10 years ago today, I started a new job.

[andrewducker]

I'd had several jobs before that, and had found myself in somewhat of an uncomfortable situation, because I had some skills* that weren't terribly transferrable, where the demand was based largely in London.

So I took what was technically a step down (and a pay cut of around £2,000) to take a graduate position at my current employers, on the grounds that working somewhere that provided a long-term career, complete with training, was probably a good long-term bet.

Turns out I was right, as I'm now earning more than double what I started on, have learned huge amounts, and met some terribly interesting people.

Up until I started the new job I hadn't worked anywhere for more than 3-ish years. I find myself rather surprised to still be here 10 years later, still learning new things, and not actually bored yet**.

I wonder where I'll be ten years from now.

*Anyone remember dBase? Or Foxpro? Didn't think so.
**Ok, so I'm not excited by writing specs. But overall there's still enough variation to keep me interested.

Comments

[dalglir]

I think it's one of the benefits of an IT job, generally, that the pace of technology and software development requires IT professionals to keep developing themselves. Even in my old, highly specialised network engineering job, developments in what could be done with networks meant I was regularly having to learn new things.

I love it. Some of the stuff we're ($companyName) doing with IT feels like stuff out of the far flung future of 1980's sci-fi.

After graduating, I walked into every admin and IT agency in Edinburgh. Notably, I remember Computer People asking me what sort of earnings I was seeking and me replying that I wanted to be 'earning my age in thousands'. They laughed (at the graduate with a bad degree and no industry experience) but conceded it was a reasonable goal. Two years of IT contracting and 14 years of working my up through IBM and $companyName I'm now earning almost double that target and am now paying more in tax than I was being paid as a Youngling at IBM.

Madness.

Exceeding the dreams of dreamless childhood.

[andrewducker]

Hah! It took me until this year to hit that goal (and enough to cover me for next year too) - although if you include bonuses I hit it a year or two back.

Glad that you're doing so well - and I agree that IT makes keeping up with the technology basically mandatory.