This month’s T-SQL Tuesday invite comes from James Serra. James asks to write about a career risk and how it panned out. Click the T-SQL Tuesday logo for the full invite.
When I think of risks associated with major career changes, one that comes to mind is my risk of staying with companies following acquisitions. I started with a company of about 100-150 people at Resource Systems, which was acquired by a company with about 20,000 at Cerner, which was then acquired by Oracle, which, as of this writing, has about 160,000 employees.
The Cerner acquisition came as a shock, as there were no signs that an acquisition was coming. With acquisitions, there are plenty of rumors of whether or not your job will be safe or if you’re going to be let go. It’s scary being in a position of knowledge sharing but wondering if you’re training your replacement.
I tested the waters and had another job offer, but when I sat down to make my pros and cons list, I realized Cerner offered much more growth potential than the alternative. I was younger, and at that point in my life, felt like the risk was worth it. I decided to stay with Cerner. Sure enough, I got plenty of opportunities I never would have had at the other position had I left for it.
The Oracle acquisition was a completely different beast. By that time, I felt like I had an established role as a SQL Server professional, and what use would Oracle have for me? As it turns out, more than I would have initially guessed. I stayed with Oracle and have had plenty of projects to grow my skills and have had other brilliant people to learn from. I’ve still had a role to fill as it relates to SQL Server while learning other technologies and building on top of what I know.
So what’s my lesson? Sometimes, the risk is to stay, and that risk can pay off. No matter what happens going forward, I’m at peace with how it’s played out.
Every situation is different, and what’s right for one person may not be right for another. Sometimes it’s obvious to stay, sometimes it’s obvious to go, and other times fall somewhere in the middle. Just keep in mind that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. The grass is greener where you water it.
Thanks for reading!
Chad Callihan 