I have been leaving updates on Twitter (hadaad) and Facebook but for those of you who do not follow me on either of those media, and use this blog for all things Liam-related, I must let you know.
I quit my job today. It was not a sudden act, brought about by a moment of rage. I don't operate that way. I haven't since puberty, I think.
It was a premeditated leaving. You can look at my 200th post spectacular for the main reasons. They're outlined there pretty clearly. In that post, I expressed my desire to make another start. However, since then, everyone else in Edmonton who was on my development team has left the company. I don't want to be the sole canadian developer on a team in San Francisco. I may be a decent communicator and fairly confident in my skills as a programmer but I found myself somewhat suffocated on that team when it was local. It was a great project, and there were never a shortage of people to help when something wasn't working and I'm sure that would still be the case right now. But I haven't grown as a developer the way I've wanted to.
I am moving to a senior position with 5D, the blood company. I don't know what details I can divulge about the position, so I'll just say that I'm doing more web programming. The senior in my title is hopefully more than just a word and I'll be able to put my stamp on this project.
There are advantages and disadvantages to taking a contract position. The disadvantages being a lack of security (they can terminate me with 2 weeks warning), and a first month that I'm sure will make me feel like I'm trying to wear one of Nicks t-shirts - stretched. Despite the fact that I start my new job on October 27, I won't see a full (that's a full month) paycheque until January 1. If you include the fact that there are startup costs (new laptop, accounting fees, startup costs, etc) it seemed prudent to chase a loan from the bank. The only problem with THAT is that I am leaving my job. Ha ha ha. So they don't know how much I'll be pulling in. Which basically means that they're less likely to lend me the money.
Now I have other options: i can go with an equity lender like Aaron Acceptance or Alpine Mortgage/Credit/whatever they're calling it on The Team 1260 nowadays, but while the interest rates are considerably lower on that kind of a loan than on my credit card, it's higher than my own bank would give me for a line of credit.
So I wait while they check my credit history. The fact that I haven't missed a payment of any type since university doesn't mean much to them, apparently. *I* know that I can get the money together but apparently the financial institution I've been affiliated with for thirteen of the last fourteen years just "doesn't know". it's frustrating at a time when I need to get some financial security, when stress is crunching my guts to mush. But hey, that's life.
My life, anyway.
Until more later on,
Liam