7 reasons to love your job in IT

A recent study of the effects of happiness on a worker's productivity found that when employees are happier, they are an average of 12 percent more productive in their work. Some were 20 percent more productive than the control group. It also stands to reason that happy employees are more likely to stay in their role than those who are bored or dissatisfied. 

As CIOs and IT leaders seek to better understand how to nurture and retain their best IT talent, we thought it'd be helpful to know: What exactly do IT professionals and those working in the IT field love about their jobs?

Problem solving

“There are a number of reasons why I love my current IT job. The most important reason is that I, in partnership with my husband, get to build consumer apps from our own ideas that help not only our family but others around the world. It is incredibly rewarding to start with a problem, identify an idea for a solution and turn that idea into a working desktop or mobile app that positively impacts others. Getting that email from a customer thanking us for what we do is the ultimate ‘awesome day’ maker! I also love that we are a small team so we are able to pivot quickly or even cancel a project if it's not going as expected.” – Diane Hamilton, managing partner, Binary Formations

Constant learning required

"What I love most about my IT role is that software engineering is a field where constant technical and personal growth is required. In today’s age, new technologies are readily available that will improve products – and consistently learning not only improves my path in my career, but also adds to my personal growth. Fred Brooks states there is no ‘silver bullet’ in software engineering. There is not one thing we can do that will increase the return of software by an order of magnitude. It is a complex arena, both technically and personally. For me, the complexity is what makes it fun. I appreciate learning new things, mentoring colleagues, trying to solve complex problems, and interacting with stakeholders to write software helping them with their endeavors." – Josh Wood, senior software engineer, Paycor

Mentorship from senior IT leaders

“What I find really interesting and what I truly adore in my work is that I am able to improve my knowledge every day from the problems that we encounter. At Kanbanize, our mentors and senior developers teach us how to look at the problem not only from a technical point of view but systematically as a procedure. All of our leaders share with us their knowledge and experience not only in computer science, but also in business skills and life experience also. They encourage us to push ourselves to our limits in order to succeed both professionally and as human beings outside of work.” – Martin Lachev, junior developer, Kanbanize

Creatively challenging work

“Our team ideates, incubates and then builds enterprise solutions in disruptive and emerging technologies. Even when these initiatives don't see the light of day because the promise of the technology wasn't timely, the process is still creatively challenging and fulfilling. And, at other times, what starts as a mere spark in a conversation morphs with tremendous creativity and team effort into a meaningful solution that changes the way firms do business or the way people interact with technology. The opportunity to collaborate with great minds and create something new and learn at all times – that's what I love most about my IT role.” – Rena Nigam president, global solutions and services, Incedo

Passionate craftsmanship

"It's no surprise to me that surveys show that technology professionals are so satisfied with their jobs. That's totally my personal experience when speaking with friends who also work as developers, no matter which country they're from. What I like most about my role is the possibility of starting and creating things from scratch, while keeping things simple and easy to use. Developers are a lot like craftsman really, because we're often passionate about what we do and what we create." – Stanislav Sorokin, front end CTO, Carts Guru

Being part of something meaningful

“You’re part of something meaningful and helpful. Technology isn’t just ancillary to business any longer. It’s often at the core of what every business relies on. So, when we do our jobs well – and we do – it means small to mid-sized businesses stay in operation. It means employees stay employed, food goes on their tables, their kids go to college, etc. Our management helps us make this connection often, so we remember we’re part of something bigger than computer components and clouds and firewalls and antivirus software.” – Beth Shuster, marketing communications manager, TNSC

No desk, no problem

“The best part about my IT job is that I can do it from anywhere there's WiFi and power. Most of the time, I work at home (we're a virtual company with no offices and every employee at home). But sometimes I'll end up at the coffee shop at the corner while other times I may be working from far across the country. With just my laptop and my phone, I can stay connected with all of our employees no matter where I may be that day.” – Eric Nagel, CTO, FMTC