Well, how about this: I quit my job.
Actually, that’s not strictly speaking true–last Thursday I gave my two weeks notice, and while I am technically employed (and getting paid) through the end of that period, today I was “released”. In corporate-speak this means: don’t come in any more–now that you’re not on the team, we don’t want you to be exposed to anything we’re deciding for the future. In Chris-speak this means: extra paid vacation.
Let’s do this like a FAQ, just for fun:
1. Are you just quitting, or do you have something else lined up?
I gave my notice because I’m accepting another position with a different company. I don’t know if you’ve noticed the economy or not, but let me assure you that in order to straight up quit with no plan, there would have had to be some wicked problems, or else I’d have to be a moron.
2. Why is this other position better than the one you have.?
Well, this is the rub. There are a lot of answers for this.
One is purely lifestyle–the nature of my previous job required me to have copious day-to-day interactions with people in Boston, Israel, and Australia, as well as less regular interactions with people in all North American time zones and the UK. This meant a lot of early morning meetings and late night meetings. It meant that the most important meetings–the ones where we needed to get people from all time zones together–were always scheduled at times that I wanted to spend with my daughter.
Another is personal relationships–while I worked with many excellent people at my old position, the new offer came from someone who has been my boss at five previous companies, whom I like, trust, and respect. And several of my new co-workers are also people I’ve worked closely with for more than a decade, who I also like, trust, and respect, and with whom I know I can work well.
Another is the nature of the organization. Today I ended my association with one of the largest software companies in North America. When I start working again it will be with a very small (relatively) company that’s still venture funded and privately held. There are some good things about very large companies: benefits, stability, and some process things. But there are also a lot of big downsides of any large organization, particularly including bureaucratic hassles, Mordoc the Preventer, internal politics, etc. In a smaller, more focused organization a lot of these things just don’t come up. In practice this means that you can accomplish more with the same amount of work–internal inefficiencies result in less friction during the process. (And, now that Trish is employed stably, and with good benefits, I can afford to deal with some of the small company stuff.)
Maybe the biggest reason though is just that it’s time for a change. I’ve been working on the project I left today for nearly nine years, and you know, the only difference between a rut and a grave is depth. I’ve been wanting a change for a while, and this is the first time I’ve seen a chance to have one that isn’t ridiculously irresponsible.
2(b) Does this mean you didn’t like the boss you had this morning?
Quite the opposite actually–the woman I reported to is one of the best managers I’ve had. The decision has nothing to do with her–indeed, she made the decision a lot more difficult to make.
3. Umm, what exactly did you do, and are you doing something different now?
I don’t normally talk about work details online–not because of prudence, but because it’s boring. I was the “Senior Architect” for a product line of enterprise software this morning, essentially the person with final technical responsibility for a 130 person development organization spread across three continents (while cleverly avoiding actual management responsibility). The nature of the particular position meant that in addition to the specific product line that I explicitly owned, I was also heavily involved in a number of other products’ activities, primarily with in the security area of the company.
When I next start working I’ll be one of a small team of people working on development of a single product in North America–I think there are six others. Obviously I’ll be a lot more involved directly with the product, but at the end of the day it’s still about designing and building enterprise software. So it’ll be different, in that I’ll be much more directly involved, but also the same, in that the work still relates to building enterprise-quality software to solve problems that only large organizations have.
4. So is this a good career move?
Well, you can certainly make the case that going from being the technical lead for a 130 person team, responsible for a product line, to being one of a handful of people working on a single product is huge step backwards careerwise.
Similarly, you could argue that in terms of forward career potential I’m downgrading. At my old, large, employer I hadn’t reached the end of the technical track–there were overall architects for whole business units, and then ranks of highly paid “thinkers” and “distinguished engineers” who had reached a kind of technical apotheosis. At this new firm, I’m walking into the top rank of technical positions, and there is no apparent way to move upwards without moving away from the technical track. Essentially I’m looking at “growing with the company” rather than “growing inside the company”.
I am firmly aware of both of these things.
I’m reasonably certain that I will be a happier person in the new position, and that it’s worth the trade off. I am consciously trading in some of this career path stuff for more quality time with my family, and for spending less of my time generally either angry or frustrated.
5. Does this have anything to do with your recent move back to Ontario?
Ironically, and despite the timing, no.
To be completely honest, one of the the things I had been telling myself about the move was that I would be in a market where I could potentially get a new position that was “at my level” and that would pay something like what I got paid at my previous position–this wasn’t really a possibility in Halifax.
However, before I even got a chance to start looking around here, I got this excellent offer from my old boss, and I had to take it.
6. So, wait, does that mean you’re working in an office now, after all those years remote?
Nope. Just like the last decade plus, I’ll be working remotely for an office in Boston. I’ve just switched which office in Boston.
I will still be working from my home office, and still taking regular (although perhaps less frequent) trips to the Boston office.
And I can put off the whole “can I actually go back to working in an office” question for a little longer.
7. So, when do you start?
In the new year–January 4th–. Between now and then I’m unemployed.
8. So what are you going to do tomorrow, on your first unemployed day? Just sit around?
Actually, quite the opposite. I have a very busy day planned tomorrow. A while back, partly as a reward for being unbelievably good during our house-hunting weekend, and partly as a way to suggest that Ontario would be fun because it had lots of things that aren’t available in Nova Scotia, and partly because I like to spoil, I bought tickets for Sarah and I to attend the National Ballet‘s Nutcracker tomorrow night. Actually, since I was being silly I got us box seats–if you’re gonna be a bear, be a grizzly, as my grandfather used to say.
And since I’m suddenly, and unexpectedly (remember I thought I would be working through the 24th) unemployed, we’re going to make a day of it. Travel to Toronto in the morning, lunch and the afternoon at the Royal Ontario Museum, then dinner, and then the Nutcracker (both the kids’ story thing before, and then the actual performance.) Actually the only worry I have is how I’m going to make it through the (nearly 2 hour) performance–I suspect it won’t hold my attention like it will hold Sarah’s, but I could be wrong.
Friday would be the day I’d spend just sitting around, but I actually have to trek back to Toronto that day to do my exit interview at my former employer’s “Toronto office”
9. So, how are you feeling about all of this?
Oh, you know, surfing on the combination of relief, excitement, and pants-wetting terror. You’d have to know me well to tell–my poker face is better for this kind of thing than it is for actual, you know, poker–but if I weren’t so good at rolling with it, I’d be a little freaked out.
Actually, the biggest thing I’m feeling right now is relief that the last couple of days are over–the time between giving your notice and actually leaving can be very awkward, especially in a situation like mine.
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