{"id":5041,"date":"1999-11-01T20:19:12","date_gmt":"1999-11-02T01:19:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.robertxgillis.com\/?p=5041"},"modified":"2014-05-16T20:27:00","modified_gmt":"2014-05-17T01:27:00","slug":"1999-changing-jobs-starting-new-adventures","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.robertxgillis.com\/?p=5041","title":{"rendered":"1999: Changing jobs and starting new adventures"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"New<\/a>
New paths<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

by Robert Gillis<\/em>
\nPublished in The Foxboro Reporter 11\/1999<\/em><\/p>\n

I recently spoke to Tom Fuller. While I’d never met the man in person, our columns often shared these same pages [in the Foxboro Reporter]. I told him I always liked his writing style and wished he’d consider returning. His writing was no-nonsense and direct, and he made a lot of people think-and yes, made some fume as well. He pulled no punches and I always admired that about him. More than once, I thought to myself, “Man, I wish I wrote that!\u201d<\/p>\n

I called Tom because I wanted to let him know that one of his columns really hit home. Some time ago, Tom wrote a column explaining that he’d made the choice to leave his job as a corrections officer. Making the choice to leave had been many months in the making, and involved a lot of soul searching, and input from family and friends. When he finally decided to leave, it was as though a huge weight had been lifted from him. Now, he says he loves his new job.<\/p>\n

Back when he wrote that, I thought to myself, “I wish that had been me,\u201d because I too was seriously considering that it was time to move on from my job. I’d been there six years, which I’m told is unheard of in the Information Technology field-the average stay is 18 months. I was good at what I did, I was respected, and had even been promoted twice — but something was missing.<\/p>\n

It’s not easy leaving a job you love. There were many factors in my decision, both pro and con.<\/p>\n

But leave? How could I crawl out of my little comfort zone and seek out something new? No way! Now in my mid-thirties, change is not something I do well. If you look up “hates change\u201d in the dictionary you’ll see my picture. Besides, could I really start over somewhere else? Be the new guy again?<\/p>\n

Worse, I started feeling guilty. While I never fancied myself as the group messiah, I was the “platform leader,\u201d knew that my contributions were important, that the group was understaffed as it was, and at least in the short term I’d leave them in a bind. I didn’t want to do that.<\/p>\n

The decision ultimately took nearly a year. After spending months talking to friends, family — and seeing examples like Tom’s column — I finally knew which road to take.<\/p>\n

Finally, I called the recruiter. There were interviews that were surprisingly pleasant and easy. For the first time in a long while, I was excited about computer technology. I was intrigued by the possibilities for new challenges, new growth, new friends. Then came job offers.<\/p>\n

I’d left jobs before, but this was different. Some of my co-workers were like family. Kathy was my partner, UNIX co-conspirator and friend. Leanne and I were constantly swapping “Simpson’s\u201d jokes, keeping each other sane during the crazy times. My Star Trek buddy Mary and I debated the merits of the “Classic\u201d Trek cast versus the later incarnations. And then there was Aaron — my best work friend and fellow Keno player and Batman fan. How could I leave?<\/p>\n

But it was time.<\/p>\n

The company made some effort to keep me, but I’d made it clear this was the right decision for me at this time. They were surprisingly understanding (although a certain senior vice president kept holding up little signs that said, “Bobby don’t go!”)<\/p>\n

I spent the next three weeks wrapping things up and saying my good-byes. When people heard I was leaving, the response was overwhelming. I think I gained 10 pounds from all the lunches people took me to. I was very happy to leave on such good terms.<\/p>\n

So here it is a month and a half later. The new job is a dream come true. The learning is intense. It’s weird not being the “expert\u201d anymore; it’s strange being the new guy. But it’s far more exciting than I imagined, and there’s already new friends, new challenges, and even a Star Trek fan or two.<\/p>\n

I know now that I should have done this sooner. While I miss my friends at the old company, and wish them well, I’m happy again. Happier than I could have ever imagined.<\/p>\n

Maybe change isn’t such a bad thing after all. I’ve learned that sometimes it’s exactly what’s needed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Robert Gillis Published in The Foxboro Reporter 11\/1999 I recently spoke to Tom Fuller. While I’d never met the man in person, our columns often shared these same pages [in the Foxboro Reporter]. I told him I always liked his writing style and wished he’d consider returning. His writing was no-nonsense and direct, and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[158],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gratitude-and-giving"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t