From Cisco to Red Hat

Same satellite dish, as NDS and Cisco. I’m not sure whether this dish will be around next year, so I’m glad I got these photos. If you’re wondering how I did it without a helicopter, HR asked me to record the changeover of the signs and dishes. I spent two days taking photos on the roof and in front of the building.

Just before Passover I was laid off by Cisco. It was hard, not having looked for a job, um, ever…. Seriously, my previous jobs all fell into my lap. Of course I had the usual worries about my age, my less-than-fluent Hebrew, and my hodgepodge training. I sometimes tell people I went to YouTube Uni to learn engineering. I decided to return to technical writing because (a) there are way too many good engineers looking for jobs and I can’t compete with eng. degrees and certs, (b) I stand out more as a tech writer with Integration&Testing and DevOps experience than I do as an engineer who can write well, and (c) bottom line: I can earn more as a senior technical writer than as a junior engineer.

I started interviewing at two companies, a well-known automotive tech company in Jerusalem and Red Hat in Raanana. I was concerned about the killer commute, living in Maale Adumim and not having a driver’s license, but Red Hat’s policy is to allow workers to work from home, especially if they live far from the office. They made me a very good offer and I’ve accepted.

I finish at Cisco on May 28 and start at Red Hat on June 5. Sometimes things really do work out for the best!