Jumping Ship

I have decided to make a big change in my life. At a bit of a dangerous time I have decided to change jobs. This wasn’t something that I actually was seeking at this time seeing as Andrea is on Maternity Leave and we have a new baby, but it was too good an opportunity to pass up.

Let me be frank, currently I feel that I am good at my role. The problem is that I have been in it for more than 4 years. I began with my company and within 9 months had moved 3 positions, all of which were up the ladder, and the one I currently in was advertised as the next stepping stone. Unfortunately, the combination of an American head office, a tanking economy and a stalled workforce made it impossible to move to where I wanted.

I don’t in any way feel animosity towards the company. I thank them for the opportunities that they provided me. I was able to take training in Boston for a week which was nice because I was able to visit a city I have always wanted to see, I have provided a month-long Sabbatical on my 5th anniversary which allowed me to spend time with Andrea and our newborn son Leighton not to mention be there for Declan’s first day of Junior Kindergarten. A generous Vacation policy was also extended upon being hired.

The drawbacks were varied. I have never worked Monday to Friday in my whole working life and the new job has offered that. I can’t count the number of events I missed out on because of working on Sundays. I hope that this never happens again. The commute was difficult and could be costly. On Sunday mornings it would take 11 minutes from door to door but on a Monday it has taken upward of an hour. My new position is within a 15 minute walk of my front door. I have always wanted to work in Hamilton and being this close to home is a dream come true.

The pay difference has the potential to be substantially in my favour and when you combine it with the saving of wear and tear on the van and gas you can’t go wrong. I also get to take advantage of the pension program which I look forward to learning more about.

I think that the most important difference will be the possibility for advancement. The new place seems to have plans in place for movement through the company. I look forward to this most. I crave the chance to continue to learn in a situation that can provide me new experiences. I look forward to identifying a career trajectory and working toward fulfilling it.

I won’t pretend that this change will be easy or that it will be comfortable. The anxiety that it has produced has led to some sleepless nights as well. What I do know is that with the support of Andrea and my Family I have made a decision that I hope will lead me to further success.

I can’t wait to see where it takes me!