I'm sure this will come as a total shock to you, but a recent survey by IT consulting firm Robert Half Technology has identified what causes CIOs the most stress. Too much work.

Really?

To discover this fun fact, researchers interviewed the CIOs of over 1,400 medium- to large businesses based in the U.S. More than 36% said they're stressed out because they simply have too much to do. Frankly, I'm surprised the number was that low.

Also on the Best Stressed List was the evolution of technology (22%), office politics (18%), and balancing work/life issues (11%).

As companies hemorrhage employees and cut budgets, having "too much work" might sound like a wonderful option to the alternative -- but that's not necessarily the case. Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director of Robert Half Technology tells the New York Times, "[O]verstressed IT workers are unlikely to perform their best. The pressure of mounting workloads, combined with ever-evolving technologies and office politics, can quickly erode morale and adversely affect productivity."


Of course, if you really can't take the heat in the IT kitchen, you could always change professional direction. CIO.com put together a list of 24 Alternative Careers for Tech Workers That Aren't in IT. Some are meant to be a bit tongue-in-cheek (phone sex?), there are a few that actually make a lot of sense. If you use your IT skills to become a psychologist or musician, let me know.