Job Ends

In my last post, just 76 days ago, I talked about my new job...

A week ago Tuesday, just after work, I received the news. My contracting firm called me and wanted to work out a time to talk to me the next day. I am not paranoid, but my contracting firms never call me out of the blue for anything good -- that is usually done via e-mail.

A little background: I took this job for two reasons: It was a permanent job performing QA software testing, and I was going to be a Lead QA Analyst. I was assured that I was considered a permanent employee from day one, but I would just need a little time as a contractor to work off the contracting fee. My offer letter even put down the precise 944 hours I would be working as a contractor, after which, "you will be a permanent employee."

76 days after accepting the offer and beginning work here, this small software company made a business decision--known to the rest of us as a "Re-org." In this re-organization, they did not want to fire Customer Support staff who had been loyal employees for a number of years...so they are going to move them into QA! They were, instead, going to eliminate the contracting staff in QA (there is only one...guess who?)

The staff here was TOLD what was going to happen, and had no input on this decision. While I'm sure this is true, is everyone told exactly this when it happens? So despite being told that I was "already a member of the family," and "you are already considered permanent here," I am forced to look for another opportunity elsewhere. This is a small company, and business decisions are fast and secretive.

I am grateful, though, that I have 30 days to look for work, and their promise that I can pursue an opportunity if I find one without waiting. I believe now, though, that in the software development field, the role of the Software Tester is the one with the greatest vulnerability. After all, software developers create the product, program managers manage the product and vision, and testers just work on what's wrong with the product. The first people to get rid of are logically those that simply find flaws in the code, despite the gamble that a terrible flaw will now be found by the customer!

Well, I am interviewing tomorrow with another firm in Louisville, and my experience should be largely helpful here. I pray that this time, I am going where God calls me to do my greatest work.

New Job

Today I began my new job at a firm in Eastern Louisville, and I cannot believe how much happier I am. I have had many jobs in my life, but I have never had the sense of relief on my first day as I experienced today.

Some time ago, I worked for the Largest Software Company on Earth, based in Redmond, Washington. That time was heaven for me as a Software Test Engineer. There were free soft drinks, a health club membership, insane numbers of work hours, and my poor family suffered terribly in missing me when I stayed away until 3am some nights. I will never be able to repay them for the time I just HAD to be there. I helped ship Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003.

My new job is at one of the smallest software companies on Earth, based in Prospect, Kentucky and Dallas, Texas. The people are friendly, the work is interesting, the soft drinks are AGAIN free, and I have been hired as a Lead. I love to test software and I'm learning to code software, so this is a GREAT opportunity! I don't want to ruin it by saying anymore, as I do not know much more about the company than what you would learn in an interview and spending just one day shadowing a QA tester.