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I've had a few of you ask me about what I'm up to now after I left SmallStartupCo. Well, it's still Java performance. I like Java performance, and I have every intention of staying in it for as long as I can. And I'm in what is probably as close to my ideal job as could be - and that's no coincidence. I'll show you why in this month's diary.

The new job campaign starts

Day 1. I've had enough of SmallStartupCo. It's been interesting enough, and I've had fun and made good money, but its clear that it's time for me to move on now. Fortunately SmallStartupCo don't think that, and have no idea that I think that, so I have plenty of time and freedom to move to something I want. I start by listing the ideal qualities I want in a job. The top items are pretty obvious: Java, performance, challenges, well paid. I suspect that is in reverse order. But it doesn't matter too much, the new position needs all of those. Is that it? Almost! I think I need to add a few "would like" items so that I'm as close to something ideal as possible. Hmm, let's see. Prospects for promotion, a project that will continue for a number of years, with both production systems and ongoing development.

Good grief, I didn't realize I'm so easy to please. I suspect any project that needs my skills has all these characteristics anyway. Wait a second, my current project has all these characteristics! Why do I want to move?

Day 4. Finally get to chat with an old friend, RightSaidFred, telling him that I think I'm in my ideal job but I want to move. RightSaidFred makes a number of suggestions as to why this might be. Starting with the loose screw scenario, moving on to self-destructiveness, on through how I must be a natural misery. Then he points out that I probably just have a bit of a wanderlust. "I.T. people just don't stay in the same job for long" says RightSaidFred. "why?" I reply. "What am I, a job expert?" he says. "It's probably because they are mostly a bunch of nerds in I.T. who can't be satisfied with what they've got" he says. RightSaidFred is definitely in a right mood. "What about you then?" I ask him. "I'm in my perfect job and I'm staying right where I am" says RightSaidFred.

Day 5. RightSaidFred calls and tells me he's started looking for a new job. "After talking to you yesterday," he says, "I realized I wanted to move". I politely suggest to him that his brain must be somewhat smaller than peanut. "The world's largest peanut is 20 feet tall and can be seen from half a mile away" he replies, before hanging up and sending me a rude email.

Day 22. Jobsites. Searching jobsites. Finding which jobsites to search. Such has been my focus for a few weeks. I remember searching newspaper and computer magazines for a job a couple of jobs back, it's so much easier now. There's a few that are tempting, but one that really grabs me. I want it.

Javva The Hutt.

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