Eric Yu, a 28-year-old software engineer from Meta, formerly known as Facebook, encountered a life-changing moment when he experienced his first panic attack at work.
Amidst the grueling hours spent developing code, including weekends, Yu’s heart raced and a ringing filled his ears during the alarming incident.
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His dedication to his job led him to turn down a tempting offer from Google, making the subsequent realization that he needed to quit even more unexpected.
“Getting job offers like these had been a big goal of mine. I worked hard throughout school and it seemed like I had finally figured out my life. But I was pretty torn between Facebook and Google. At the time, Facebook seemed more like “It’s a startup.” and less ‘corporate’ than Google. I also preferred their campus more, so I chose Facebook,” Yu told Business Insider.
Yu explained the immense pressure he endured while working on Meta, citing the tech giant’s strict code quality standards.
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He mentioned that code reviews at the company were rigorous and left little room for constructive feedback.
“Sometimes there was some tension and I received harsh comments about how to fix the code after numerous reviews. It made me feel bad sometimes.” he told the publication.
“In my opinion, there is a constructive way to give feedback: ‘Hey, I like the attempt you made here and there could be opportunities to improve this way.’ But some Meta engineers lacked tact and nuance: ‘This is really bad . You shouldn’t have written it like that.” This type of feedback makes it seem like it’s a black and white issue and often overlooks the emotional aspect of communication.”
Additionally, Meta employs an internal rating system for software engineers, which is visible to all other coders in the company.
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When Yu’s grade began to decline, fear of his peers’ negative perceptions led him to work harder and harder, eventually leading to a panic attack.
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“In November 2019, I experienced my first panic attack while working from home. It was around 4pm and my left pinky went completely numb. At first, I ignored it, but it got worse: an hour later, my ears were ringing. and my heart was beating very fast”, Yu told Business Insider.
“I was getting distracted and I felt intense thoughts. I felt like a water dam, like if you pushed too much water against it, it might break and all the water would spill out. The more I tried to block my feelings, the more I felt like I was bursting out of control.” suddenly. Luckily, my girlfriend Wanda (now my fiancé) was there and recognized it as a panic attack.”
After this eye-opening experience, Yu and Wanda began exploring alternative sources of income and eventually decided to venture into the real estate market. His venture proved successful, and in 2022, Yu left his job at Meta.
“I know it seems crazy to leave a $370,000 (Rs 3 million) job, and staying in Meta for the rest of my life would have guaranteed financial security, but I knew it wasn’t right for me.” he said. “The experience was disappointing. I was at home and didn’t see my coworkers in person; there was no goodbye party or formal farewell. After my last meeting, I closed my laptop and felt relieved: ‘Wow, I’m done.’ .”
Real estate is not Eric Yu’s ultimate goal, but he mentioned that it gives him the time and financial resources to determine his long-term priorities.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn