Q Squared

This week I Quit my job at Qiagen. In business terms, "I submitted my intention to resign because I have accepted a more lucrative position with another company." I'll wrap up my current responsibilities next week, and then take my new post mid-April.

The decision to leave my current job wasn't an easy one, and definitely required more thought and contemplation than any other job decision I've ever made. (One time in college I quit a bartending job because my Manager dared me to.) My new position will still be in Molecular Biology/Biotech Sales, though I'll now be an 'Account Manager' - selling an advanced Electrochemiluminescent Technology to the various Pharmaceutical Companies. I wasn't particularly looking to leave my current job, but this new opportunity came up - and it was too good to pass up.

I mentioned in a previous post that I don't believe in taking chances, but I do like taking calculated risks. It would have been easy to just hang out in my current job, take a decent paycheck, and coast through the year. However, I've always been someone who's searching for what's next...or what bigger is out there for me. My new job will challenge me in new ways, require some serious effort, apply plenty of pressure....but also offers con$iderable reward$ to those who work hard and make things happen.

Those of you who have my current e-mail address and phone number....those will be disappearing next Friday. If I deem you worthy, I'll be getting in touch with you to give you my new contact info. If not - leave a comment here on east coast mark....and I'll let you know how to find me.

Word of my resignation has been slowly leaking out around the company, so I've been fielding calls almost hourly this week that start off with, "Dude! What the hell! I heard you're leaving!?!" It's kind of like breaking up with a girlfriend 5 or 6 times a day. "It's not you, it's me...." "We can still be friends...." "We had some good laughs though, didn't we?" "Maybe we can still hook up once in awhile...you know, if it's not weird..."

Anyway, my only advice is always to keep your eyes open...you never know when a new opportunity is going to present itself.

To take you off into the weekend, here's something that is sure to make you smile.