I was a bit reluctant to post this, but here it goes.

I have quit my job. I did it for what appears to be a better opportunity, but we’ll find out. It’s not like you can ever fully know that the grass is greener on the other side in just a few hours of interviews, especially when you are the interviewee.

Leaving a company after 2 years does raise questions about me, especially when the work anniversaries of most of my colleagues are double digits. However, the circumstances calm my — and the interviewers’ — worries down. It seems to me the older people get, the more time they spend at one company. Or at least the less flexible they are to change. Perhaps I haven’t met enough people or encountered enough environments.

While going through the lengthy employment termination process, I heard that the Department for Business and Trade suggested that non-compete periods be limited to 3 months. I took a particular interest in this document, subscribed to the updates, and successfully referenced it in an argument against the period my ex-company wanted to enforce. The timing couldn’t be more favourable. It has shown me that contracts and the law are indeed necessarily vague.

I am grateful for my time at my first job. I learned a lot about software engineering, my industry, and people. Now, I am excited about new beginnings!