A New Job

After an extensive interview process that had some scheduling issues that took a bit of time and coordination to work out I finally completed the process and received and accepted a new job offer.  I will be retiring from AT&T and going to work at NorthwesternMutual.  I am really excited about the new job.  The environment is going to be a bit different than what I have been working on but the locations are local and I can split work from home with being in the office.  I am looking forward to actually working with a team in person again.

Interview Experience

 Had an interview today and it was kind of a different experience because of Covid.  I was on a Zoom call with an interview with members of the organization that I would be working in.  The interview was a mixture of technical content along with getting to know more about me and how I might fit in with the company.  I think it went well.  

Restarting the Search

 I have been working on developing some skills and updating my resume and have been getting antsy about waiting until closer to the end of the year to find a new job.  I have actively started looking at Jobs and have applied for a couple that I thought were interesting or a good fit.  I really hope this works out sooner rather that later.

Getting Ready for a New Job

 I had started looking at new jobs but after looking at quite a few different posts I have decided that I am going to try to stay at AT&T until later in the year.  This will help me maximize my current salary but will also give me time to develop some new skills and refresh some old ones.  In looking at job posting for Network Engineers, most employers are looking for certifications and programming experience using python and or ansible.  I have identified a couple projects in my current job that I can justify learning ansible for and that should help me when I am looking for a job.  I am also looking at what it will take to pass the CCNP test again.  I let my CCNP lapse many years ago because it was really not doing anything for me within AT&T.  

Looking for a Change

It looks like I am going to be looking for a new work place to call home.  I met with my financial advisor and she told me that based on the information that I provided, with a couple caveats, I would be better off financially if I can find another job and take my pension from AT&T and invest it.  She gave me the name of a friend that is a recruiter that I have contacted and I have started looking at jobs on LinkedIn and Indeed for a start.  There are a lot of Network jobs out there and I have started looking at what they want in experience and skills.  I have let some of my current co-workers know that I am actively looking for a new job.  This is a new experience for me

Considering a Career Change

 Since AT&T announced some rather significant benefit changes, I have been researching the possibility of leaving and going to work somewhere else.  It’s not a trivial thought.  After 35 years here I am rather used to this environment but I have to consider it.  I have started seeing a financial advisor to help me evaluate whether this would be a positive change or not.  Very anxious to get her feedback.