Career Move

[shayward]

Hi Everyone

I would really appreciate your prayers that God's will be done in my job situation. For God to shut the doors He wants shut, and shut so no man can open them, and for God to open the doors He wants open, and open so no man can shut them. I'm not praying for anything specific but rather just trying to let God lead me.

I just sent the latest draft of my resume to a recruiter with the go-ahead to submit it for a job opportunity.

I've been at my current employer 11 years. Many of my colleagues are Christians. There are 100 things I love about the company. The thought of moving on is a very hard one. And it may also seem a bit "over the top" to ask for prayer for a career move when I already have a stable job and lots of folks don't have a job at all, but I believe God is leading me somewhere.

I don't know where yet, but I'm seeing God's hand freqently at work... in a way that I've never quite noticed before. And I've told God, one step at a time, one fleece at a time, and I'll follow.

Basic issues are that year after year, my income goes up much slower than my cost of living. Plus the lack of training, lack of promotion, lack of projects... the longer I stay, the more useless I will be elsewhere. It's dangerous to be on the brink of having your BASIC expenses exceed your income AND being at an employer where your skills are getting dry to the point of being unemployable.

So far, more than a dozen puzzle pieces have fit together, one after the other after the other in a way that would be staggering to think as co-incidence.

Timeline of God's Hand at Work: (Long... no need to read it in order to pray about it).

• September: One colleague ended up on early mat leave on the same day the other colleague was starting day 1 of 2 weeks in Austria on vacation without means of contact. A mission-critical project was at stake and one of my colleagues months worth of code was a non-functional disaster. I rewrote months of code in 2 weeks and in only a few months wracked up > 400 hours of unpaid/uncompensated overtime. BUT, it proved to me that I was a valuable asset and could contribute to another team at another company.
• October: My 79-year-old father thought he was at risk of losing his house because of financial problems and an unability to get a pension he had always received. His house is what allows us to visit him every weekend. My kids are the only thing that keep him going.
• October: Our landlord (we rent a basement apartment... can't afford anything else) told us he was going to sell the house. The last time we move my son schools, it was HORRIBLE! He then further proceeded to do immoral and illegal things that culminated in my wife having a break down and putting her fist through the wall... twice... the third hit dented a stud. But to keep my son at the same school, we were powerless.
• November: I am told by my manager that the amount of overtime I had to put in to make the project work reflected badly on me. Say what?? He said it was his own fault for not checking up on the other programmer, but that senior management wasn't impressed and it hurt my career goals. Furthermore, when it was all finished and fully functional he said that he could have brought in a bunch of contractors to do the same thing so the self-sacrifice was nothing special and it wasn't the only way to save the project. BUT, that proved to me once and for all that nothing I ever do at my current company will ever allow me to advance.
• November: Out of spite at 3AM after just getting home from the office, I wrote my resume, saved it, and told no one other than my wife. Maybe I'll post it some day.
• November: A few days after writing the resume, I was praying about our financial situation... the powerlessness in our renting situation, the things with my father and his house... and asked God to make a way. I wasn't thinking about changing jobs.
• November: A few days after praying about the financial issues, a recruiter called me out of the blue and asked if I knew anyone with the same skills I have that is looking for a job. Like the dough-head I am, I started telling her how to hook up with various user groups I'm involved with, sharing career opportunities with its members, etc. Then she finally just asked if I was looking. BING! The lightbulb came on.
• November: Met the recruiter and while she likes my experience, it was confirmed that yes, my skills have dried up. Need to learn WPF, WCF - quickly. I tell her I need at least a month to "shake the tree" at my current employer and see what falls out. During that time, I learn WPF like mad - and love it. All those late nights at work waiting for data to convert gave me time to read and play.
• Had told God days earlier that I wanted to meet a Christian at the recruting firm... as a fleece to know that this was from Him. Recruiter's manager comes in, tells me he understands church live because his mom is a Presbyterian minister. SWEET!
• December: I start seeing what can happen at my current employer. Looks like I am on the brink of promotion, which would mean an extra $20K. In my mind, I set the minimum number I need at $10K... almost arbitrarily... it just seemed like a good number and I told God that was my next fleece for staying. My manager tells me to give him 2 weeks.
• December: Two weeks go by, nothing. I pray and ask God whether I should wait a little longer or tell the recruiter to go ahead. The next day, it is announced that our Christmas bonus will be more than 10x greater than usual, this time only. To collect it, you just have to be an active employee on December 15. There's the sign.
• December: Manager finally tells me discussions are under way with the CFO. But, "It's not going to be $10K or anything." I NEVER told him any number that I had in mind, but that was the EXACT number I told God. There's the sign.
• December: Found out that not just one but two projects that we had been promised were farmed out - and I only found out about one of them through a lunch room talk with someone who overheard something about it. Furthermore, the data conversion with long, unpaid hours and no career benefit is going to be our lives for the next two to three years. That has been confirmed.
• December: Was given a "token" opportunity to meet the contract developers and review their code. They did a nice job, very similar to what I would do but with some slightly newer architecture patterns that I really, really liked. I realized that I wanted to be a part of using these newer technologies and techniques... that I'm technically starving.
• December: To continue learning, I needed a new laptop and ordered some books. I decided on the model I wanted, I wanted a 3 year warranty, and they just happened to be offering the warranty for free until Jan 15. But no online retailer had the laptop. I found that my favorite hole-in-the-wall computer shop is the only authorized reseller in my city. The manufacturer had ONE LEFT for all of Canada - the model is discontinued and the newer models won't have the 3 year warranty promotion. It arrived the next day - I'm typing on it now.
• December: Amazon shipped my books UPS, unknown to me at the time. I had plans on their arrival day and was on vacation several hours away from the next day on. My plans got canceled due to an illness and I was home to get my books.
• December: The in-laws is the only vacation stop with internet access, which is a huge help and requirement for my learning. We were going to spent 2 fully-packed days there and that's it. Well, everyone got sick (except for me, some how) and we were "stranted" at the in-laws for a week with NOTHING to do except read books and learn. Sorry your puking, kids, but daddy's gotta learn.
• January: I can now discuss and practice most aspects of WPF comfortably and can fake some WCF.
• Today: Was just accepted today to speak at one of the biggest programming conferences in Canada, which is coming to Microsoft Headquarters... 20 minutes from my house. An excellent jewel on the resume.
• Today: Was thinking it would be nice to at least pass the next psychological pay barrier... where you add a "1" to the tens column. It would be a far cry from what's needed and would still be below the industry average for my experience. Was told later today that my manager is hoping to maybe move me up 5K, which is still below that psychological barrier and would only push off the inevitable by a year or so.
• Today: Was told that they're hiring another programmer. Looks like we have ZERO input on them.
• Tonight: Sent the resume to the recruiter and asked for prayer here at CMN.

