Sergey Tselovalnikov shares his personal journey with being on-call as a software engineer, highlighting both the benefits and drawbacks. He began his on-call experience about nine years ago, managing incidents for a critical production service. The role often requires urgent responses, especially during late-night alerts, which can be particularly challenging for engineers in time zones like Australia, where most global activity occurs while they sleep. The stress of dealing with emergencies at odd hours taught him to remain calm in high-pressure situations, a skill that translates to real-life emergencies outside work. Tselovalnikov emphasizes the leadership skills gained through on-call experiences. When systems fail, coordinated responses are essential, and he found himself often leading these efforts. The intense post-incident analysis also deepened his understanding of the systems he worked on, allowing him to anticipate potential failure points in future designs. However, the role is not without its downsides. On-call engineers face physical constraints, needing to be always reachable and prepared, which can limit personal freedom. The impact on health is significant too; sleep disruptions from late-night alerts can lead to fatigue and mental fog, which can affect both personal and professional life. He cautions against normalizing the stress and health issues associated with being on-call. Tselovalnikov advises anyone considering joining an on-call rotation to weigh the benefits against potential long-term impacts on health and lifestyle. Ultimately, it's a choice that should be made carefully, with the understanding that it's possible to withdraw from the rotation if it proves too burdensome.