Back in March Kris applied for a job at another company. He really loves the company he works for now, and they love him, but they’re a small company and, unfortunately, just can’t compete with larger ones. Kris has been working on a project as the lead (and the sole) developer for over 2 years now. He basically rewrote the entire program from scratch in a new language. In March he was almost done this project, and we had heard this other company was hiring from a friend, so he applied. He went to two interviews and they were very eager to set up more, but then Kris realized his project was going to take longer than he expected and he didn’t want to leave his present company in a lurch, so he withdrew his application. His current company has been too good to him to leave them in a bad spot.
Out of the blue the other day, the guy who had interviewed him sent him an e-mail saying they’re hiring again and asking if Kris is still interested. After some thought (Kris doesn’t do great with change and loves his current company), he replied that he is interested. His project is pretty much done now so it’s a better time, though he’s still a bit stressed over it. It’s funny, he really wants and needs a change, but when an opportunity presents itself he finds himself wanting to just stay with the status quo. Anyway, the interviewer doesn’t want to redo the first two interviews that he already did, and wants to schedule the last two ones asap on the same day. (The last one being an HR interview that basically just discusses salary, benefits, etc and the interviewer told him back in March that you’re pretty much hired if you’re offered that one…)
I’m pretty excited for him. I know he is going to be stressed for the next little while, doing the finishing touches on his current project and also having to tell work he’s leaving. They really love him and they go out of their way to do things for him. It’s hard to contemplate him not being there. They are very family-oriented, the president of the company knows me and Meredith by name, and they’re all really great people. He’s not actively seeking another job, but there isn’t a lot of room for advancement or change at his current place unless he wants to go into management (which he doesn’t).
This new company has so much to offer, over and above just more money (which, in the scheme of things, is pretty minor compared to things like work environment and Kris’ happiness). They have been in the top 20 employers in BC, and top 500 in Canada, as well as the Fortune Global 500. The benefits are fantastic, they have subsidies and programs to encourage employees to participate in outside activities (like climbing, yoga, sailing, etc.) during work hours, the bus pass is paid for, RRSP matching, etc. It’s closer to where we live so he might be able to start biking to work again. Because they’re global, they have offices all over the world. They told him if he was interested in working in another country temporarily (or permanently), that could probably be arranged relatively easily.
They also have a lot of ways to progress. If he wants to continue programming, he could progress pretty much indefinitely and keep developing. He could go into a management or a team lead tree, he could move sideways and take on new projects. The company prides itself on being willing to work with its employees as their interests and abilities change in order to keep the job challenging and rewarding. They also allow for telecommuting, one thing that D2 likes to be able to do occasionally with his current position.
And of course, the money is a draw. It’s a senior position (even though he doesn’t have quite the level of experience usually associated with a senior position). With my mat leave ending (or maybe ended already, we’re not entirely sure), we need to make up the difference somehow. This new job would do that. Kris is very supportive of my not going back to work (and is as adamant as I am that daycare isn’t an option for us), but that doesn’t necessarily mean we can afford it. I have a business plan in the works, but it may take a while to get it off the ground.
You can probably tell, I’m pretty excited about the opportunity and really hoping he ends up getting it. I think the fact that they sought him out again and are going right to the HR interview is a great sign.Kris is more stressed about it than anything right now, but I’m hoping it will end up being the change he has been wanting and needing recently. He’s been discussing going back to school and getting out of computers completely, but this may help him enjoy computers again. And even if not, at least it’s something different until he can go back to school.
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Sounds fantastic! I think D2 needs to relax a bit, not worry about change so much. Sometimes change is a good thing! I think he’ll really be happy once he gets over there, and that they pursued him fervently is a really good sign!
Yeah, I think in a couple of months he’ll be glad. And even right now he’s very excited about the opportunity, but he’s also stressed about it haha. Poor guy.
Awesome! Sounds like a wonderful change!