world

[@nicotinedealer7653]

My dad tells me not to get affected by what you see others do, everyone works for the rest of their lives anyway.

[@HenryTitor]

Tech job in Vlog: "Great pay, great environment, Good work balance" Tech job in real life: "Rewrite spaghetti code done by people above"

[@dojax5422]

Working in tech just seems boring to me… I don’t see the attraction, there is nothing desirable about sitting at a desk and looking at a computer all day, no matter what kind of snack bar they have.

[@justjackiie]

It's not about the excitement though, it's about the financial security...and in some cases, the job security as well. There are only a few things worthwhile in this life that are genuinely beneficial to a person AND exciting.

[@dojax5422]

@@justjackiie and that’s exactly why most people hate their jobs and life, doing things that are absolutely soul sucking and solely for money and financial security all while being miserable is not the way to live… p

[@dojax5422]

@Layla Joyce I bet, I’m in healthcare, I prefer fast paced jobs where I’m up on my feet.

[@justjackiie]

@@dojax5422 Of course it's not ideal, but it boils down to what's most important to you. Some value financial freedom over doing what they love as their full-time job. In fact, some don't even have the option of pursuing what they love or like due to their financial responsibilities. Doing what you love/like is a privilege, not a right. However, don't forget that your job isn't your life. You can do a job you're not thrilled about but still be happy and fulfilled because you have things going for you outside of work. There's a difference between being bored with work and a toxic work environment. (Also, bear in mind that if you make a ton of money doing a job you don't like, you don't have to do that job forever. Save up and get out)

[@_ashmason007]

@@dojax5422 honey med school costs the sky, you don't even need a degree to get into tech, not everyone has the privilege to afford med school and wait for almost a decade before getting paid well, almost all my coworkers and ex colleagues I've worked with do it because money keeps you alive in this capitalistic society, you don't afford to have thoughts like "oh it's boring and soul sucking" because you're busy paying the bills first. It's sad but it's true.

[@mimi-du5tl]

The part at the end where you said tho think who and what we’re innovativating for, definitely resonated with me the most. I’m in public accounting, and ngl working at a big4 is kind of similar to working at one of the tech companies (well sort of). They’re starting to push for a lot of in house amenities, and you’re surrounding by a lot of other young adults. This past busy season my office always provided breakfast-dinner everyday, we have a lounge area, multiple pool tables, a gym, etc. but tbh it’s bc they don’t want you to go home. I probably worked 52 hours each week?? I’m not entirely sure if I should stay still. My coworkers are my closest adult friends, many I went to university with, and the pay and perks are really good. Tbh the work itself isn’t hard, just a lot of hours sometimes. It does make me sad thinking my work is to make rich ppl stay rich. Do you know what I mean?

[@citrinedreaming]

That's a good point that should probably be talked about more, the amenities are a sneaky (shitty) way to make you stay at work longer and therefore actually reduces work/life balance (no amount of free food or pool tables is the same as actually having a home life and outside-of-work hobbies). Idk maybe I'm just so introverted that just the idea of spending all that time at work literally kills my soul

[@mimi-du5tl]

@@citrinedreaming oh it does kill the soul, there’s an accountant merch that says ‘the H in auditor stands for happiness’ 🥲🥲 I guess that’s why the firm is full of young adults bc imagine having kids and you’re working 52 hours?? My senior supervisor works only 3 days in a week and have July-August off now to spend time with her kids, but she gave birth to her first child at 35. It’s not bad if that’s what you want, but some ppl want to start a family before 30 or have parents to take care of at home

[@user-jj7lh3qh5q]

Sometimes it makes me feel that my other passions are useless and that tech is the only way to be successful lol

[@bikenesmith]

i think one thing that is missing from these tech videos is the risk of crunch + crunch culture (for anyone who is unfamiliar, its basically being forced or peer pressured into working _obscene_ amount of overtime often without overtime pay/bonuses/etc). this may just be more common in tech-entertainment industries such as video games + animation though (my field) so idk! i feel like those fields are also much more skill-based than say, software development, (the level of complexity between coding for apps and coding for an aaa video game is quite large - getting to an aaa concept artists level from scratch will not happen in a couple months or even a couple years) so it may not be particularly mineable for tiktok content. that said there are still tons of roles in those fields that require no artistic skill + no (or little) coding experience - but those can be subject to problems too.

