Poll: How stressful is your IT consulting work?

TechRepublic Head Blogs Editor Toni Bowers wrote about a list compiled by CareerCast.com that indicates computer systems analyst and software engineer are two of the least stressful jobs. Toni notes that the list took into account 21 stress factors, including deadlines, life and death situations, and physical demands. I’m curious to know how our IT Consultant readers’ experiences compare to these findings.

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When Justin James polled our developer audience about their biggest stressors, coworkers/management received 40% of the votes. Since a number of IT consultants are one-person shops, my guess is coworkers/management wouldn’t score as high here, but let’s see if that’s the case.

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During the holiday season, stress levels are often higher than usual; for IT consultants, one of your main concerns at this time of year may be about the financial impact of taking time off, especially if clients expect you to be available 24/7. Share the reasons why you’re stressed (that is, if you are stressed).

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While it’s wonderful to have work, especially in this economy, many IT pros have been under greater stress because of the economic climate, whether it’s because you’re expected to be on-call at all times, there’s not as much new business, or your clients are loading you down with more responsibilities because they’ve had to reduce staff levels.

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If there are stress-reducing techniques that you find effective, let your peers know by posting to the discussion.

Related TechRepublic resources

• The top workplace stressors and irritations
• Stress getting worse? Try this
• Six performance tips for stressed IT pros
• Five steps to enlightened expectations for managing your workload
• Technology adds stress and new demands to networked workers
• Vacation? What a quaint concept
• 10 tactics and tips to make the most of your vacation

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