All in a Day's Work

When my co-worker Meg changed teams 5 years ago, she cried when she told me the news.  She was nervous, scared, and not certain she made the right decision.  As it turned out, she got moved back to our team two years ago and it had definitely been the right decision.  Instead of programming, she was doing more business type work, which suited her perfectly.

Back in November of last year, I was approached with a new opportunity.  I was offered a spot on one of three teams, and I got to pick!  I wasn't certain my soon-to-be boss knew I was part time, so I waited until almost the last minute to tell him.  Luckily he already knew ('part time is better than no time' he told me).  Even more luckily was that they were starting a mobile team and there was a spot for me on it!  There was no tears, no uncertainty, no scaredness.  I knew it was time for a change.  I had been working as the IVR developer for 9.5 years and it was getting old.

March 1st I started my role as a Mobile Application Developer/Delivery person.  I just about skipped all the way to work that first day.  I have met more new people since March 1st than I have for the last 5 years.  I realized that my old job was making me into a hermit.  I went to my desk, programmed, peed, programmed, ate lunch, programmed, peed, programmed, and went home (maybe I surfed the internet in there a little bit).  Some days I would go all day without talking to anybody (even though there were people all around me).  It wasn't/isn't a real social team.  

My new job allows me to interact with people.  It's a requirement!  I have to admit, and it sounds strange, I was a little scared to ask other teams how we could help.  I had a person I was supposed to ask how he did his current work (they are looking to do this work mobiley), and it took me a whole day to get up the nerve to go talk to him.  By the time I did, he was packing up and ready to leave.  He stopped by the next day and turned out to be nice and full of useful information.  Why was I scared?  Because I was leaving my hermit shell and felt vulnerable.  How can I pretend I'm a mobile expert when I just started?  Turns out I may know a little bit more about 'anywhere, anytime, any device' (that's our motto) usage than the average.  

The next month is going to have some significant changes, and a huge learning curve, but I'm ready for it!