[@nezzylearns]

I've been studying and developing my Data Analytics skills since October of last year. I have experience since having a Biology degree and lab tech experience and getting interviews is hard and making it passed the first round is even harder. I felt extremely depressed seeing everyone romanticizing everything. Now I've made peace and let go of the perceived time frame. Everything takes time. Keep working but have fun too!

[@kristenmyles8185]

As someone who went from working in legal to working in legal tech, the difference in my happiness is insane. We still do a lot of work, but the unlimited pto and massage days and taco trucks and gift baskets make you feel good to do this work. Getting almost double what I used to make doesn’t hurt either 😊

[@ManicMaidenASMR]

So I recently just switched my major from communications to Cyber Tech/Security (an IT field) because I felt like my other major was too Mickey Mouse clubhouse for me. I wanted something that would challenge me & I’ve always had a fascination with the internet and computers. Ngl saying I’m an “IT student” has a far nicer ring than saying I do “mass communications” not to mention I’m now officially a STEM major bc of it. But I underestimated how tedious the coursework would be but I’m not giving up 🥰🔥🔥

[@usersdksdfg]

what year are you? and have you taken any CS classes yet?

[@kashology]

finally someone else in cyber security! all of my friends are in programming or web development so it’s nice to see someone in the same field as me.

[@ManicMaidenASMR]

@@usersdksdfg I’m in my 3rd year. Or at least I’m about to be. I already have my associates degree

[@ManicMaidenASMR]

@@kashology oh HII :]!! Nice to meet you girlie :p cyber nerds unite lol 💓

[@unicornsrice1667]

My fiance is in IT, but no 4 year degree. He just studied the book and took the certification tests.

[@zurilyjones]

I’m in Tech. The reason these companies offer amazing onsite perks is so the employees won’t leave. Like, physically. They want them on the campus as much as possible. I worked for a company a couple years ago that had amazing on site food service. It wasn’t free but it was heavily subsidized so we were paying probably a quarter what we would have in a regular restaurant. Nobody left for lunch, ever. And sure enough, even though there were lots of spots in the building to sit and eat and get away from work for an hour, most people grabbed there lunch and came back to their desk and kept working. Same idea with ask the other perks. You can get so much more time out of people if they can just step away for a few minutes to get a haircut or check on their kid in the onsite daycare or bring their dog to work and take him out to the dog park when he needs to stretch his legs.

[@wetsand7379]

As someone who broke into tech without a degree I can say that it was the most difficult thing I've ever done. Whether it's coding, design, or QA - none of these jobs are easy. They require a lot of study and hard work. Additionally, the job field is not very friendly to juniors (people new to the field with no or little experience). I got rejected soooooooooo many times during the job search. It was incredibly demoralizing. Anyone who makes getting into tech sound easy is probably trying to sell you something.

[@mahnoorkhan7601]

My brother works in amazon right now and I find it interesting that Amazon tech workers don't tell that there's a certain "quota" per week that you have to make in order to keep your job. If you don't meet that "quota", your fired because there is a line of tech workers behind you that's waiting to take your place. And that it's incredibly hard to get a job at the big 3 tech companies: Google, Apple, and Amazon. They are kinda right that a degree doesn't exactly matter but you have to have experience in coding and/or interning in a tech company.

[@Tessitura9]

As a black woman who works in tech in an actual technical role, I wish we were privy to tech from the beginning. Working in STEM to some capacity has always been a high paying career. I think people are seeking the wrong outcome when they decide they want to work for FAANG or MAANG. They should instead be looking to acquire the skills to take them anywhere regardless of what happens to the big tech companies. If you study software engineering, cybersecurity, data science, big data, cloud computing, engineering, etc., you will always be highly employable. This is especially true if you want the freedom to actually enjoy your money by not having to move to NY, SF, etc, just to get the big tech job. I've been getting paid 6 figures for years now, way before I got my first "big tech" job.

