Last year at this time I was at the beginning of a new stage of my career. After an unexpected layoff and the first time not being employeed in nearly a quarter-century, I found myself in an unfamiliar place.
I had spent my entire career working in IT shops of large corporations. Three Fortune 500 companies had been my place of employment over 24 years. Now I found myself in a company that was smaller than the departments I had been in. Everything about this job was different. The type of work, the type of company, the type of boss, the type of people, the type of office…. you name it, it was new to me.
I decided that I was going to go into it full bore, roll the dice, and just see what happened. What I found was a job that has given me more fulfilment, more fun, and more excitement than anything I experienced in the corporate world.
What has made this so much fun? Here are a few thoughts:
- The ability to trace my actions straight to the bottom line of the company.
- The ability to make decisions without multiple levels of review, oversight and second-guessing.
- The ability to get out of the box and be creative, harnassing the entrepreneur in each of us.
- The ability to step out of your comfort zone and lead in various capacities (my role has expanded beyond IT into almost every aspect of the business).
Bottom line, I believe the fundamental thing that has made this job enjoyable is the ability to make a difference! I’ve heard before that the number one thing employees want from their employers is appreciation. No greater apprecation can be found than to believe you make a difference in an organization.
My encouragement for anyone going through an unexpected job change is to keep your eyes open. You never know where your next opportunity will come from. And no matter how different it may feel to you, it may end up leading to the most fun you’ve had (on the job) in a long time! Good luck and God Bless!