Work Musings
Friday was my third year anniversary in PayPal. It was also the day I signed the contract letter for my new job, confirming my second promotion since I joined the company.
Back in January 2010, I genuinely had no idea what I was getting into. I'd been desperate for work for a long while, and had started to become convinced that my failure to get a degree meant I'd never find a permanent job. But a combination of good luck, a bit of customer service experience and knowing people in the company got me in the door. At first the job was a challenge, then it got boring. It was basic customer service and there was only so long it could engage me.
But one of the delightful things about PayPal (and, from what I've heard, most large companies in the 'net/tech industry) is they don't want you to stay in the same position forever. "Personal Development" is where it's at. And as cheesy as the phrase can appear, and indeed the mechanisms in place to make it happen can be, it's a brilliant thing. So, using said mechanisms, I started to feel out where I wanted to go.
There were a couple of misjudgements along the way. I went for a job I wasn't really capable of, I went into interviews without enough preparation. But eventually, just over two years after I started, I got into the Business Support department. Still customer support of a sort, but for small merchants, and not the bog standard "have you cleared your cache and cookies and tried again?" or "Click here, then there, then enter the info and you're done" type of support (although it does still happen occasionally). There were (and are, i've not moved yet) challenges and actual intelligent questions and genuine opportunities to do something interesting and help people out on a meaningful level.
From there I applied for the next level of merchant support, and somehow got it. It's a similar job, but with a few more responibilites and a more important (read: makes more, and therefore more cash for the company) level of merchant. And it comes with a better wage, and opportunities for a better position all over again.
I never expected to be in this situation. If you'd said to me three years ago that I'd be building a career from an entry level CS position, I'd have laughed, and said that there was no way I was staying in the company long term. I planned to go back to college, to get a job in one of those industries I'd earmarked as suitable for someone like me. I didn't think it was where I wanted to be. But it turns out I'm pretty good at what I'm employed to do, and most days I actually like it too.
I guess what I'm saying is I'm damn lucky. And very grateful for it to boot.