[@severinosem5887]

I think that a large majority of these social media accounts talking about that aren't really in tech as they might say they are, they work for tech companies but don't do technical stuff they aren't developers, data scientists or analysts they are probably agile masters or PO's they don't do technical stuff they are incharge of other stuff that's why a majority of them act and talk the way they do

[@lucozade8007]

Very true 👏

[@severinosem5887]

@@lucozade8007 People who do very technical work at one of the or potential big 5 FANG(Facebook, Amazon, Netflix and Google) probably even worse startups don't create content like that and aren't that beautiful lmao I'm a Jr software engineer and I know I just insulted myself 😂😂

[@spread2081]

Black tech dude here. I’ve done a few tech internships as a coder at some F500places not the apples or googles just yet interviewing for them for a new grad job rn (hopefully I get in) I really like the work I do tbh it hits both creative and technical problems typically impacts a ton of people so it as least feels meaningful, you’re surrounded by insanely smart people and can work in almost any product space from space crafts to fashion. and with remote work you don’t have to deal with people’s bull shit and pointless small talk. I think it’s one of the better compensation to “hardwork” ratios as long as you can get through the hurdle of coding I also think the coding interview process is pretty defined which is great and helps remove bias toward “better” schools and stuff it’s obviously not perfect and had its downsides but I enjoy it!

[@maidenpotato]

So glad that you talked about this. As much as I am for people being in tech/learning how to code, i honestly hate how tech is being sold as the new thing to learn or this ticket to financial liberation. People get so charmed by the vlogs and unrealistic ideas of working in tech that they forget that: 1. It is hard to break in. 2. Tech is like any other industry in the sense that it is toxic, sexist, not very diverse, classist and very elitist. It's actually much worse in tech because people are oblivious about/to it. 3. 6 figure paying jobs aren't very common. The country you live in, the company you work at and your career tech all influence how much you can expect to be paid. 4. Getting a job within a year of learning isn't common, luck along with so many things influence that. And so much more.

[@nicolegoose567]

Teachers deserve so much more :/

[@zenandfun]

yes.

[@ahmedhaaqilrifky3531]

It is honestly so disheartening that teachers aren't paid as much as they are deserved. being just a 'teacher' is easy, but being a 'good teacher' is incredibly hard.

[@lordpeeps1]

My favorite thing about tech tok content (at least on my fyp) is that so many black women seem happy and successful

[@_ashmason007]

All lies, behind the screen the story is different.

[@usersdksdfg]

keyword: "seem"

[@rhea9401]

I take those tiktoks with a grain of salt. I had an internship with a tech company and was laid off after one month over a 2 min zoom call…I was a content writer…they kept all the coders but a lot of people in other roles were also let go. Ironically, my role had to do with diversity work in the Human Resources department….

[@in2blueoblivion]

As a black woman about to leave her tech job, I’m just going to say the money is good but you will be overworked

[@user-qk2th5gr3d]

what do u plan to go into? im a cs major rn but idk if i should switch course bc idk if i will be able to handle the overwork of the industry

[@in2blueoblivion]

@@user-qk2th5gr3d gotcha. I’m trying to get back into communications/digital content work because it was a lot less stressful and I got my bachelor’s in Public Relations. If you’re passionate about tech and CS I would definitely still pursue it but if work isn’t the most important thing to you, and especially if you’re neurodivergent, I would suggest looking at other fields

[@user-qk2th5gr3d]

@@in2blueoblivion ty for your response! i wouldn't say i'm passionate haha but idk what else I would study and as for neurodivergence I haven't been diagnosed as my parents never believed in such things but i'm working on a diagnosis

[@in2blueoblivion]

@@user-qk2th5gr3d update: I’m about to go back into tech yet again 😂. That money definitely has me in a chokehold, but in order to do other things like invest in real estate and open a business. It could also be a means to end for you if you decide to continue to pursue a field in the industry

[@user-qk2th5gr3d]

@@in2blueoblivion yes for sure! i will use my job in tech to invest in other things. thanks so much for ur response!

[@bekaeast7346]

Me & my boyfriend both do National park work & he always ends up making more no matter our jobs, it’ll be like we get jobs with the same pay but he gets so many add ons that seem excessive. Like he got a bonus for physical labor even tho I am doing the same job. I’ve never experienced jobs dropping random extra money from jobs, but he just thought all jobs were like that. No matter how hard I try, I always show up early & he can often be late. It’s crazy how jobs will find a way to create a gender gap. The only time we were payed the same was a woman owned business..

