Still searching for work life balance? Here’s how.
The age old question…”What job will pay me well, whilst also allowing me to spend enough time with my family?” The answer to this question has seemingly eluded most people for decades, but it may be closer to home than you’d think. Web Development has garnered a lot of attention for its high pay and rise in demand, but many people might not realize the flexibility that it comes with from a workload perspective.
Today’s education and work society has created a stigma that praises people for being workaholics. It’s almost blameworthy to be someone who desires more time off from work. While grinding and hustling towards your dreams remains a noble pursuit, there’s nothing wrong with having a healthy relationship with your family, friends, and hobbies on the side. Experiencing burnout can take a big toll on your mental and physical well-being, and it may end up negatively impacting your workplace productivity.
No job out there is going to be mere sunshine and rainbows forever and ever, but there are jobs that do a better job of knowing how to manage employee fulfillment & satisfaction. U.S. News & World Report believes that Web Development is among the best low-stress, high-paying jobs in the United States. There are many factors at play here, including education level, company, position, etc…but the overall tech landscape offers a plethora of flexibility.
Starting with the educational requirements, Web Development has become notorious for featuring so many unique learning paths for prospective students. It’s no longer necessary that you possess a 4-year degree in Computer Science or Software Engineering. If you’re just wetting your feet and wanting to know whether coding is for you, starting off with YouTube videos, freecodecamp.org, Codecademy, and Udemy are great options. All these tools feature free courses/content that allow you to “test” things out and get a feel for what tech will be like. If you’re someone who is extremely self-motivated and who doesn’t necessarily require a teacher/mentor to hold them accountable, you could venture down this self-study route for a long time. It may be slightly more volatile because you don’t have a solidly defined structure/roadmap set in stone, but you may be able to save a lot of money in the process.
With all the above being said, staying on the self-study route for an extended period of time probably isn’t for most people. It’s probably safe to say that the majority of people could benefit from accountability and structure. Coding bootcamps have entered this industry by storm, and they’ve provided people with an alternative to the traditional 4-year degree route. If you’re someone who can’t afford to wait for four years just to start applying for your dream job, coding bootcamps may be your answer. These programs offer “crash courses” that span anywhere from two to six months, in most cases. The courses can be very grueling, as you may be spending most of your day pounding away code at your desk, but the end result can be extremely rewarding. If you put in the work, you may very well be able to master the course concepts and be set up for a high-paying job, right out of the gate. Here at Skillspire, we also mentor and guide our students throughout the course, as well as afterwards. Our Career Development team helps you out with your LinkedIn profile, resume building, technical interview practice, and job searching. Our goal is to put you in the best possible position to land your new dream job.
Finally, let’s talk about the actual work culture. Now, you might be reading this and thinking to yourself, “This article claims that tech jobs feature immense work-life balance, but I know multiple people working for big tech companies who work tirelessly, day and night, for 50-70 hours a week.” This is an extremely valid point, but big tech companies provide only a portion of the tech jobs that are available for your taking.
If you look at small to mid-sized companies, many of them offer very attractive job positions and immense workplace flexibility. If we look at Cameo, A Chicago-based tech company that operates in the Consumer Web + Social Media industry, we find a big boatload of awesome perks. The company offers unlimited PTO, flexible work schedules, in-person team lunches, and comprehensive health benefits. DailyPay is a New York-based tech company operating in the Fintech + HR Tech Industry, and they offer employees a very unique and convenient way of receiving their paychecks. Rather than forcing employees to wait every two weeks, DailyPay keeps active record of employee earnings by the hour. Employees can pull out any amount of money at any given time, and the balance is saved and updated so that the remainder will always be paid out at its regular two-week interval. Additionally, the company offers unlimited PTO, as well as a culture of celebrating great accomplishments through awards and team outings.
Anecdotally speaking, I myself know of people within my family & friends circles who have been able to achieve excellent work-life balance through tech jobs. I have a cousin who opted to forego completing his 4-year degree, in favor of the self-study route. He now has extensive knowledge of both the front and back-ends of Web Development. He currently works two part-time jobs and says that he makes an active effort to seek out employment opportunities that offer him good flexibility. He also has a wife and two babies at home, so his time is definitely at a crunch.
Web Development skills also offer plenty of opportunities on the freelance/contracting front. If you’re someone who simply doesn’t like the idea of a 9 to 5 altogether, or who is looking to make some extra money on the side…coding is flush with freelance demand. People will pay you for individual projects on a contractual/as needed basis. The best part about going this route is that you have full control over your schedule. You’re essentially an entrepreneur, which means that you can work as much or as little as you wish…on your own time. You won’t have the luxury of receiving all those PTO and healthcare benefits, but perhaps you can make up for that with the added autonomy.
There’s a lot to like about the work-life benefits that Web Development can provide you with. Demand continues to rise, as the occupation is [projected to grow](https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/web-developers.htm#:~:text=Employment of web developers and,of mobile devices and ecommerce.) 8% from 2019 to 2029. As more and more educational pathways continue to open up, it seems that there couldn’t be a more opportune time to jump into the field. No occupation is perfect in this regard, but you may be hard-pressed to find a job path that offers as much flexibility as Web Development.
If you are interested in pursuing a career in web development, feel free to check out our Full Stack Immersive Web Development course. Regardless of whether you are a beginner or a seasoned professional, this course can make you career ready in 16 weeks. We also offer discounts and flexible payment options, so that you can focus on upskilling without having to worry about breaking the bank!
