After 13 years of designing/programming/etc cell phones, I’m getting out of the game. My current company is going through massive layoffs, and I think there is a 50/50 chance that my team, or even my whole building, will be cut in the next six months. If ever there was a time to roll the dice on a change, this is it.
About a month ago, I got a feeler from a small start-up company. Think single digit development staff. I finally got the formal offer from them, and I’m taking it. I’m still going to be working in embedded software, and many of my skills will translate directly to the new job. It’s a lot of responsibility, but I know most of the other key development staff, and I’m willing to bet on us being able to produce.
It’s a bit scary. The smallest company I’ve worked at had over 1000 people in it. This is going to be so different. But challenging. And fun.
There’s this little part in the back of my mind worried that I just made a big mistake. If it works out, though, there is such an incredible upside. So many of my friends ask me why I never go to work for a startup. They think I have it in me. I guess I’ll find out.
Wish me luck!
ETA: Those playing along at home probably know where I’ve been working. Please don’t post the company name in here.
Probably a smart move, given the likely future of the old company. It’ll be sold off for parts within a couple years, much like the previous national darling tech company.
Best of luck with the startup. When you become the next big thing you’ll have to come back and tell us all about how it was your genius behind it all.
Good for you, and best wishes for your new adventure.
(I’m presently in the situation of working a not great job enough hours a week to make looking for a better job exhausting and hard, so I admire and envy people who take chances in the hopes of better jobs in the future.)
Best of luck! I’ve worked several times in small satellite offices, it’s a lot of fun. It can be scary (in my case even though the offices were offshoots of the parent company, they were expected to get and manager their own projects), but a blast.
Congrats in the extreme. Taking some risks because it feels right in the gut is, well, gutsy.
A tiny staff after a medium sized company ( I am guessing that 1,000 employees is medium sized and an HR Department of 1,000 is a mammoth conglomerate? ) will likely feel delightful. Less layers to the onion, etc.
Let us know how it sits with you after a month or two !
Congrats in the extreme. Taking some risks because it feels right in the gut is, well, gutsy.
A tiny staff after a medium sized company ( I am guessing that 1,000 employees is medium sized and an HR Department of 1,000 is a mammoth conglomerate? ) will likely feel delightful. Less layers to the onion, etc.
Keep in touch with your former coworkers and other business associates and if you’re good you will probably have various opportunities come your way even if this current venture doesn’t work out.
I think small companies are awesome. You will probably get a chance to show off the best of what you’ve learned at your old company, and you will hopefully be a lot more in control of or at least in touch with how the company runs.
This is great advice, especially for my field in South Florida. Prior to this, I’ve lost my job twice before due to layoffs - both times, I got my new job because of someone I knew at a previous gig. And this one is from someone I knew from four previous jobs.
It looks like my current job is going to keep me around for the full two weeks - there are a few tasks that I can probably clean up that will be hard for some others. I don’t mind - it helps keep me focused instead of worrying about what I’m getting myself into.
The pay is basically a lateral move, and the equity shares could make it much more lucrative, if we get a hit. Nothing like pre-IPO options, 'eh? I like to dream.
Got a time machine handy? I was at Disney last weekend… But it’s such an easy drive, I’m sure I’ll make it up there again.
Same goes, though…there are apparently a handful of us down here. Not too many really active ones, though.