[@DeidreDevelops]

As a programmer at Uber, I totally get what you're saying. While I appreciate the company that I work at, I am also well aware that it is a company like any other.

[@VivisPixels]

As a person in tech I never actually noticed this, since my feed has always had (to some extend) people talking about product oriented work. I think the reality of working in tech is def more cushy, but trust me there are hard time just like in any job. Your brain has to be switched on like all the time and tech is notorious for not having work life balance

[@ndidindekwu4574]

There is no job that doesn't have downsides no matter how much you earn, throw in social media FOMO and you get a recipe for people career hoping without gaining any sense of fulfillment tech is the investment banking of this time, in another 10 years it will be something else, I've been in the job market for over 15 years and what I've learnt is this, you can make money in so many ways, you just have to be creative and stay open minded, tech is not the be all and end all

[@severinosem5887]

I work in tech I study tech in varsity as well and I a as well don't agree on with how people talk about tech on social media and making it seem easy whilst that's far from the truth People say working in tech is fun yes it is but at what cost working in tech is not easy at all you constantly have to study spend hours and hours learning something even though you've already graduated years ago I mean honestly it's not as easy as it seems 60% of people in tech have minor mental health issues with stress, anxiety and constant worrying something will go wrong

[@fionakeith7914]

as someone who is going to a top design school for graphic design and has wanted to get into UX prior to this whole weird tech trend on tik tok, it’s SO annoying seeing people see stuff like UX/UI as some dream escape from whatever career they’re currently in. i am dreading that by the time I graduate, the market will be saturated with all of these people who aren’t even passionate about the fields, but just want an easy out into what they think will be a six figure salary with nothing more than a boot camp. no, it’s not impossible, but these people are being sold a FANTASY and not a guaranteed reality.

[@Shay416]

Honestly don't worry about them bc they'll burn out quickly. Plus the bar will be low so the passionate will raise to the top

[@Yandel21ableify]

Theres not enough good paying jobs

[@Yandel21ableify]

Theres not enough good paying jobs

[@Cinomb]

That’s basically what happen with the cosmetology field. Everyone wants to be a cosmetologist and they aren’t passionate so the market is overly flooded with people doing half ass work. Hence why I am looking at jobs in the tech field 😂😂

[@mina-op8ql]

hii! this comment is old but i'm interested marketing psychology and so UX (research) is something i'm considering. if you don't mind me asking, do you have any tips & do you think UX is something worth investing time in? what types of things would look good on a portfolio and what types of things should i look into to enrich my skills for the field? thanks! :)

[@leah212]

I work a regular smegular corporate job and i love it. I see tech toks everywhere and I’m taking a tech certificate so i have something to fall back on if it comes down to it. I know i feel privileged to be able to do that and have a corporate job on top of that, i am thankful. But the thing is, corporate jobs are hard in itself. The higher you are, the more you have to sacrifice your time for work. If you are a manager for example. Say goodbye to your weekends and nights because you’ll get pulled in at work because of problems you are responsible to solve.

[@abbyzinger]

Love this video! Especially about the push to STEM stuff - I majored in Computer Science because I really bought into that STEM is the only future for you idea, but I never had any intentions of working in tech because it just didn't feel appealing to me to work all day coding in a cubicle and banging my head against my desk debugging. So....when I graduated with my CS degree from college, I moved to Los Angeles and became a reality TV producer instead LMAO and I love it!!

[@noelanilewis5104]

I love that for you lol!

[@shannilam9382]

Felt that Being a reality TV producer seems MUCH more fun too

[@danny.golcman6846]

@@shannilam9382 yea but I bet it does not pay aswell lol.

[@_ashmason007]

@@danny.golcman6846 if the show is doing good then easily way more than a tech job hollywood esp la region is like the highest paid entertainment sector you do well there thats lotta money

[@ilene_music]

I love your closing thought about considering what we are progressing towards. I've been a teacher and I have worked in tech, and I constantly notice that the tools we make that are supposed to help us, more often result in more bureaucracy, more data points and less humanization, and importantly, the same amount if not more work for the people that the tool was supposed to help.

