Ok, so if you’re not into Battlefield 3 or 4 then the title of this post is probably nonsense. I’m embedding the video below for some context.
Funny.
I’ve worked at SAIT for several years now. After graduation, I was lucky enough to get in with the Commercial Services department which allowed me to gain even more experience with the internal workings of an educational institution as well as spend time working on some of my less ‘programmy’ skills. This included acting as a contracted manager for a medium-sized project creating the groundwork for an internally branded and operated RFID based commerce card.
When it came time to interview for the full-time position, I realized that it really wasn’t what I wanted to do. I really wanted to get a job doing more software development and much less project management. Oh the irony.
After about a week of unemployment at the end of Feb 2013, an old school mate of mine offered to get me an interview with a group of guys and gals at the ARIS RADLab. That’s really short for the SAIT Applied Research and Innovation Services RFID Application Development Lab. Quite a mouthful. The interview went well and I was back to work at SAIT within a week or so.
For the next year, I was thrust into programming for embedded systems based on Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Olimex, BeagleBone and Udoo boards. I enjoy working and programming for the embedded Linux OS, mostly Debian, that is used on those devices and I managed to get good at that old nemesis of mine, the C programming language.
It became clear that our projects were going to need more planning and better controlling to keep our quality high and our budgets in line. I offered to take on those responsibilities until we hired someone with more real experience. The past 6 months have been a great experience in managing software projects that are based in research.
Well, after returning from my Summer Vacation, a salaried position was posted and I was encouraged to apply. Long story short, I’m now the RADLab Project Coordinator which is a salaried position with all the benefits, salary, pension and vacation that it entails.
I’m very excited about the new position because of the latitude I’m being given in controlling these projects and ensuring they are getting out on time and on budget. Perhaps slightly more important to me is that after starting work at SAIT in 2005, graduating with an IT:SD diploma in 2010 and working in industry for the past 4 years I’m quite happy to finally receive a position which seems to have a real future. Each step up has been better than the last and I hope to continue that trend. Just like the Noob in the video, I’m yelling “PROMOTED!!!” to all who will hear me.
In the mean time, I’ll be polishing up some of my soft skills and spending time with my nose buried in the PMBOK since I’ve decided that this is a path I’m going to pursue so I might as well go for my PMP designation as well. You know me; never stop learning and never stop moving. Movement is life.
And for the first time in a few years, life is good.
Thanks, Sly.