When I graduated from school for computer science, I had a very specific idea of what my career would look like. I would get my degree, quickly find a career, write my own code all day, get promoted, and become a boss. The main thing is, I would be enthusiastic about doing it. Unfortunately, like almost all careers, it didn't end up how I wanted. It took me nearly a year to obtain a job, and when I did, I loathed it. I felt trapped. I mean, I working with code, but when you are forced to wade through and fix ugly ten year old code for hours on end, it is horrible. I will not disclose who I worked for, but I packed up after two years to find another job.

I took a job as a bartender to make money while I looked for something new. All of the typical positions I was fit for seemed to be similar to my first job. Did I choose the right degree? Did I really want to write code for the rest of my career?

An old friend told me I should try creating websites. I was doubtful in the beginning, but he pressed me to look into it. So I decided to start asking people about it. It looked as if a large majority of people in the field LOVED their positions. The working environments are a lot more enjoyable, and since there are a lot of out of the gate websites and web design companies, workers have more chances to write their own code and consult with the one that actually created the code they are changing.

A collegue gave me a opportunity at Edigitalstudios. It was a start up chicago web design company with few employees. I loved the intimate work environment and positive attitudes. To claim my earlier programming positions were awful would be understating. Here, I was free to say my opinion, introduce new ideas into projects. eDigitalStudios has since expanded into a Chicago SEO company. I still am employed there even now, six years later. It's amazing.

So I suppose the lesson of the blog is: Don't be caught off guard or disappointed if your career path doesn't end up how you wanted. Often, if you are patient, things can pan out a lot better than you thought they would. I suppose a second lesson of the blog is: Don't be frightened to mix things up if you aren't happy. If you're not happy in your job, SWITCH IT UP!!!