[@benfelps]

Exactly. I think a lot of tech companies + products are solutions in search of problems, just burning through cash until they get acquired. Even many startups that go public eventually end up acquired by a larger company for the talent and IP if there is any

[@anita.b]

To answer the question, most career paths are literally dying out due to the low wage ceiling offered. With the astronomical rise in the cost of living and the idea that you might want to make a big purchase one day, let's say a small apartment, there isn't much choice. You can only go into a select few fields if you ever want to dream of being able to afford anything in this life. Unfortunately making a video about "Fomo and the glamorization of tech" isn't helpful when most of time we can expect to get a median salary in the our fields and the tech one will allow someone to at least to pay rent for an apartment at a median position (not even talking about working for a F500 company). I say let's relax and move to more important topics, like why are people forced into the high-end jobs simply to afford to live?

[@naya4607]

This falls short because with the glamorization of tech and more people entering, the pay is going to drop tremendously

[@bojii2939]

As a young person I feel so disillusioned when I compare most median salaries to costs of living in places safe for me to live in (I’m transgender). I am at a loss for what to do at this point

[@ClayMastah344]

💯

[@kushdax4888]

@@naya4607 wrong, engineering and compsci will never be saturated fields. there is just so much demand for both.

[@Yandel21ableify]

The only jobs that pay well in America is tech or finance

[@ClayMastah344]

It’s one of the last industries that actually pays something

[@kushdax4888]

engineering and medicine pay a lot too

[@Mcwsmurf1]

Plumbers and electricians can get paid a lot too

[@Yandel21ableify]

Tech and Finace pay very well

[@Yandel21ableify]

@@wellesleyasare9815 Yes, but those 500k student loans dont help.

[@RenatoTartuce]

Jesus, Americans relationship to work is so weird. I can't put into words except to say that hard capitalism really messed you guys up lol

[@lettersandliterature5454]

Renato sweetheart you have no idea lol I'm American but moved to Europe because I think America is eating itself at this point.

[@Shay416]

@@lettersandliterature5454 teach me your ways sensi!

[@AKMarch01]

@@lettersandliterature5454 As we say in Europe + rest of the world, you're working to live elsewhere but you're living to work in the US.

[@Yandel21ableify]

America is the easiest country to make good money if you have the skills.

[@lw498]

I think working in tech has afforded me the ability to leave a life with less stress as I get paid a livable wage. I have adequate time off etc. The reality is that working in tech is better than many industries. I don't think that it is over-romanticized. The flexibility and stress reduction is real. I feel if it is something that interests you and brings you joy go for it. I have a degree in Computer Science I got a job a month after graduating after 100 applications. Even with a degree and multiple internships breaking into tech can be hard, but I am so glad to be in this field. I get to do interesting work that causes relatively little if no harm and has a net positive effect. I think more women of color should go into tech because it is the new frontier and diversity in the industry is crucial to harm reduction etc. Even with the big push to go into STEM or tech there still isn't good representation in these fields. While I think tech has downsides, it is a great industry if you want to make a livable wage and have some flexibilty.

[@sp123]

that discrete math tho

[@usersdksdfg]

@@sp123 quit my CS minor because of discrete math lol. I agree with this, but only do it if you genuinely enjoy learning it because if you just do it for the money it's not worth it

[@_ashmason007]

Agree wtih everything except the no harm part. Big tech literally is the reason for probably majority of problems we have worldwide. Consumerist crap selling, cyber sex trafficking, 0 labor laws for the the guys who are actually making the phones and the tech in the factories in China and Africa, good lord do you not read the news. Facebook twitter Google apple have so many lawsuits against them

[@lw498]

I loved discrete math so much. I took a more advanced discrete math class.

[@lw498]

@@_ashmason007 I definitely agree that big tech has caused a lot of harm to the world. A lot of big tech companies are highly unethical. I think that is an important thing to remember. As we fight for worker's rights globally.

[@aurourasandsadprose9272]

You just have such a good vibe, I could watch you talking about anything and I’d enjoy it.

[@fartsfartington9019]

I worked in tech. I was a janitor.

