I'm Going Home
This will be mostly a cut and paste, but thought it worthy to post. I've basically had enough of California, I simply am not happy here and the one thing keeping me here, graduate school, isn't enough anymore. Below is the email I sent to everyone I knew in Washington State.
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Hey all,
Well, I think my patience with life in California has finally ran out. When I originally moved down here, I was looking forward to a different pace of life, but also planned to move back to the Seattle area once I got my graduate degree and got some quality work experience. Fast-forward 2 years to present day. The living situation has never been too enjoyable, it's never felt like home, like Washington always has (both Pullman and Kent/Covington), and I STILL do not have my clearance, which means that my work life is relegated to 'crap work' like data mining and other extremely boring activities. Not exactly what I signed on for, even as a beginning engineer. Add in a few other factors like the lack of a teamwork environment, etc, and I'm left with a job that I keep solely because they pay for my graduate school.
After a quick trip home over the 4th of July, I've decided I can't wait any longer. I know there has to be other companies in the Seattle area that will pay for graduate school. I am also blessed with the fact that the program I am in with Stanford is entirely online, so I essentially can stay enrolled there, as long as I can find an employer that will foot the bill. If I can find that,... Sandia, my current employer, loses the last reason I'm still with them.
And that's where I am now. I'm hoping to get on with Boeing as I already know that they offer a graduate school payment program, and I've worked there before. Although, I'm open to anywhere in the greater Seattle area. All my family and friends back in Washington are receiving this email as an update to what I'm doing, but at this point, I'm mostly talking to those that are involved in tech industry, which I hope to find a more fulfilling job in. My Bachelors degree is in electrical engineering as well as my in-process Masters degree and I'm open to almost anything that is involved in that general field, but ideally the field I'm interested in is Digital Signal Processing, DSP. If anyone has a contact, website, email, newspaper
clipping,... anything that might be helpful in my job search, it'd be greatly appreciated. I'll have an up-to-date resume and cover letter very soon and hope to start sending it out ASAP.
So ya.... for those of you that know me well, this decision should come as no surprise. I'm the guy that can't sit still. Sometimes I'm amazed I never once changed my major or anything through 5 years of school. You also know that I've thought this through and I know what I'm getting myself into, or in my viewpoint, getting myself out of. I was more than willing to give Sandia my all, but 2 years I figure is plenty of time to give the job a fair shot, as well as the California way of life. Neither has ever grown on me, so I don't see much point spending another 2 years here if I don't have to.
And there ya have it. My goal is to be on my way home by October 31st, 2004. That gives me plenty of time as I don't want to put my current boss in a bad spot. He's a great guy, so I intend to make sure that I finish what I have on my plate right now before I take off. Wish me luck, and if you can help in any way like I described before.... I would be grateful. Take care and I hope everyone is doing well.
Cameron
----------------------------------
Hey all,
Well, I think my patience with life in California has finally ran out. When I originally moved down here, I was looking forward to a different pace of life, but also planned to move back to the Seattle area once I got my graduate degree and got some quality work experience. Fast-forward 2 years to present day. The living situation has never been too enjoyable, it's never felt like home, like Washington always has (both Pullman and Kent/Covington), and I STILL do not have my clearance, which means that my work life is relegated to 'crap work' like data mining and other extremely boring activities. Not exactly what I signed on for, even as a beginning engineer. Add in a few other factors like the lack of a teamwork environment, etc, and I'm left with a job that I keep solely because they pay for my graduate school.
After a quick trip home over the 4th of July, I've decided I can't wait any longer. I know there has to be other companies in the Seattle area that will pay for graduate school. I am also blessed with the fact that the program I am in with Stanford is entirely online, so I essentially can stay enrolled there, as long as I can find an employer that will foot the bill. If I can find that,... Sandia, my current employer, loses the last reason I'm still with them.
And that's where I am now. I'm hoping to get on with Boeing as I already know that they offer a graduate school payment program, and I've worked there before. Although, I'm open to anywhere in the greater Seattle area. All my family and friends back in Washington are receiving this email as an update to what I'm doing, but at this point, I'm mostly talking to those that are involved in tech industry, which I hope to find a more fulfilling job in. My Bachelors degree is in electrical engineering as well as my in-process Masters degree and I'm open to almost anything that is involved in that general field, but ideally the field I'm interested in is Digital Signal Processing, DSP. If anyone has a contact, website, email, newspaper
clipping,... anything that might be helpful in my job search, it'd be greatly appreciated. I'll have an up-to-date resume and cover letter very soon and hope to start sending it out ASAP.
So ya.... for those of you that know me well, this decision should come as no surprise. I'm the guy that can't sit still. Sometimes I'm amazed I never once changed my major or anything through 5 years of school. You also know that I've thought this through and I know what I'm getting myself into, or in my viewpoint, getting myself out of. I was more than willing to give Sandia my all, but 2 years I figure is plenty of time to give the job a fair shot, as well as the California way of life. Neither has ever grown on me, so I don't see much point spending another 2 years here if I don't have to.
And there ya have it. My goal is to be on my way home by October 31st, 2004. That gives me plenty of time as I don't want to put my current boss in a bad spot. He's a great guy, so I intend to make sure that I finish what I have on my plate right now before I take off. Wish me luck, and if you can help in any way like I described before.... I would be grateful. Take care and I hope everyone is doing well.
Cameron