Happy At Work

I've been happy at work lately which seems crazy since I don't get enough sleep (pulled a couple 4am nighters for the past two weeks), had eng-on-call duty (and even volunteered for more to let a fellow eng travel for vacation, /me sucker), and been running around putting out fires. I think it's because I've been so productive. I'm a productivity junky. And I think my fu is pretty darn on lately which is scary since I'm so tired all the time.

This new project has exposed me to Spring and to Maven both of which I like and have some respect for even if I'm not a guru by any means. I've done more Ehcache stuff and feel pretty solid on Hibernate though I should really educate myself on more of the nuances.

OK, so the top 5 reasons why my career has a weird holding pattern right now:

1. I'm not curious enough to become an expert about new technologies on my own "spare" time. Granted it could also be that I have no spare time, ever.

2. I'm also not opinionated enough to champion a particular choice in technology. Even if I can participate in the discussion, I'm too passive in terms of offering up my opinions mostly because I tend to be agnostic about things (like I don't think I care about which editor or which OS; feel like I'll just deal with whatever).

3. I don't care a lot about formal titles. And I feel as though I need to work AROUND people who do care about that kind of thing. (And mostly I don't respect these folks too....) (had to parse that a couple times in case it didn't read the way I mean it)

4. Though I like to mentor and coach people, I like to be subtle and approach it more from a peer or subordinate level. It comes out more like a suggestion from a friend.

5. I put my family first. (My husband doesn't think this at times since I work too late from home.) But if I really had to decide upon what is important, it would be my babies, dog and husband. Maybe even in that order.

6. I like my current status, level of responsibility and work that I do now. My job satisfaction lately has been high.

7. I like to keep expectations low and over deliver. It is said we are promoted to our own level of incompetence. I think I'm too much of a chicken to ever know what that is. Or more like I know what I suck at so I don't want to ever have a job where I do that which I suck at.

OK, that was 7 reasons. Or are they excuses?

Career Deadends

You gotta watch out for career deadends.

I just interviewed this guy who was a steady and solid performer in the past three companies he's worked for. BUT....he was sort of permanently stuck doing things in technology that is being phased out of popularity. He had no real knowledge of the web frontend technologies which is fine. But he had no real knowledge of data modeling or database persistence which would be fine too except he was sort of permanently stuck in the middle without thinking about things with an architecture overview/design in mind. I don't know. He wasn't overtly enthusiastic but he did seem eager. But no spark of excitment that would have made me believe that I could hand him a small project and he would just run with it, do the diligence needed, find the answers on the web, whatever it took to learn like a sponge. You'll get that in a great college hire. I felt sort of sorry for the guy but at the same time I didn't have time to volunteer to coach and mentor him.

If I learned anything from meeting him it would be to NOT invest so much in one layer or one tier only and to be constantly curious about what technologies are out there even if you don't code in them for work.

I guess the other thing that I thought of is that if I ever took a break from work, it might be hard to get back into it because technologies and trends do move so quickly.

But then your kids grow up quickly too.

I guess given the choice, I'd rather have the memories of watching my sons do their "firsts" than fill my head with technologies that might lose favor before my kids are potty trained.

Not that I'm taking a break from work or from having babies. I'm in the long haul on both fronts. I've got atleast one more baby if not two more babies in me (or so I think after being caffinated) and I'm enjoying work enough that I'd go stir crazy without it.