Over the past 20 years I’ve worked on interesting problems, delivered some great software, learned a bunch, and worked alongside bright people. And had fun. It’s a fulfilling career. What has gone well is due to a little hard work and a lot of good fortune for which I’m grateful.
But now I’m taking some time off, maybe a month or two, maybe as much as six. It’s my first sabbatical of sorts. (I’m still not sure sabbatical is the right word.)
So, why? I have three reasons.
- I want to sharpen up my tech skills. I didn’t like the atrophy I was seeing. Management will do that to you — at least it was doing it to me. Sure, you write a few little things (utilities, tests, page-long SQL queries) and go to code reviews, but that isn’t the same as “real software.” More importantly, the longer it’s been since you’ve coded, the harder it is to just pick it back up.
- I want to explore technical areas that I didn’t have time or an excuse to explore before. Mobile is the first example, there are more.
- I feel the need to put myself out there. Being part of teams is useful and gratifying, but you can hide in there too. I want to work on my own projects, not for ego, but for motivation. I am already out of my comfort zone.
I’m not looking for a career change. I like software engineering management. And I know that I’m a better manager than code-all-day hacker. This is about proficiency with the tools and branching out.
So it’s been two weeks now: what have I gotten done?
- Took a vacation to Hawaii.
- Got my first toy iPhone app running.
- Made three dishes from my Indian cookbook (thanks for the pointer Devin).
- Wrote my first blog post.
- Made it through the DMV and lived to tell the tale.
The biggest change so far has been in my mindset. When I first considered this I had no clue what I’d do; now my “ideas” folder is chock-full and growing. It is creative and exhilarating.
That said, this is all still new and I’m figuring out the how’s and the what’s. If you have suggestions or advice I’d love to hear it.
Good for you, Sef! The only thing I’d suggest is to figure out a way to apply technology to some deeply held passion or hobby of yours. Better still if you can use it to solve a problem that’s always bothered you. Once you figure it out, double down! Few people have the guts to do this, and I’m confident that you’ll reap the rewards of that courage in many unforeseen ways.
Please keep us posted on the happenings…
Awesome, Sef. Hope you won’t be out of commission too long. That would be a shame for the rest of us! Unless you open an Indian food joint…
The Artist’s Way at Work is a book and a 12-week program of action that positively affected my career path
Kim and I did it together and having a partner did assist. The inventorying of other career paths doesn’t apply to you but a lot of creative energy gets unleashed by the activities.
Sef ~ so excited to hear about the upcoming journey and the way in which you can incorporate your true passion while leveraging technology to do so. It’s not the destination, but the journey.
Warm Regards,
Kathleen
Sef…good for you, takes courage to take a step back, reflect on where you have been and make strides to improve/reinvigorate your skill set. Coming from a non-technical person surrounded by many technical individuals, I would suggest that you revisit your network of contacts and make sure that you force diversity in who you reconnect with. I find that my most valued technical colleagues are ones who are well rounded in their abilities to digest real world issues and challenges faced by consumers. You’ll probably find that this diversity provides new ideas and input furthering your creativity.
I think you should learn to make really killer dill pickles.
Good for you! Stepping back always takes courage and self-knowledge to begin with, and I completely agree with the value. Only thing I might suggest is to spend some of your sabbatical volunteering for a non-profit org. (An *intentionally* non-profit org, that is.) Whether you’re applying your specific tech skills or doing something entirely different, even just a month or two devoted to such an org can be wonderfully recharging. (But watch out for the gravitational field…I did this several years back and a few-month plan turned into 2+ years!)
Pingback: On-Line Education Is Really Interesting Right Now | sef.kloninger.com