Sunday, December 20, 2015

An year out of the Big Blue!

Time flies! It has been an year since I left IBM. Frankly, there was a time I thought I might stick to IBM till my retirement. After all, I spent 13.5 years there! I spent the last 10 years in IBM's famous Linux Technology Center (LTC) which had almost become like home. I guess the main reason I stuck to IBM for so long was because I was in LTC. I loved the work and the people there, so there was never a reason to look out. I am proud of my (admittedly very small) contributions to projects like Linux kernel and QEMU, thanks to working in LTC. Also, I learnt the first lessons of management there.

It was indeed a very big and difficult decision to move out from LTC/IBM. However, I am now happy that I took that decision. The last 1 year I have spent outside IBM has taught me a whole bunch of new things and made me a better, stronger person. Sure, my life is more uncertain and less secure today, but that is the price you pay for getting out of your comfort zone. Getting out of comfort zone is essential to grow.

Luckily what I learnt in IBM has come in very handy in dealing with the challenges in a new job. I have fond memories of friendships I developed while I was there, many of which will last a lifetime. I am ever thankful my managers there for coaching me and helping me develop my leadership skills.