Big changes are in the air

So I was hit with some rather interesting new this morning. Our lead programmer, Cortis, is leaving REAL Software. Cortis has been here longer than any other programmer (about 5 yrs) and is leaving to pick up a job in the Boston area working on robotics. It's what he went to school for and a job he's always wanted to have. I wish him the best of luck!

But this brings up some really interesting points. For one, the programming staff here already feels over-worked because there's just not enough of us to get everything done. Now we'll be losing a programmer (in about a month or two) and be even more short-staffed. Yeeks!

Another interesting thing is -- I wonder if Cortis is really leaving because he really wants to work on robotics. I knew he went to school for that, but I've never heard of him doing stuff on his own time. I wonder if he's leaving for other reasons... He doesn't seem disgruntled though, so don't get me wrong.

A few of us sat down this morning and started talking about the ramifications of Cortis leaving... and we got on the topic of salaries and something was said that really scared me. One of my coworkers said he wasn't aware that raises were ever given out. To which the other coworker replied that he got one once about 6 months into the job, but it was because he started working for peanuts and it was part of the original contract. Those sort of comments kinda scare me and make me wonder whether I really have a future at this job.

Don't get me wrong, I love the hell out of what i do. The culture is really nice around here in that we're a small company and so you have a lot of freedom. Also, it's neat because I get to interact with the customers. This is a really rewarding thing (tho sometimes frustrating as well) that you don't get to do at most other companies. And the work itself is interesting -- I'm always learning new things and constantly being challenged. Of course, the work itself can be really frustrating at times because I constantly have to learn new things and have more plates spinning in the air at once.

I am beginning to think more and more that moving back to Minnesota is a good idea. If I can keep my current job, then great... but even if I can't keep this current job, it may not be such a bad idea. I mean, people leave their jobs for a reason -- because there's something better to do. I just don't get the feeling that Cortis is leaving strictly because he loves robotics. And I'm a little scared that I'll work at this job for a long while and never get a raise. I'm already working for a decent chunk less than the national average, and I've had no indication that I'll ever be getting a raise... so who knows.

I don't want you guys to think I'm just going to jump ship and find a new job in the next week or so. I'm just rambling some things off my chest just to get them out there. No matter what, I'll be here for a while still -- switching from a job where you enjoy the work is never something to enter into lightly.