Spit Out Your Food

I was having lunch a few days ago when I realized, "hey, this food is burning my mouth." But like most people, I didn't spit it out— I just let it burn me and went on my way in pain. This was insanely dumb because I was literally alone and there'd be no social repercussions to doing so. We're so conditioned to not look askew that we don't do things when it makes sense because we've learned to hold back—even at our own detriment.

This premise made me think about my career and how some people go, "wow, you've had a lot of jobs..." with concern like I'll become a pariah because I didn't decide to spend 30 years in one role with cost-of-living raises as my only source of income advancement.

There are certainly fields that respect tenure — teaching, law enforcement, military service, health care, etc.—but these are not information technology.

I love being in IT because one year I can be a web application developer, then the next I can be a systems administrator, and the year after I can be doing information security. This variety is intriguing and makes for a really interesting career. I, and many others in IT, aren't one-trick ponies who like to have monotonous tasks to perfect, but rather a spectrum of ways to engage our creative, technical, and logical sides.

I'd encourage readers, whether they think they are "stuck" or not, to consider moving past their role in IT every 2–3 years. The opportunities waiting across industries are vast. Those who are fulfilled in one role for 10 years probably just don't realize how much upward mobility—prestige, salary, benefits—can await you by leaving your current job and moving on.

So, while it may feel like you can't "spit out your food" because of awkwardness that's been engrained in you by social convention, sometimes it's worth the temporary setback for long term gains. Embrace the opportunity to do something that benefits you, even at the risk of feeling like you're doing something others may not approve of.

You're still your biggest advocate, so act like it.