[@arielb98]

I work for an agency and mainly do social media work and must admit it has some of the best benefits out there. Everyone asks me how to break in but there are some cons. Unlimited PTO isnt that great. I often don’t fully enjoy my PTO, particularly half days because I can’t log off in time because of projects. Then when I have a good amount of time off (the most I’ve taken is 2 days off in a row) it’s like I have a pile of endless work. It’s rare that I have a slow week. Overtime (it’s now paid) but I just hate staying late at night on my computer when I just want a work/life balance.

[@acestarone]

thanks for providing some clarity on unlimited pto

[@hc6157]

I go to a top-drawer engineering/computer science school and grew up in Silicon Valley. A lot of my “tech” alumni friends always complain how they just get paid to go to meetings and MAYBE write some code on a good day. Especially when they just say “tech,” you know they’re suuuper bored with their job 😂

[@brotherjoll1802]

Must be nice. I want that “boring” over being broke

[@charitybenignos4941]

I used to be one of those who glamourize tech jobs. But having worked in a tech vs a non-tech role opened my eyes. Once you are deemed too "replaceable", companies treat you like crap. While I studied data science and analytics mainly for my interest in the problems they solve, an even greater interest would be its "demand" and relative lack of "supply". After a decent portfolio, I was able to choose jobs that didn't expect overtime and respect work life balance. The market is becoming more saturated, so I make sure to boost my skills to be more "rare" and demand things like more vacations, benefits etc

[@accidentsafe]

The allure of 120k a year and catered lunches is strong.

[@Ralphr203]

Thanks for creating. Also loved the TikToks you shared.

[@mugisatize]

Hey Amanda You make awesome videos, keep it up! 😊✨

[@krakenkrispykremelivinthedream]

I really love your video style, your pacing and voice is so good!

[@PogieJoe]

Very common issues for the entertainment industry too, as you well know. Most of our jobs are not very glamorous at all, but you wouldn't know that from social media.

[@wz8881]

Wow you did an amazing job explaining the whole phenomenon!

[@kazonrobinson6272]

Yet another amazing video. Keep up the great work.

[@Zaid-ez6ci]

I really enjoy your videos. keep contemplating these matters :)

[@nicolegoose567]

For my boot camp I interviewed someone who works in Amazon in Seattle and he said it’s super flexible, he has a kid, wife and a home. No cap, he’s really chill. 👍 There was a man in a startup I interviewed who works very hard but loves designing. It takes a while to build a portfolio in order to break into corporate unless you went to a 4- year or have great connections.

[@ladyzoe5734]

Sometimes I see these tiktoks where people say “yeah I basically just sit on my phone all day, I don’t do like any work at all and make $100k a year” and like I’m all for “fuck work” and unionizing to avoid labor exploitation, but like…..let’s see them post their performance reviews w their higher ups and coworkers real quick..

[@ladylydbug]

Really loved this video! I’m really removed from all of this stuff as someone getting a PhD in the humanities so I appreciated this perspective

[@ianyang7774]

Why doesn’t this have more views??? Soooo well articulated 👏

[@dahliahearts3054]

I just found your channel! The interesting thing is that around when this video was posted I "broke into tech." My experience: I work at a senior living community and am essentially the computer version of maintenance. I really did have no prior experience, but I was a hobbyist for basically my entire life. I get paid slightly less than my previous food service job that had tips. 100% worth it for the consistency and schedule, I love my job, but six figures it isn't. People seem to forget that a career is something you build (for better or for worse!)

[@hggfi]

I'm soon graduating from a CS programme and I've found it quite challenging to find a job that actually aligns with my values. Many technological innovations can be used for questionable purposes, and others just contribute to the acceleration of climate change through helping people sell useless stuff or whatever. With that said, I've still managed to find a job that seems meaningful to me and I don't say others can't too, it's just something I would have considered today if I were to choose a major again. Many of these tech-fluencers seem to completely ignore who and what you're working for in tech, as said in the video. Thanks for the insightful content!

[@djyua9157]

Love the braids Amanda😇and I’m glad you’re back it’s been a while since we got a video

[@UdoADHD]

To answer your question personally - I want $100k while working from home. That’s it.

[@dangdeionn]

Same I chose health care management with a focus with IT . I always seen myself as a stay at home mom

[@Offthebeatenpath.]

