“Content is a treasure that never fades off” Waheed said the famous Arabic proverb (Al qana3a kanzon la yafna) while discussing developers career paths and future at work.
“If that’s it, then Fadi(me) is the treasure itself” Nadia pointed out highlighting my content of what I am doing at work.
One another incident, coming from home at the morning singing (I have a bad voice, who cares?), and cheering my co-workers with a smile. She said “I envy you, you are always happy?!”
The truth is that while I am happy in my life where I know how to handle my worries and stress by living the current moment with the atmost happiness, I am not really happy about my career achievements so far.
For years, I have been responsible of the User Interface experience of the Web Applications developed here where I work. My work lies in a grey area between Web design and web development. And while I have good software graphical skill along with good technical skill of HTML, DHTML and CSS, I have always felt stuck in between where there has always been little room for improvement from both sides at a company where I am the only User Interface designer among 30+ developer!
The decision came quit late, and after many years, I realized that I have to move on to being a programmer in order to have a decent career improvement at this company. Not until the beginning of this year where I started getting technical training in order to be able to take on my new tasks along with my previous role as a UI designer.
It has been challenging, but yet amusing. My responsibilities have doubled/tripled, and I am overloaded with work now. My co-worker wonderement about my content because they are amazed of my capability of starting fresh at a time developers at my age are studying their options to change to other fields.
Actually I am not a really big fan of programming. I had to make this move that best suits my current situation at the company. I love the challenge and I know that I had reached a dead end before. I was not happy. I read “Who Moved my Cheese” (Check it out, an excellent book) and realized that my cheese is moved! I ran to find a better one.
I feel myself open to anything! I have no clear plan to my career for the coming years. IT is not really my thing, and I recently – thanks to reading and blogging -, I find myself interested in many other sectors to have as a career. I would like to move to a job with more interaction with people. Getting a Master degree would be a good way to work on changing my career, but I am still unsure of what I really want. I am interested in psychology, phylosophy, journalis, communication, art and history!
I have to assess each one very closely and check out how would I benefit from it as a Master degree without loosing my years of experience.
In the meantime, I enjoy my work. Wish I have less working hours, but all in all is good. I find enjoyment in little things. We clap in enthusiasm for having a nescafe break. Sometimes checking out our options of what to drink, hot choclate? Nescafe? Tea?! What to have for lunch?! Sometimes a little gossip, or a joke, at other times a phylosophical 15 mins break! It is always fun when you learn to enjoy yourself and like the people around you.
And one the side, I am enjoying the prospect of opening my own business (Ice cream shop) with my best friend.
There are always things to look for. Let’s grab the chances we get while enjoying the present moment.
Fadi Zaghmout فادي زغموت 
Psychology is interesting. I minored in it and it is a great experience, and definitely helps you when it comes to dealing with stupid people. LoL.We have different personalties and some people are more prone to stress than others. I can actually see from your writing you are happy but you are not genuinely happy nor fulfilled (hence the never-ending controversy). I am most likely wrong, but you said yourself you are not on the career path you’d like to be in.I read in a great book, Shadow of the Wind, that making money is easy, but making money in something worthwhile to devote your life doing is the hard part.
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i think i commented on this the last it was raised, hope programming is treating u lightly now what ur asking is a career path that involves some of things u listed, has to do with dealing with ppl. Taing into account to not waste ur experience in UI design and programming.well am not sure how ur company works, or if ur proficient enough in the lingo of ur choice (i think its been 6 months) But one thing to look forward to is project management:D In the SW companies they are lacking in proper project management and it relies alot more on psychology, communication than it does on programing in my opinion . since it requires utilizing the tools u have on a project to their maximum efficiency and being able to deal with stress and alleviating that stress from ur team members.Having background in the different parts of the software cycle also helps, so i think that would be one thing to look into. since i myself haven’t found a feasible way that i would like that involves psych, phil or even design.
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oops that last sentence was missing, so i can’t suggest something that is totally unrelated to IT
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Being happy is different than being content (satisfied). Being happy is important, but being discontent can be a good thing.I, for one, consider myself to be a happy person, while still being discontent about my achievement and the circumstances that I live in.I have learnt that even if I was living in hell, being happy is the wisest choice, and happiness to a certain extent is a choice. I choose to be happy, thats why I am so.Certain people have asked me: “Are you happy?”, and I answered yes, then they asked: “Does this mean that there is nothing in your current life you wish to be changed?”, and I answered: “Too many things I want to be changed.”… They found my answers to be self-contradicting… They do have a point that I am not 100% happy otherwise I wouldn’t want things to change, but that not the whole truth… I find satisfaction and happiness to be two distinct feelings.
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KJ, Lol! I definatly need to study psychology in order to be able to deal with stupid people! Actually I am quite happy in my life, and while there are things that I would like to see it improved, I can always sit down and enjoy my current state with a drink or a friendly chat.Should be looking for the book 🙂Bambam, yeah, project management sounds like a good option, but I am bent on finding something totally unrelated. Maybe one day, and with my own business, I would be having the time and money to explore my other interests. It is never too late 🙂DM, you are totally right! We usually relate happiness and content togather. I feel the same as you said, happy but like to improve certain parts of my life. Well said (as you always do) 🙂
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ice cream shop? Now that’s interesting. I wanna check it next time I am around.I agree with what Bambam said. I’d like to add that you could work in a company where transferring to the field you want would be easy. For example, if you work in the IT department of a museum, library, or history-oriented institution, then it’ll be easier to go to history, art or whatever field you want toif you really like your workplace, try to move and check other departments where you can find yourself. Of course this is as long as the management supports your decision and are willing to be of help. A master’s degree would definitely be an asset. but don’t do it in jordan. 🙂BTW, “Who moved my cheese?” is a very very great book. 🙂
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Hey Hamza,You sure are welcome to check my ice cream shop when you come for a visit :).Yes, that is what I did this year, I moved to development. It is a bit challenging but it is okay, and I guess in 2-3 years I can move to other things, but the thing is that it is the IT in general that I am fed off. I would like to have something totally unrelated :). I will keep my eyes opened for any other opportunity 🙂
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