I worked for a gap year between finishing my A levels and going on to University - starting with a local job as a "Coder" - helping a Seismologist at the local Oil Exploration Company prepare jobs in decks of cards for the big IBM Computers the company used, and taking the resultant large film sections and splicing them for final customer presentation. But during my year, the company fell on hard times and some 8 or 9 months in, I was declared redundant. It was totally the correct decision of the company to choose me as one of the ones to fire, as I only had a limited remaining shelf life there anyway - but still it hurt, especially in the manner in which I was told. Looking back, they did me a huge favour - I made a phone call the following Monday and got myself set up for my remaining four months with another company ... which lead to my first industrial placement as a programmer in the same field.

In a changing world, it's rare for anyone to stay with one employer (or even for one job to exist) for a lifetime these days, and the closing of one door (though perhaps a shock) is a golden opportunity for the opening of another - indeed, Well House Consultants grew from being a "shell" company through which I could give training courses under contract to something much, much more when my major customer's door closed. But when one door closes, another opens, and such happenings are a golden opportunity to regroup and restart which should be positively grasped, with both hands.
i
From My mailbox, and reproduced with permission ...

Hi Graham, "Many years ago" you taught me Perl while I was at [Company in Dublin]. (You delivered the course [in Dublin].) Unfortunately, I was recently made redundant by [company] as a result of a corporate re-organisation. However, I'm taking the opportunity to try and start my own business doing web-surveys. (The company is "Survey Solutions" and the website is www.surveysolutions.ie.) Implicit in this endeavour will be the use of certain Internet technologies ... so I was wondering if I could get back on your mailing list for "Of Course" ? I always enjoyed the magazine as an end in itself, and I think I'd learn from it. From a browse of your web-site it appears that Well House Consultants continue to go from strength to strength. I'm pleased for you. Best wishes, Brendan (Cullen)

Brendan - good luck to you, I hope it goes well for you - I know it has for us. And I'm happy to provide you with a link / initial "plug" above. We've not looked back! And ... should I be in Dublin giving a Perl or Tcl course, I'll look you up and perhaps we can have a Geek evening!
(written 2008-08-20 06:53:37)

 

Back to While the world sleeps ...

Previous and next or Horse's mouth home

Forward to Logging Cookies with the Apache httpd web server

Yank and Push - copy and move in vi
Co-operating to save, yet we dont
WEB-INF (Tomcat) and .htaccess (httpd)
Logging Cookies with the Apache httpd web server
An opportunity for something new
While the world sleeps ...
Lindors Hotel, near St. Briavels, Wye Valley
Preserved railways - struggling to the future?
Ever had One of THOSE mornings?
Istanbul