I have been thinking for a long time about a career change. I love being an ontologist. I love the work and current company. But I am concerned that changes are coming, and I could be looking for another job soon. Unfortunately, ontology jobs are not a dime a dozen, or even a dollar a dozen. I estimate I have about 18 months before any changes really hit us at current company.
I could probably stay in ontology if we were prepared to move. However, C's business is going well, and we love the PNW. I did try to set my self up as a consultant once last company closed its doors, but I hate self promotion, and I do not think there is enough demand for ontology work on the fly.
I have a smattering of other experience. In my last company, I transitioned into PM-ing (Product for this company, but other places could call it Program Management). I liked it. I tried very hard to obtain a PM position after last company closed, but I got no kind of love there. It was very discouraging.
Additionally, I also have done some coding. As the developers at last company were building the backend entity store, I coded a tool for my own use. I have taught myself Ruby and taken some coding courses through coursera.org. I love the problem solving and the happiness of making something finally work.
I have contemplated a switch before now, but just haven't had the confidence to do it. It seems possible with some work, but without a game plan, it is hard to know what I should have in my toolkit before taking the plunge. My next step is to create a plan for gathering knowledge and experience and then implement it with monthly check ins. I reckon I have about 18 months before changes in my current situation happen, and that seems like a decent amount of time
I wish http://howtocode.io/ was ready, it looks like a perfect program!
No comments:
Post a Comment