Changing Jobs

I’ve been at my current job since January 2015, almost four and a half years. Over that time I’ve mainly been focused on the web component of an enterprise application, but also had the opportunity to work with desktop and mobile platforms. My first real job out of university, it has given me invaluable technical experience and created, what I hope, are many long lasting relationships. Being a small business it’s always felt like a group of friends working together rather than being a cog in the machine. As much as I look forward to going to work every most mornings, over the last several months it’s all started to feel samey.

I wasn’t in any rush to leave but thought that I owed it to myself to peruse various job ads. A couple months ago I was contacted by a head hunter looking for a mobile app developer, I responded with a copy of my resume. Nothing happened for a while, then I got a phone call requesting an interview. At this point my mindset was focused on experiencing the recruitment process, which I hadn’t done for a long time.

The interview went well, the work sounded interesting and certainly peaked my curiosity, there wasn’t any “manhole cover” questions which I took as a positive. I was called again and asked to provide references, which meant reaching out to old contacts through LinkedIn (which proved to be a valuable tool). The following day I was made an offer of employment and suddenly it was real.

The salary higher. The work mobile centric. The commute longer. The environment more corporate.

The increase in salary I could minimise by calculating an hourly rate based on travel time and accounting for the perks of my current job. The work was definitely more exciting, mobile development presents unique challenges which I’ve always found engaging. Then there is the value, either positive or negative, of leaving a comfortable job and taking a risk. I really like the people I work with, I’m in senior position where I just know how things work.

Some may find decisions like this easy. I’m not that person. I don’t like change. I had to break it down;

• Salary money isn’t everything and I could spin it either way depending on my mood, so it wasn’t helpful to consider
• Work the chance to work on mobile apps is a clear win
• Risk entering a new environment does carry an element of risk, but also the possibility for personal and career growth
• Future I had reason to explore new job prospects and another three years in the same job (which would unlock my long service leave) was almost as scary as leaving
• People this was the biggest hurdle, but a new job does provide the possibility for new friends and in today’s connected world staying in touch shouldn’t be an issue

In the end it had to come down to the work and what afforded me the best possible chance to grow as a Software Developer. I accepted the offer.

I found this decision incredibly hard, but once made I was relieved. It’s at the edges of our comfort zone that we grow. I’m nervous and excited about my new job. It was the right opportunity and time for a change, the hard part was taking the leap.