So, yesterday I handed in my resignation at dear ol' Taxware. I really am grateful for the time I spent there...besides all the opportunites to learn new stuff and work on interesting projects, it was also a nice "safe harbor" after a pair of dotcom-ish layoffs a year apart. The first year (when there were a few problems at Taxware) I was just hoping not to have two layoffs in one calendar year; the second year I was all about having employment that straddled a calendar year on my résumé, the next year was the breakup with Mo, and lately it's been about coasting. I'm still young enough in my career that I think it makes sense to try new things; my position at Refresh Software has elements of travel and teaching, and also I think the small group feel of it will be good. Historically I do better work in high-visibility situations. It can be kind of a character flaw at that, the urge for recognition, but still I yam what I yam...
Over my time there, I interviewed elsewhere every once in a while, 1-3 times a year. (Usually at the end of the half year, not sure if that's significant.) Since the dot com crash, I've landed 3 jobs out of 14 or so interviews. I guess that's not too bad of a record, given the hightech landscape for most of that time. Still, it's a bit humbling. I remember those heady days of 1996, where I was a hot thang out of a good college, cheap, and eager, and landed about 8 or 9 offers.
I also have mixed feelings how 4 out of my 6 jobs have been through personal contacts. On the one hand, it's positive that coworkers want to work with me again. On the other hand, it makes me worry I'm attached too much to this geographical area, and that a significant shift would be that much harder.
