Would you like fries or a clean database with that?

As I mentioned in my last post, big changes are a coming to my little corner of the world, and the crucial folks in my real life have been told, so I can finally break the blog silence (but not the Facebook silence, I'm not ready for that yet!).

After 4 years in my current job, a job that made me some amazing friends, taught me that I love working with databases, and gave my liver a serious workout as of late, after 4 years with this I have finally decided to quit.

But before you break out the party horns and let those gasps of excitement pass your lips I must tell you I also don't have another job lined up. Well, I didn't when I actually put in place the plan to be done with the current gig, I might have a part time one now.

Here's how it all unraveled....

About 2 months ago I sat down behind closed doors to have my 4 year, annual review with my supervisor. Somehow, and I honestly don't know how it all started, instead of going through the rote motions of checking off accomplishments and things to learn and work on, we spent close to 2 hours talking about the fact that I wasn't happy anymore and what we could do about it. It was by far the most liberating, amazing review I've ever had. By the end I had received some really good constructive criticism that I hope will make me a better employee in the future and a plan had been sketched to work me out of the organization.

They would start working on re-writing my job description (as it had drastically changed since I started) and I would step up my job hunt (now no longer needing to hide in the shadows and fake appointments in case of interviews). We figured it would take about 2 months to post, interview, hire and replace me and I hoped I could find something along that same time frame as well. However, just in case this economy totally had it in for me, we worked out a slight extension plan as well.

Let me step back for a minute and tell you about my not so secret love of databases that this job has opened up for me. Turns out I love organizing, maintaining, and producing clean, reliable data and reports. And I have come to master the current fundraising database my organization utilizes in a way that sometimes even scares me. This is something I could see myself doing full time (and that is what I've been applying for), this is something I could see myself really enjoying. Raisers Edge watch out, I will find someone who uses you and come to master you! (Okay, geek aside now, sorry about that).

And while I love my current database, I also loathe it because it is totally out of shape. It needs a major ass-kicking clean up, and I am just the one to do it. See, that's the extension plan we've worked out. If I don't have a job by the time my replacement is here and ready to be set loose on their own, I will transfer over to a full time database clean up project. We expect that to last about 8 weeks so I will have employment (if this plan all goes accordingly) till about mid December. If I do get another job, the plan is to transition the database cleanup to a part time gig (nights/weekends) instead because no matter what, it needs to be done, and not to sound totally egotistical but no one here but me really can do it quickly and efficiently.

So that's my life. Since this has all been announced a possible part time job has come up starting in mid September that I am totally, ridiculously geeked about. It's not a database gig, but it's with a company that I adore and think that I could learn an amazing amount from. But since it's not even remotely settled yet I am keeping that one to myself for now. But if it does come through it will mean that once I've wrapped up all the work here I will still need to supplement my income with a second part time job - know anyone hiring? Need a database cleaned? How about a dog walked? I'm open to most ideas (except watching your kids, sorry, but no one really wants that to happen do they?).

To make this a little less scary when it comes to life and finances, I'm also moving in with someone so my rent will be cut in half which always helps. That in itself is a completely crazy, out of left field, mind twister, but it will have to be saved for another post.