Should your tech job ever get in the way of your best friend’s wedding? When is it okay to refuse a job referral to a family member? How do you balance work, life, and the ever-present threat of burnout? In this inaugural episode of Off the VPN, hosts Allison and Jasmine answer your questions about those tricky situations where friends and family intersect with a tech career. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by work or struggled to keep it separate from your personal life, this episode offers a decent amount of catharsis and a heck of a lot of laughs.
Got a question you’d like answered on the show? Drop us a line at
jellyfish.co/offthevpn. And don’t worry! We promise to keep it Off the VPN.
Highlights:
- Misconceptions and Family Dynamics: Ever feel like no one truly 'gets' your tech job? Jasmine and Allison spill the tea on the hilarious and sometimes frustrating misconceptions friends and family have about their roles.
- Work Perfectionism vs. Quality of Life: Is your inner perfectionist driving you to burnout? Jasmine and Allison tackle this head-on, discussing the importance of setting realistic goals and allowing space for imperfection.
- The Realities of Tech Industry Pressure: Allison and Jasmine reflect on the psychological reasons behind high-performance pressures and why it's crucial to have non-work-related goals. Their experiences might just make you feel seen and less alone in the hustle.
Jump into the Conversation:
04:47 Am I the asshole for refusing to give my niece a job referral?
14:13 When is it okay to miss your best friend’s wedding?
18:57 Concerned about fair compensation for critical decisions.
30:36 Diversify your life outside of work duties.
32:48 Don’t let perfection lead to burnout.
What is Off the VPN?
Is bringing up your software engineering salary a dating red flag? How do you strike a balance between career ambition and incendiary burnout? Is it ever okay to hold your code hostage in escrow? Navigating a career in tech raises a lot of tricky questions that aren’t exactly appropriate for the daily stand-up. So let’s take this off the VPN.
In this new podcast from Jellyfish, work besties Jasmine and Allison scour the internet to find the real questions engineers and developers are whispering over drinks and posting about anonymously. Together, they’ll tackle the most troubling of inquiries with authenticity, humor, and absolutely no holding back.