@@dangdeionn I love that, I also am a SAHW and deisre to be a SAHM

[@theklr]

It's the main reason to join, but they will continue to try to get you to drink the red drink...

[@UdoADHD]

@@theklr huh? Who and what are you talking about?

[@theklr]

@@UdoADHD I was both responding to you and the video. The salaries are great in tech, but they also come along with being a "family." A lot of bad managers follow the big companies in attempting to follow their practices with trying to guilt you in to working longer hours (salaried employees are also warranted overtime), or spend your after work hours to bond and penalize you when you don't.

[@okeroghenentekume9793]

currently in school and studying in my free time to be a software engineer. Definitely more challenging than these tiktoks make it seem- a lot of hard work goes into it, a lot of imposter syndrome. but man oh man getting the program to work is so rewarding. I was always interested but hesitated for a few years since I never saw other black people doing it. Felt like I didn't belong. It's interesting now that "tech toks" exist because I always was afraid of looking like a nerd for going into programming.

[@E_MZ_]

Please live your life without concern for what other black people are doing or think. Do what YOU want and what makes sense for YOU. Who cares if you look like a nerd? Why is that a bad thing? Nerds make money. But that’s not even the point :)

[@acestarone]

i am currently in an online bootcamp aka fellowship . we were told we are required to spend at least 4 hours a day studying. for me it is about 8. it is definitely more challenging them tech tok makes it seems. good luck to you, keep going.

[@chimpsimp9879]

I feel called out, I’m literally going to major in Computer Science, but I don’t have tik tok so I swear it’s not because of these bs vids

[@55CINCO55]

Same lmao

[@sonyas3075]

Yeah, I work in tech and find this all so strange. We don't all get aesthetic beanbags 😂

[@KwekuOA]

Tech is a great sector to work in, but a mere trend is not a great enough reason to do anything. It's a fantastic sector to work in, and I very strongly recommend applying to whatever firm you like, but please try not to idealize or romanticize things from something seen in a social media feed as that's simply not good from a mental health standpoint. Everyone is as human as you are - never forget that. All best!

[@Vim_Tim]

It’s very simple: the salary ceiling, flexibility, and working conditions are better for software engineers than any other Bachelors-level position in America, full stop. You can work in almost any industry. Remote jobs are very common. EVERYONE needs good tech workers, so finding *any* job is relatively easier than other industries. You can have a better overall career in a field which requires more education or effort (e.g. healthcare or consulting), but it’s very hard to beat tech jobs for a low-risk, 9-5 career. Most people will choose to make their own lives much better over making the world just a tiny bit better and you don’t necessarily need to make the world better through your employer. This is a huge misconception that hurts a lot of students with good intentions but bad employability.

[@Teilnehmer]

