I'm New to This. Really.

Apparently I've previously shared enough about Tridion that (more than a few) of my current peers thought I was a consultant or with a firm before joining SDL.

Surprise! I didn't have the title of "consultant" until last month. Up until September, I was a 100% honest-to-goodness non-developer (at-the-time), non-partner, project manager that did business analysis and software purchases. And I worked as an employee of a Tridion customer.

If that makes your head spin, in an alternate universe I'm likely a ballroom dancer or martial artist.

I've enjoyed systems-related work that have included a mix of research, business analysis, and agile (or not-so-agile) development. I would have loved to do Tridion-related work on the side, but alas companies that buy this type of software don't have night and evening opportunities!

I was approached by a half-dozen "opportunities" from third-party recruiters--yes, it's a good market), but I had to apply (sorry, no glamorous come-work-for-us-offer) to my current job like anyone else (tip: an international call from California to SDL's HR office in Amsterdam aint cheap!).

So I'm a mix of someone who's...

• new-to-consulting, but familiar with giving advice and teaching
• new to having actual readers (hi Twitter bot and my dozen readers), but comfortable with informal, technical, and academic writing
• the "new guy" that happens to have been around since the R5.3 release

If you happen to be an SDL client and this makes you wonder if I'm qualified to be your consultant. You betcha I'm qualified! Combine several years with the Tridion product and a customer-perspective with the full intellectual backing of an awesome team and we'll have a great time, learn lots, and even solve a problem or two.

Recommendation to any professionals shifting careers: read your employment contract carefully, most of which have clauses preventing competition and protecting intellectual property. I was  free to apply in my scenario, but some licenses, master service agreements, or terms & conditions may restrict employees from joining vendors. There's almost always a clause that restricts vendors from joining a customer. When in doubt, an honest conversation with the boss is a good place to start.