A Fateful Thursday
There was a Thursday a few months back that was just one of THOSE days. A day that lives in infamy, and one that you never want to experience again.
Actually, that day is today. I’m writing this as it happens so that all the details are fresh, but I can guarantee you I won’t forget it by the time this post is published. I’ll just read through it again and think, “I am so glad that day is behind me.”
Everything started in motion over the course of a few weeks before. I really just wasn’t happy with my job. I had a serious case of impostor syndrome, and I wasn’t picking up on it anywhere near as well as I expected that I should be. I started looking around for other work, just because I didn’t want to be a drain on my team, and I expected I would be more successful and happy with my performance back in the software development world.
On Tuesday, I received a call as I was leaving work, with a job offer that I was really excited for. Unfortunately, I was scheduled to leave for Ardmore, OK just the Monday after next. If I were to work a 2 week notice, that would have me leaving the company square in the middle of a business trip. If I left before then, I couldn’t work a full notice. If I waited until after the trip, the job offer may expire.
On Wednesday, I elected to accept the offer and not work the expected 2 weeks after my resignation letter. However, I wanted to hand deliver it to my boss, so I waited until Thursday to submit it. I wrote everything up Wednesday evening, and tried to talk myself up to the task. I hate quitting a job, and I always have second guesses about it.
By Thursday morning, I’m ready. I have convinced myself that leaving is the right thing to do, and I’m ready to put in my notice. I send the notice to the printer, when Jim comes by and strikes up a conversation. Jim has been with the contract agency where I was employed for 4 years. He finally had the opportunity to interview for a full time position with Michelin proper, and they have extended an offer. He’s leaving our team as a contractor. Oof. I figure I may as well rip the band-aid off now.
“Hey Mike, I know it’s a bad time, but…”
“Don’t tell me you can’t go to Ardmore.”
Well…
“I’m resigning. This is my notice letter.”
I didn’t really know what to expect. Was he going to tell me to leave right then and not come back? Was he going to try to convince me to stay? The reality was actually much more comforting than either. I explained how I didn’t feel like I was making good progress, and I wasn’t contributing to the team as well as I hoped for. Mike and another teammate Will explained that they didn’t want to talk me out of my decision, but that I was setting my expectations too high for myself, and that I was genuinely making good progress. He gave me until around lunch to fully commit, before he would take the notice to his superior.
My part was finished, BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE. Marc came by, yet another member of the team, and told Mike that he was having problems at two different sites. Come on, I didn’t want to contribute to a day like this. Neither problem seemed extremely urgent, but both were issues that did require a solution.
Not a minute after Marc returned to his desk, Ray received a call for ANOTHER ISSUE. Not an hour into the work day, and my boss has been hit with a resignation, a transfer, and multiple plant issues. I genuinely felt bad for him. If I knew my notice would come along with so many other problems, I would’ve just waited. This wasn’t fair.
On the bright side for me, it wasn’t really my problem anymore. I contemplated the possibility of staying with Michelin, but I truly thought I was making the right move for myself and the company to leave. I resolved to stick to the resignation, and make my exodus. I had the silver lining of a new job coming up, but the morning of Thursday, August 26 was rough for everybody.
Actually, that day is today. I’m writing this as it happens so that all the details are fresh, but I can guarantee you I won’t forget it by the time this post is published. I’ll just read through it again and think, “I am so glad that day is behind me.”
Everything started in motion over the course of a few weeks before. I really just wasn’t happy with my job. I had a serious case of impostor syndrome, and I wasn’t picking up on it anywhere near as well as I expected that I should be. I started looking around for other work, just because I didn’t want to be a drain on my team, and I expected I would be more successful and happy with my performance back in the software development world.
On Tuesday, I received a call as I was leaving work, with a job offer that I was really excited for. Unfortunately, I was scheduled to leave for Ardmore, OK just the Monday after next. If I were to work a 2 week notice, that would have me leaving the company square in the middle of a business trip. If I left before then, I couldn’t work a full notice. If I waited until after the trip, the job offer may expire.
On Wednesday, I elected to accept the offer and not work the expected 2 weeks after my resignation letter. However, I wanted to hand deliver it to my boss, so I waited until Thursday to submit it. I wrote everything up Wednesday evening, and tried to talk myself up to the task. I hate quitting a job, and I always have second guesses about it.
By Thursday morning, I’m ready. I have convinced myself that leaving is the right thing to do, and I’m ready to put in my notice. I send the notice to the printer, when Jim comes by and strikes up a conversation. Jim has been with the contract agency where I was employed for 4 years. He finally had the opportunity to interview for a full time position with Michelin proper, and they have extended an offer. He’s leaving our team as a contractor. Oof. I figure I may as well rip the band-aid off now.
“Hey Mike, I know it’s a bad time, but…”
“Don’t tell me you can’t go to Ardmore.”
Well…
“I’m resigning. This is my notice letter.”
I didn’t really know what to expect. Was he going to tell me to leave right then and not come back? Was he going to try to convince me to stay? The reality was actually much more comforting than either. I explained how I didn’t feel like I was making good progress, and I wasn’t contributing to the team as well as I hoped for. Mike and another teammate Will explained that they didn’t want to talk me out of my decision, but that I was setting my expectations too high for myself, and that I was genuinely making good progress. He gave me until around lunch to fully commit, before he would take the notice to his superior.
My part was finished, BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE. Marc came by, yet another member of the team, and told Mike that he was having problems at two different sites. Come on, I didn’t want to contribute to a day like this. Neither problem seemed extremely urgent, but both were issues that did require a solution.
Not a minute after Marc returned to his desk, Ray received a call for ANOTHER ISSUE. Not an hour into the work day, and my boss has been hit with a resignation, a transfer, and multiple plant issues. I genuinely felt bad for him. If I knew my notice would come along with so many other problems, I would’ve just waited. This wasn’t fair.
On the bright side for me, it wasn’t really my problem anymore. I contemplated the possibility of staying with Michelin, but I truly thought I was making the right move for myself and the company to leave. I resolved to stick to the resignation, and make my exodus. I had the silver lining of a new job coming up, but the morning of Thursday, August 26 was rough for everybody.
Leaving Michelin was one of the best decisions I've ever made.
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