Changing jobs is a scary thing...but exciting. A retrospective.

So this is it. It's the eve of my last day working from home for UniteU. Tomorrow at 2:00 I go and meet my COO for my exit interview..turn in my keys and badge and stun gun and call it a day.

Yet tonight...I'm a bit fearful.

Throughout my 15 year career...I've had jobs and opportunities. I started out falling into computers once I realized that retail was NOT my calling. I believe God Himself gave me the talent for this. In the last 15 years I've learned more by trial and error than by book learnin'. When I married Deb...I started at a job where I worked for 16 months...and I remember being amazed by that. Then I had to kinda fart around till I fell into 5LINX where I stayed for over 2 years...and again was amazed. When I left there it was HARD to do. Even though I knew it was right. The CEO didn't like me for any number of reasons...and I was underpaid. So then I started at UniteU.

The first three months I HATED it. I kept trying to go BACK to 5LINX...I was a social animal and working from my basement every day at first took its toll. Then a few people came into town and I got to know WHO I was working with...and I started to find my groove. I wasn't learning as fast as I wanted...but that was ok because I was still busy enough. The days believe it or not FLEW by...and before I knew it I'd been with the company 4 years. It seemed like yesterday when I started...and that's what amazed me. I love this company and the people I work with...

However something else happened. I was at a men's retreat when I got talking with a guy I knew through other friends and tangentially as we are both musicians. He saw me getting up on Friday a few times and asked what was up and I told him I was on call and dealing with some issues...we started just talking about IT. He asked my advice and took it. He then mentioned that he might have need for more admin types if I knew of any and half joking I said "Well I'm always looking' and he immediately followed up with...'let's get together in a few weeks'. For the next six months we just emailed and occasionally got together to go over things and in time they made me an offer I couldn't refuse.

I found myself wanting a new challenge. Not that UniteU doesn't challenge me...but I find that I want to see what it's like to go to work again...be a part of a team of people in the room...and in some ways be challenged by a brother in the Lord too.

SO I'm making this step. I'm kinda scared. Four years in IT is hard to walk away from...especially with UniteU who are as loyal to their employees as they are to anyone. Short of probably taking a literal pee on the servers...I don't see them ever having gotten rid of me. They're an amazing group of people to work for and with and I can't say enough good about them. I'm going to REALLY miss them (even though none of us EVER leave UU...there's always Karaoke Night in January).

So tomorrow is my last day...and it is bittersweet. I hope that my new gig is as much fun and as challenging as my current one. Hey...at least I don't have to patch servers every last Saturday from now on...

That alone is worth the price of admission.

Thanks for reading.

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