Moving on Up
October 07, 2007
A few months ago I started my quest for another employer. I interviewed with a very large insurance company for a Web/User Interface design position, though I read the most atrocious things about the company on an internet forum. The company wasn't a good fit for me, and I wasn't a good fit for them as they reeked of desperation. I ultimately declined their offer for fear that I'd be absolutely miserable and worked to the bone.
Another company ran across my resume on Monster and contacted me regarding a position dealing with front-end Web development. They had an extensive interview process that dealt largely with how well I would mesh with their company's core values. They are very customer-oriented (what company will claim otherwise?), but they seem to mean it. They wanted to make sure that I was not only qualified to perform my responsibilities and duties well, but also that I fit in with their corporate culture.
It's a very young dot-com that's upwardly mobile. I'm a young person who's also upwardly mobile. They are casual, fun, like to be positive and joke around. Everyone I spoke with during my interviews, and even those who I passed in the halls, loved their jobs and felt like they are treated with the utmost respect by their colleagues and managers. Everybody smiled, waved, looked happy and healthy. Sold, I thought to myself. I wanted to work there and nowhere else.
They were a bit wary of my skill-set since most of my 10 years of experience related to personal projects. Sure, I do some Web stuff with my current company, but it's neither extensive nor challenging. The company threw a "coding challenge" at me and I rocked it. A few more phone screens later and I had an offer that I eagerly accepted.
I'm moving to Las Vegas in a couple of weeks.
I would normally be apprehensive of such a move seeing as how it's an awful long way from home, but I warmed up to the idea of relocating (albeit a much closer relocation) when the aforementioned dreadful company offered a position in San Antonio, a mere 300 miles away. My new company, however, makes me very excited to work there that relocation has become a secondary thought. Honestly, moving cities usually depresses me when I don't know anyone or I leave a good thing for a not-so-good thing. The one time I moved and didn't think twice was when I transferred to A&M—a school I yearned to attend. I have a good feeling I will adjust in very little time and enjoy myself and my new job immensely.
Happy trails and viva Las Vegas, baby!
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