Today is my eighth anniversary as an official Apple employee. As of now, I believe I am the last person remaining from my group of seven since word (or rumor) has it that Scott Smith left for Brazil. I decided to take the day off to celebrate. Actually, I’m trying to wrap up my income taxes because the wife and I owe $64 yet I’m sending in $200 to be safe since I couldn’t get a clear answer on some stock I sold off, would’ve been cool if it were Apple which is trading at over $90/share.
This anniversary is better than last year, I was sick as a dog in 2006. I’m feeling much more reflective about eight years at the same gig which is really closer to 11 in a row due to a year with PowerComputing, a year at NorTel and the contractor shuffle with Apple twice before. If you want to stretch it, I started this line of work 14 years ago when DG (Dynamic Graphics) hired me to be their tech support guy for their clip art: rather comical when you think about it too, a story for another day. Reflective? Does this mean I’m quitting Apple? Heck no! It pays too well, especially with the student loan load the wife has (it’s managed just fine, so don’t worry). Call me shallow when it comes to those discounts on Apple products as an incentive to stay. My benefits package is much more generous than anyone else I’ve worked for combined. I have to give a big piece of the credit to my immediate boss Juan and co-workers in and out of my department for their supportive nature (a rather long list). I want to state this for the record; of all the jobs I’ve held, this is the only one where I genuinely like the majority of my co-workers. So many other places were very cutthroat and the daily politics were a complete hindrance to getting anything accomplished.
As for the future? I honestly have no idea. I am only an expert on what I don’t want to do. Apple is going fine for the immediate future, I don’t feel like leaving and there’s plenty of work to do as its market share gradually increases. Somara has picked up traction with Kenny’s and should gain more if she lands the new opportunity. I have been working on something which is closer to an investment. I may have discussed a little bit about it with some but I don’t want to jinx it. To me jinxing is a self-fulfilling prophecy of a negative outcome; my explanation to my more spiritual friend Bryant. What will it lead to? No idea other than it will be closer to a hobby or part-time work. I am taking a chance on doing something with my inheritance other than letting it rack up a pittance in CDs.
Thanks for all your support and encouragement these last eight years. Over 14 years ago, a certain jackass fired me saying that I would never cut it in a Fortune 500 company and I couldn’t work within a team. Hmm, Teamwork award in 1997 with PowerComputing? Member of Quality of Life at Apple in 2005? Past experience training agents in Las Vegas, Sacramento and Austin? The list could go on, but to my past critic I say HA! Living well is always the best revenge and life in Austin is pretty great. Now I’m off to write myself a letter at this cool site I heard about on NPR, see what I should think about when I hit nine years.