Career Changes & Green Thumbs

I’ve made plenty of job hops in my career, but five months ago, I took a super-sized leap. After 20+ years as a public sector technology leader, I joined a global software company. For more than two decades, I was hyper-locally focused. Now, my sights are on the worldwide picture. As an Industry Advisor, I translate that down to a state and local perspective to serve my former peers in government.

Right about the time I signed on to the new gig, I came across a rather prophetic meme: “Don’t be afraid to suck at something new.” This became the mantra I used to power through my first whirlwind weeks. In the early days, it was hard to identify what kept me hopping the most – excitement, adrenaline, stress, or Diet Dr. Pepper. (I suspect it was a combination thereof). Certainly, my previous career experience comes in handy, but there is still plenty of NEW to contend with. New processes. New teams. New faces. New challenges. New skills. New stresses. New KPIs. New rewards. New opportunities. Plenty of new things to suck at!

Fast forward to now - by no means am I a laidback, stress-free expert. But each day my confidence and contributions grow. I picked the right people, at the right place, at the right time. I’m surrounded by a bounty of talented, focused individuals who are willing to pitch-in and teach me. My street cred got me in the door and now I’m creating, collaborating, and growing.

Our industry advisory team is having a serrano pepper growing contest. A few weeks ago, we each got a packet of seeds, a little bit of topsoil and a tiny little planter cup. Although my horticulture skills are amateur at best, the instructions were simple:

1. Give it a little bit of water,
2. Add plenty of sunlight and
3. when they start to bloom, move them outside.

A trio of buds recently popped out of the soil. Over the weekend, I transplanted them to a bigger pot (a comically large pot) and moved them outside. 

The plants have a long way to go. I don’t know how long it’ll be before I’ll be able to partake of some homemade salsa. But I am committed to the growth. Just like my career, I’ll make sure they have exactly what they need to flourish.

Those tiny little sprouts swimming in that pile of dirt reminded me of a career change. It’s a big pot/world out there. It can be intimidating to leave something familiar behind and reach higher. But if you plan your path, find the right environment, and take a chance, then maybe you too will enjoy sucking at something new!