change
From the day I started in the tech industry at just 17 years old, Velocity (or Navisite as it's now known) has played a key role in some of the most formative years of my life. It's been one of my few constants in life, as seemingly everything else has changed around me. But after five jobs, four teams and two acquisitions, the time has come for me to move on.
It's not been an easy decision. I've laboured on it now for over a year in fact, but now that the time is actually upon me I'm finding it really quite heart-breaking. Whilst the branding and the names on the doors have changed, I still consider this place a home-from-home. It's comforting to have that consistency in your working life, where you know the job, the company and the people inside-out. The problem I have with comfort is that it's a trap door waiting to open. I fear that one day I'll open my eyes and find that I've spent twenty or thirty years at the same company, doing the same things, and suddenly realise that I've trapped myself in a role that, were I to loose, I couldn't replace. Job hopping makes you undesirable in the market, but I fear staying put for too long is just as bad. You need to be seen to be making progress, bettering yourself, building your knowledge and your network. Plus moving around every few years is the quickest way to see the big gains in your salary too, so you owe it to yourself if nothing else.
The day I dropped out of high school for pastures new, I had no idea what I was letting myself in for. Sure, I knew I was making a change for the better, but an element of darkness comes along with even the best of things. The laughs, glories and success stories would each present their trials and tribulations to get there.
Within a year I'd left school, started full-time work, lost my virginity, turned 18, passed my driving test and bought myself my first car. I became an adult leader at the Scouts, started frequenting pubs and clubs on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, and it didn't take me long to start crashing that brand new car either! I started going to the gym, burned the candle at both ends for a while, came out to my family and took three international trips with my Scout group - and my first ever 'lads holiday.' I've experienced burn-outs and break-ups galore. My parents got divorced. I bought my own flat and went veggie the day I moved in. I went travelling round Europe for a month, returning to a pre-arranged date with a guy who'd later rape me. I lost respect for myself, started drinking heavily, smoking weed, snorting coke and shagging around till I totally lost all sense of self. All until one day, by way of cerendipidy, I'd meet a guy with whom I can be myself around. A guy I'd end up spending the whole of lockdown and beyond with, and who's still putting up with my bullshit to this day! During one of many drunken nights on Zoom he talked me into getting a cat. And then one cat became two cats. We went to our first pride together, then our first stay-cation - and more recently our first actual holiday abroad together. And little by little I've started piecing myself back together again. I've even started feeling happy and comfortable with my body recently too. 17-year-old me would never have dreamed of coming back from a holiday with a suitcase half-full of unworn tee-shirts, whereas now, at 26 years old, that's the norm. Having been body and general image conscious for most of my life, adult me is now finally comfortable enough to take his top off wherever and whenever he damn-well feels like it. That might sound daft to you, but it's massive to me. To clarify, 17 or 18-year-old me actually looked way better in the mirror. The difference 10 years makes however is that now, I really don't give a shit. If it's too warm to function, the shirts coming off and that's just the end of it.
It hasn't always felt like it, but the past eight (nearly nine) years have been one hell of a rollercoaster. Not only has my life completely changed during that time, I've changed massively as a person too. And as much as I want to stick around and see what else the rollercoaster has to offer, even the best of rides must come to an end - no pun intended! The time has come for me to say farewell to the only workplace I've ever known, spread my wings and head back out into the big bad world. Am I shitting myself? Hell yes. This will either be the best, most pivotal decision I've made with my career in years, or a huge mistake, one from which I could come crawling back to Navisite! Either way, it's an experience I'll learn from, a leap of faith that I've simply got to take.
As of the 11th September, I'll be starting a new position at Ofgem as an Infrastructure Engineer. I've been working my notice period with Navisite since the 14th July. The number of people showing a keen interest in trying to keep me is truly breath-taking. But as I say, this is an opportunity I can't refuse, especially right now. Loads of people have been telling me the same thing too. If I was moving to any other managed services provider, I might well have accepted the counter-offer - but it's the Civil Service we're talking about. Once you're in, you're looking at the potential of a career for life, with good salaries and outstanding pensions that you simply won't see the likes of anywhere in the private sector. That security is something I really need right now, and for the next few years at least until calmer economic seas return. In that time I shall continue learning, getting better at what I do, growing as a person and trying not to age too quickly whilst doing it!
Wish me luck.
~ Aedan.