Step 1: Quit Your Job
I printed out my 2 weeks notice. There was something heavy about that piece of paper that I didn’t want to dwell on too much during that day at work. Today was the day…
It took me a year to follow my passions. A lot of this was timing (had to fully vest on 401K, wait the time to not get penalized on tuition reimbursement, and pay off my car that I was selling back as part of the VW emissions scandal). But another part was that I didn’t want to leave Medtronic. Honestly, making this move was the hardest decision of my life.
There is something about having a good paying job, working on products that help people, and being a part of a company that people know and respect. Having the security that a good job gives you is something not to be taken for granted. The downside is that it makes it that much harder to leave. It’s scary leaving the safety, security, and familiarity of working at the same place for years. In America especially, our identities are often intertwined with our jobs. A typical introductory question in social gatherings is, “What do you do?” Because of this, it took a month to build up the courage after deciding that I was truly going to leave to actually do it.
Now when you imagine quitting your job it’s often visualized as this proud moment when you are asserting your worth and that you are confident in your abilities to go elsewhere. This almost sticking it to the man that I am sure everybody has fantasized of at one point or another in their careers.
It was not like that.
It was sad. I would equate it to something similar to a break up. You both don’t want it to happen but it is something that is necessary. It was hard to control my emotions saying “goodbye” and “thank you” to the coworkers and the company that had such an impact on me.
Luckily I had the excitement for my upcoming journey to mask some of the sadness of leaving. It is this excitement for the future, of doing my part to create the next generation of medical innovations for the world that will guide me for the next 9 months.
Looking back, what I miss most are the people that I worked with. There were so many smart, dedicated, and caring people that I had the opportunity to work alongside. Their compassion for patients showed through in a lot of the work that was done and I truly believe the Medtronic Mission guides many who have the privilege to work there. I hope to help others as much as I have been helped by all of my former coworkers. I will always have a place in my heart for my loving Medtronic family.
In memory of Kevin Mangle, friend and mentor, who always advocated for me to follow my dreams.