I am a bit surprised this video makes it sound like tech work is somehow easier than other jobs. I will admit, I am not living the US and that might skew my perspective. Here 100k salary figures are only realistic after at least a decade of highly stressful work. But working in tech, especially in any form where coding is required (I personally don't consider work without coding as work in tech), is a highly intensive cognitive task as well as something that you need years of skill building for (either with or without academic degrees). It's also something where you have to consistently stay on top of your mental game, learning new things etc. Jobs in tech are constantly in flux, new technology, new skill set demands, new market requirements etc. This is in stark contrast to something like education and health care which are often based on the same skillset you can use for decades. In tech you need a mindset and mental ethic to build new skillsets consistently. Some people have this, some can learn this but the vast majority of people simply don't want to do this. Tech is really an industry where talent pays off. At least in my country, even in most engineering fields, it's still pretty much who your parents were, how you were raised, who you know etc. Actual raw talent and work ethic doesn't count as much. Tech is a field where you can actually show that you are really good at your job, care about your work ethic and your quality can be measured much more easily - all of these things will also impact your work output which is also much more easily measurable. This is very different from a lot of other academic jobs. Tech naturally lends itself to people who want to rise up based on the quality of their work. I suspect this techtok bubble is highly self-selecting: yes, there are a few people who have both this mindset and the underlying cognitive balance and strength to be succesful in tech, I also recommended the tech industry to a lot of people looking for jobs, so I am guilty of this same sort of thing, but the truth is that a lot of high-end jobs in tech are simply not for everybody, not everybody likes this idea of hours upon hours of highly intense concentration and frustration and not everybody can be good at it. Not every one wants to become super specialized in a niche or go through years of training or academia for that. That's fine. I want to work in tech even if it is not that well paid here (I think it's underpaid here). People who try to get into tech and fail simply won't make huge tiktoks about it. Now, I don't really know much about techtok and how honest and realistic these people are. I follow a quite big female data science influencer on youtube. She constantly makes it seem like she was a slouch or lazy in her early 20s and really needed to get her act together and then jumpstarted a career in tech. When I actually saw her CV I knew she wasn't being realistic or honest because her CV is in fact quite excellent. Now, maybe and that's actually a very real possibility, there are just a lot of people who have never realistically thought about tech as a career before because of a false stereotype, but who would be actually quite good at it and who just now realize what work in tech really is like. That is a very real possibility. In my opinion tech has actually attracted the wrong kind of people for decades and I suspect companies are waking up to this idea. I think there is a huge untapped resource of good tech people. But that doesn't mean that anyone can just break into tech. I am from a STEM field which is not directly CS but which uses a lot of data and coding. I am now working with someone from the same background. She broke into a tech company previously but she actually had to leave because her performance just wasn't there and I can totally see why now. On paper she's great but the actual quality of her work just isn't there and that's true of a lot of people from STEM. I also have other friends who are trying to learn coding for 1-2 years but who are still struggling at some basic things. Is it possible to break into big tech? Yes, and for the right people who are dedicated enough - it's a very good time right now. But not for everybody.

[@shantellesixx984]

It’s hard getting into into tech for sure. I studied Computer Forensics at university and the amount of independent study that goes in is hardcore I would find myself and my friends being at uni from 11AM-10PM long long hours. And on occasions we would go in Saturday and Sunday. But that hard work paid off and I was able to finally get a job in tech after months of applying.

[@claudiasanchez8996]

amanda somehow always ends up making video essays on topics that have been stuck in my mind for the past few weeks 😭

[@thealternate2003]

Great social commentary!

[@NFSMAN50]

The media makes tech this golden ticket to a fancy lifestlye, that if you are good in technical fields, you will be set for life and is a cheat code

[@isthatachicken]

I didn't know this was a thing but I can see why it's so easy to sell this, especially on tiktok. Thank you for this objective breakdown💛✨ I'd only enter the field for the snacks😂

[@post-electric]

As someone who got their honours degree in computer networking several years ago and only got the job they were aiming for this year (there's often a fun loop in tech of needing experience to get a starter job which you don't have the experience for), I'd encourage people to look into gov/charity work. Not glamorous and the pay is way lower than private sector but you'll probably still be paid a decent wage and be able to develop your skills. It'll give you the skills/experience/knowledge in a (hopefully, at least somewhat) more relaxed environment that will boost your cv/resume no end if you decide to branch into private sector. My team manages a pretty large network and uses a wide range of technologies so I'm always learning a whole lot. I, personally, see myself staying public sector - the higher wages just don't seem worth sacrificing my work-life balance for.

[@chantillylace1369]

I really enjoyed this. Being in tech, great perspective

[@TheSoulCrisis]

Great video and yes I agree! So many industries suck with work/life balance and payout overall and people want opportunity to do remote..........tech looks like the wonderland of endless fruit in comparison.

[@BlueNoteGaming_]

Finally, this trend was explained. Thanks for the insight!

[@chanelg376]

I dropped out of school majoring in cs then decided to come back and change majors but utimately decided to go back into CS . I realize that although there is something a bit robotic (pun intended) with the idea of working in tech or majoring in StEm. There is some flexibility of what I can do at a tech company. I think the hype of getting into these jobs is the promise or the idea that if you can get a job at a decently named startup you are pretty much a magnet for any company and or any office position that hires. With that being said I don’t think many ppl really look at being in tech as a long term thing but as a stepping stool and maybe can help them get into creative ventures or inspire them to go into humanities. I do think that technology will inevitably stil be around till this crumbling society collapse however I also believe there are some ppl maybe even a few companies that offer some light in the midst of the tech bro abyss.