Want a better work-life balance? Consider specializing in artificial intelligence (AI).
According to data from Dice’s new Sentiment Report, a comprehensive look at tech professionals’ opinions on everything from remote work to AI jobs, tech professionals with AI specialization (i.e., “AI professionals”) reported experiencing a better work-life balance than they did last year, at 41 percent, compared to 26 percent of tech professionals in general.
(For the data folks: The Q2 2024 Technology Professionals Sentiment Survey was conducted online via email June 5 – 27, 2024. The survey generated 520 qualified responses from fully employed technology professionals residing in the U.S.)
What’s behind that work-life improvement? Perhaps those AI professionals have the leverage to secure the schedule, benefits, and workloads they want from their managers. After all, their skills are in intense demand: some 46 percent of HR professionals told Dice they’re actively recruiting for AI specialist roles right now, and 82 percent anticipate demand for AI professionals to increase in the next 6 months.
Whether or not you specialize in AI, burnout is a pervasive issue in tech. Earlier this year, a report by Deloitte found that roughly four in 10 workers said they were burned out at work; that report also noted widespread concerns about AI eliminating jobs, as well as the need to continually upskill to stay relevant in the workplace.
Fortunately, there are some tried-and-true methods for potentially mitigating burnout, including:
- Setting boundaries on workloads and work hours.
- Prioritizing rest.
- Connecting with colleagues; a strong support system at work can help you psychologically.
You can even use generative AI to ease your workload a bit, whether via generating code snippets or automating repetitive tasks such as writing emails and schedules. If nothing seems to be helping, it may be worth having an open and honest conversation with your manager; taking a proactive approach can hopefully result in a schedule and workload that makes you feel good about going to work every day.