So it seems that God is, on one hand, shutting the easily-opened and viable doors at my current employer one by one. Every door I touch is locked - even the ones that shouldn't be. On the other hand, it seems that God is opening impossible door after impossible door.

I'm just kind of waiting to see what God does next.
- Shaun

[[Director] Joseph B]

I'll be keeping you in prayer brother.

[[Admin] osborn4]

Definitely seems like it's time to move on.

Praying for God's best for you and your family.

[zactommo]

I would agree; you shouldn't feel at all bad for seeing what other career opportunities are out there. And don't be afraid to apply for jobs. If you feel like the money isn't right, or its not where God is leading you, you can always turn it down.

I quiet often think that God is not most concerned with what job we do, but how we do it, and how we use it for his glory. Don't be afraid to move on!

[shayward]

I have a job interview on Tuesday!

God has made a mockery of the notion of coincidence as His plan (whatever the end may be) unfolds one step at a time.

Please pray that God's will be done in this situation. Not what I want, not what seems right on the outside, but God's will and God's plan.

[Gene]

Prayin'

[Gracetech]

Looking for God to be moving you and your family into better circumstances. I'm glad he knows what is going on as i never do til it's done.

crt

[[Admin] danroth]

You are still being prayed for!

[tedanderson]

I am sensing that it is already a done deal and that your prayers have been answered.

God's will is always done. It just up to us as to whether we will accept it.

[shayward]

I am sensing that it is already a done deal and that your prayers have been answered.

You are the second to say the exact same thing. A dear friend of mine on the worship team had been praying for me and said that she finally felt God had released her from praying on the issue because whatever was supposed to happen was already set up.

I can sure believe it, based on the things that have happened - and continue to happen.

God's will is always done. It just up to us as to whether we will accept it.

Amen!

I'm glad he knows what is going on as i never do til it's done.

Amen to that, too!

Thanks, everyone, for your continued prayers. I was very nervious the first hour or two after getting the call to interview, but I'm finding now I am more just waiting and watching for God to do whatever it is He is going to do.

[frank]

Praying for you, Shaun...

[shayward]

The interview is tomorrow morning