Sometimes changing jobs can bring unexpected changes
Three months ago I found myself at a new job, a new company and in capacity different from what I was used to. The former startup company that I worked for faced hard economic times and as a result I found myself on the job market in December. Looking for a job is a scary proposition especially when you're not currently employed. You brace yourself for the worst and hope for the best. After a mere two weeks I had three interested companies and one solid offer to digest before the holidays.
In a nutshell the offer that I eventually accepted was a bit of a departure for me personally and professionally. It was presented with an opportunity to grow into a position and to become the lead technical guy on a day to day basis. This role required me to be the "go to" person for more junior level developers, a position of leadership which while new to me in my career is something I've become comfortable through other life experiences.
However fate can deal a strange hand and three weeks after I started the job and for the third time in my professional career I experienced a shake up. In this case the manager who had hired me decided to leave which was a shock. More importantly he was a founding member of the company and as best as I could discern the lead technological innovator. I've ready many accounts over the years of founding members leaving young companies and in the process so severely damaging the collective knowledge that the company either limps along indefinitely or fails outright.
Once again it appeared as if I was at a career cross roads at which the very direction of my job would be decided. I was concerned and uneasy at first but I was also left wondering what, if anything, I could do to ensure long term survival. Fortunately I was able to absorb enough knowledge in the first few weeks to make myself indispensable during those first few frantic weeks. After a long talk with my new manager I felt assured that my place at the company was safe but that I implicitly knew my roles and responsibility would expand tremendously in the near term.
Though I still have questions about my short term roles and more importantly the long term direction of the company I feel comfortable, at least for the moment that life will continue on its current course. I can neither predict nor control the impact of a key employee leaving no more than I can single handedly fix every issue with the technology. Thankfully I feel that my current role and more importantly my co-workers and company attitude fit well with my expectations and desires as a software developer. Though the future may still be in flux, the present is shaping up nicely despite the circumstances.
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