How I got here

I thought it might be helpful if I gave a little history of how I got here. The last few years have seen some major changes that illustrate what is important to me in my life and work. A quick drive through recent history.

A little more than five years ago I was in a dilemma. I came to the harsh realization that my job has slowly drifted from what I really found satisfying to a job of tasks that nobody else wanted to do. The saving grace was I had the best metalworking shop anybody could hope for to work on my own projects.

This company is a cool little engineering job shop in Pleasanton Ca that builds all manner of custom machinery. Creative Viewpoint Machinery I was the first employee there and ran it for eighteen years. When we started out everybody did everything. There was no distinction between machinists and engineers, you just sacked up and got the work done. It was one of the best learning periods of my life and I thank all my workmates there for the experience.  We did some pretty demanding metalwork and built some really wild and weird machinery.

All things eventually change. The owner wanted to retire and sell the company. After this the shop climate changed and I realized that it was a time for a change. Pretty tough decision for me at the time after all the years I invested in helping build the company. But my belief is, if somethings not working, change it. So I did.

So after eighteen years I found myself dusting off my resume and going to some interesting interviews. Nothing like sitting in a room full of scientists and getting grilled on everything from mathematics to personnel issues. Take my advice and don't go head to head with a physicist on math.......

Everything worked out and now I have a position that fulfills me with the technical challenges I enjoy in a field wide open for learning with people willing to share their knowledge. I'm a little fish in a big pond, instead of a big fish in a little pond.