The end of a chapter...

This week marks my last week working where I have worked for the past 5 years. I have made a lot of wonderful friends during this journey...many of which I will miss terribly when I leave on Thursday. However, I am happy to be moving on.

I graduated from college in 2004, moved home to Maryland to marry the man of my dreams. I went back to work after a few months at home as a happy newlywed as a chemist at a local laboratroy that tested on animals for the envrionment. I worked there for 7 long, miserable months. Then, I left and went to work at a local opthalmologist office. This was just a means to an end...then an opportunity arouse where I went back to work at the Pharmacy I worked at when I was in high school as a compounding Technician. I knew then that I always wanted more. Todd saw an opportunity in the paper on Sunday morning for a Chemist job at a local company and I thought what do I have to lose?! So, I applied for the job....and I got it!


When I started at this company in 2007, I didn't know a thing about being a chemist. But that was okay, because they knew that too and they were comfortable training me and getting me up to speed. Who knew that would entail me working solo in the laboratory under the direction on only a compliance manager? But you know what? I did it....then things started to change....over the past 5 years, I have had 5-6 different bosses and seen the company split and be sold a number of times. With all that change meant that each management head had a new idea of how they wanted the laboratory run, each customer had a demand and I had to follow these directions. This also meant that at one point, the Director of Quality left right in the middle of the big lab renovation and I would stay at work until midnight some nights getting things moved. I hired general contractors to complete the flooring project, I arranged outside vendors to come in and move and recalibrate equipment so that we woul have ZERO downtime and I was successful at that. During this process, I hired a jr chemist, who is now one of my best friends ever. Probably like the sister I have never had. We worked so well together....she started on her first day and asked where her new boss was, and I had to tell her he was let go last week and that I didn't know who was in charge. We tried to get the lab up and running on our own, and she was a great help. As we grew, we hired on another jr chemist....then after a few compliance managers, a failed business project that required a ton of time from the lab. To this date, I had a number of reviews, management awards, etc...each review said that I exceeded expectations and that I was on track for management at this company.

Then, 2011 came and I went on leave for 12 weeks while we adopted Tatum and travelled to China. Some changes were going on during my leave, they hired a replacement temp for me and also another jr chemist. I came back to a new work envrionment. Then in the new year, a Laboratory Manager started. I welcomed this because obviously there was something that either I was not doing right, or not being appreciated for. I welcomed the opportunity to have my workload decreased, someone to take the fall when things go wrong, and most importantly some direction.....that wasn't really the case. In June I was told that my position in the laboratory would be eliminated. I was devastated, hurt and confused. Okay, and most of all, I was plain just PISSED off. I was told that I could either take severance or move to another department. I had always wanted to try my hand at product management, so I went for that option. I don't regret this decision and for me now, this is not something I wish to persue. I need to be challenged more in my everyday life working outside the home. I need a new opportunity. I don't need to push papers through various departments. I need to think.

Again, my husband found an opportunity on Career Builder and I went for it. (Do you notice a trend here?? LOL) I sent my resume/application in at 7am one morning online and by 11am I had an interview scheduled with a new compnay. A new opprtunity was laying right in front of me and I couldn't wait. I think most of all, I just wanted to go for it and see if I could obtain this opportunity....and guess what, I GOT THE JOB!! Everything in life happens for a reason....I have learned a lot from the company that I am currently employed with for the next 4 day. Most of all, I have learned what NOT to do. I have learned how NOT to conduct myself and I have learned that this is NOT what I want to be doing for the rest of my life. I have seen a number of people come and go from this place of employment...but I have gained a number of TRUE friends during my 5 years here. These friends I will miss seeing everyday. They were the ones that got me through some good times, and some bad times at work both professionally and personally. Many of these people have been my biggest supporters...and for that, I want to say Thank you! That is something that I plan to take with me. This is how people should be treated...and I want to take this with me as I try my hand as a manager.

On Monday, September 10th I will the manager of a laboratory for the number one company in their type of manufacturing. They are the best worldwide at what they do, and they know that. These people think I have what it takes to run their laboratory and I am going to give it my best shot. My sweet husband bought me a book for my kindle the other day for me to read...he knows I am nervous and scared, but he also knows that I can do this, and you know what? I CAN DO THIS!!! I am ready for this new challenge....more than you will ever know.