I wrote a poem or two. Or three.
You need one?
What did you write the poems about?
Sure! A nice upbeat one called "The New Job" (or something like that) -- sorry, DC!
It has been a wild week. First off, I think I might have mentioned some three weeks back that I had gotten the job I'd pitched to the higher-ups. I was a little concerned about some elements of it as presented to me (almost two weeks later) because the they didn't quite match reality -- but then again, I'm the one familiar with the committees and how they operate; these folks aren't. But overall it looked good, even if I got hit with some relatively heavy initial assignments (tests) -- they're opportunities to show what I can do.
Being a classic overachiever I overshot my first goal this week. The job was to go to a committee meeting in Germany and get myself placed on the board of directors. Not really a big deal, because I'm replacing the prior representative who left the company and he'd greased the skids for me. And did he ever -- I was elected to the Executive Board as Secretary. (It didn't hurt to be well-known and liked by these folks. "Finally we get minutes in good American English," said a wag.)
My bosses are really happy with that -- especially the one in Germany.
But this requires that I attend all meetings, not just the twice a year in the original plan. So this morning I receive a new copy of the plan, I open it... and it says I'm to be at all meetings. Hm. More flexible than I'd thought. (And ugh, 4 trips to Europe each year on top of all existing travel. I better get really used to jet lag!)
But being there so regularly makes my second goal, one that corporate thinks will be difficult, almost a slam-dunk. (I'll spare you the particulars.) It's a little bit political, a little bit technical, and a large part of keeping the right folks talking with each other, conveying the right messages.
But all in all, this is becoming the job of my dreams. Recent dreams, anyway: Once upon a time a job that involved not writing software in some quiet back room but instead inflicting lots of travel, writing magazine articles, public speaking, political negotiations, grasping giant standards in a single bound, etc., would have had me recoiling in horror.
But for now I have a job very few people can do -- I've probably got more job security than most folks my age in this corporation (and industry), and a whole lot more than someone who writes software in some quiet back room.
It looks like the hell of the past seven years here is over. I am rejoicing.