Man, 2018, that was a wild ride, truly. I remember kicking off that year feeling a bit, well, adrift, I guess you could say. You know how it is sometimes, you’re just going through the motions at work, doing your thing, but not really feeling that spark, that drive. I was in a pretty comfortable spot, had my routine down, but deep down, I knew I wanted more. I just wasn’t sure what more, or how to even start looking for it.
I started by just sort of sniffing around, really. Nothing big, just casually browsing job boards late at night when the family was asleep. I wasn’t actively applying, more like window shopping for careers. I’d punch in keywords related to what I thought I might be interested in, just to see what kind of roles were out there, what skills they were asking for. I was soaking it all in, trying to get a feel for the landscape, you know?
Then, I hit a snag. My current gig started piling on the pressure. Suddenly, comfortable wasn’t so comfortable anymore. Projects were getting pushed through faster, deadlines got tighter, and the whole vibe just shifted. It felt like walking on eggshells, constantly. That’s when I really started to think, “Okay, this isn’t just about ‘more’ anymore, this is about getting out.” That feeling really pushed me to move from passive browsing to active searching.
One evening, I stumbled upon a listing that really caught my eye. It was for a company I hadn’t really considered before, a bit outside my comfort zone in terms of industry, but the role itself sounded fascinating. It was something that touched on a few different areas I had dabbled in, and it promised a lot of opportunity to learn new stuff. My gut just told me, “Apply.” So I did. I polished up my old resume, tweaked a few things, and just sent it off, not really expecting much.
A few weeks later, my phone rang. It was an HR person from that company, wanting to set up an initial chat. I remember thinking, “Holy cow, they actually looked at it!” That call was pretty chill, just a quick screen, but it led to a proper interview. I prepped like crazy for that one. I dug into everything I could find about the company, rehearsed answers to common questions, and even thought up a few of my own to ask them.
The first interview went pretty well, I thought. It was with the hiring manager, and we really clicked. We talked for ages, not just about work stuff, but about how we approach problems, what we value in a team. It felt less like an interrogation and more like a conversation. That led to a second interview, this time with a few more folks from the team. That one was tougher, a bit more technical, but I felt like I held my own. They threw some real curveballs at me, trying to see how I’d think on my feet, and I just tried to be honest about what I knew and what I’d need to learn.
Then came the waiting game, which is always the worst part, right? I tried not to obsess, but it was hard. Every phone call, every email, I was hoping it was them. Finally, a few agonizing days later, the offer came through. It was good, really good. Not just the money, but the whole package – the benefits, the projects they talked about, the chance to really grow. I remember sitting there, looking at that email, and feeling this huge wave of relief and excitement.
I put in my notice at the old place, which was, let’s just say, not the easiest conversation. But once that was done, it felt like a massive weight lifted off my shoulders. I spent the next few weeks trying to wrap things up, train my replacement, and generally leave on good terms. Then, I jumped into the new role headfirst. It was a steep learning curve, for sure. New systems, new people, a whole new way of doing things. But I loved it. Every day felt like I was learning something, contributing something meaningful. It was exactly the kind of challenge I needed.
Looking back at 2018, it really taught me a lot. It showed me that sometimes, you gotta trust your gut, even when things are uncertain. It also showed me that opportunities can pop up when you least expect them, or when you’re not even actively hunting for them, but you still have to be ready to grab them when they do. I realized that comfort can be a trap, and sometimes, shaking things up is exactly what you need to do to move forward. It was a year of big changes, big risks, and even bigger rewards, really setting the stage for what came next.
