As an IT programmer, it is not unusual to have the bad kind of career problem.  Choosing a career path that provides happiness and the ability to maintain what has been a good standard of living.  I have worked, as a contractor for a lot of good companies (and a few as an employee.)  I have worked with loads of great people.  People I miss working with.  In some cases, I even miss the work.

But for the most part, I don't miss the working environment.  All too often I was given a task and not expected to do anything more than bring my expertise to bear on coding the designed solution.  At my last two clients, I kinda bull rushed my way into some creative work and in one case, which I far too often overlook, was asked to be creative in the design of a web-app.  I overlook it because I got moved to another project and I guess blocked it because I was sad about that.

My new client is a university.  A prestigious midwestern private university.  With IT built around MS technologies.  Sigh.  :-)  Actually, I wouldn't be here if I weren't an MS programmer, and so this is actually a good thing.  My group is committed, well, I say my group when what I really mean is that my boss and HIS boss are committed to bringing a more modern web-app environment to our students.  I created a Facebook account to see what the fuss was about and my boss' boss friended me!  I was there when *HE* told my boss to get a Facebook account!

There seems to be a real commitment to making a difference here for the user.  This is very bizarre to me.  Sure we have deadlines and we have quality to deliver, but there is a real commitment to making a difference.  And not just ANY difference.  No.  We are not going the "throw more features at them" approach.  Our goal is to make the interface elegant, open, intuitive.  And my boss asked me to think about a problem and to present what I thought was the best way to solve it.

OH

MY

GOD

!!!!!!!

So, what's the problem?  Well, I have been blogging about making choices in the last couple of months about the future of AOS and my IT programming career.  Before, the hardest part was reconciling that I wanted to go a route that would not pay the bills right away with the need to pay the bills right away.

Now I have to choose how to balance AOS with my new gig, which I am seriously torn on wanting to convert to employment.  I like the university.  After 7 years, my daughters go to college for free!  Not a driving factor for me, but a MAJOR consideration none-the-less!  What to do?  What to do?

For now, the plan is the same as before.  Until a job offer comes, the plan is to roll with AOS full time in 2010 unless we strike gold somehow.  If a job offer comes, then the question is can I have my cake AND eat it too?

Good problem.