I just got back from a work trip. This was slightly different from my typical week-long visits to the office in the Bay Area as I was only there for three days. I wasn’t even scheduled to be there this week but still, I wanted to be there. Why, you might ask? My manager was retiring.
My manager has been with this company for almost four decades and has held a high position as a VP and as one of the company’s pillars. He is smart, talented, friendly, and funny, though his wife might argue that.
I have been fortunate enough to be mentored by him for over six years. When I was hired into this company sometime in 2018, he was one of the few people who interviewed me. He wasn’t even supposed to be there and only acted as a proxy since the person who was supposed to interview me, the department chief, was unavailable at that time. Vibes were good and we connected a lot. I wished that my future manager, in case this company decides to hire me, who I still have not met at the time, was just as jolly and friendly as this VP.
After a few days, I received an offer letter and then quickly decided that I was going to accept the position. Within 2 weeks, I had my bags packed and uprooted my life in Orange County and moved to the San Francisco Bay Area.
I finally met the chief who I will be reporting under. He was more serious than the VP but he’s still pretty chill, regardless. He was also smart and talented and was a good mentor. I was happy. I was content. Until six months later, a position opened in a sister department that was headed by the VP.
The VP came to me directly, asking if I was interested in this position, and if I was, I needed to tailor my skills to match the requirements of this position. I was surprised he came to me. I figured he took a liking towards me not only because of the quality of my work, but also because of my eagerness to learn. I’m assuming our connection from six months prior also played a role in this decision to gauge my interest in this newly opened position. I interviewed again, understood what the role meant, and was impressed at how much of a boost the salary was compared to the position I hired into. I gladly accepted and hoped for the best.
One of the first few events that both I and that VP attended together was an Oakland A’s game and was hosted by a construction material supplier. We had met up at the BART station in Fremont and took the train to the Oakland coliseum. He was a big sports guy. We chatted about baseball and the stadium for a bit and then he blurted something about how he’s planning to retire eventually. I jokingly responded: “I just got here and just transferred to your department. Now you’re talking about retiring?” He said it might take a couple more years but he had already started to think about it. I wished him luck and I hoped I would still be there on his last day.
As much as I like to say I am happily employed in this company, there were a few times when I thought about leaving. One factor was the desire to be close to my family and friends in Southern California again. Another is that my responsibilities are getting stale and I felt like I needed a change. I keep telling myself I’ll just wait until the VP retires and then I can leave too. Plenty of things have happened since then including the problems encountered during Covid and other layoffs that the company had to go through. Thankfully, I was never a casualty. I realized they needed me, and I needed them, too.
Late 2023 was when I received news that the landlord needed the residential unit we were living in. I took it as a sign and as an opportunity to move back to SoCal instead of moving to another location in the Bay Area. This would mean I would need to quit my job because there’s a lot of collaboration involved working in the construction industry and that physical presence was needed a lot of times. I was worried about my future. I kept my head high. I told myself to just do my thing and that whatever will be, will be. God is with me.
I broke the news to my boss shortly after that year’s Thanksgiving break. It was an emotional meeting with another one of my managers and I could tell she was holding back her tears as I went through the details of my decision to move. They were both very supportive and told me that they can be used as my references for future interviews. I didn’t want to leave, but due to circumstance, I might have no other choice. The VP asked if I was interested in working remotely if that was on the table. I confidently said yes, and our meeting adjourned with more questions.
Days and weeks have passed and I still haven’t heard back regarding my employment. I was starting to feel worried about my future. Eventually, we scheduled a meeting, and the VP told me that if I was still interested, working remotely was an approved option, they are willing to work with me and try out this thing for a few months, at least until I find a different job if I was still looking. I almost burst into tears. Aside from the stress of looking for a new place to live hundreds of miles away from where I was at the time was the added pressure of possibly looking for a new job. I haven’t had any callbacks from the places I have applied to and I was getting disheartened. I didn’t hesitate to accept the 6-month trial of remote work and see where it would take us. A big burden taken off my shoulders. I was so grateful for the opportunity. I decided to stay with the company.
About two weeks ago, I was back in the office for the scheduled bi-monthly meeting our departments had to host. It has been over a year since the decision to move and to take on a semi-remote work schedule offered by the VP. I have also been back to the office a handful of times every other month or so. I guess my transition to remote work has become permanent now. It has also been months since the VP announced to a few people that he will be retiring soon. Perfect time to discuss my annual review and plan next steps after his retirement. We talked about my progress, from where I started to where I am now, and to where he thinks I could go moving forward. He confirmed when his last day would be and I told him I wanted to be there, and he responded saying it would be great.
Fast forward to today, the VP is now happily retired. His last day was on Monday, and I made sure I was there to see him one last time as my manager. We chatted for a bit and talked about one of my first deep discussions with him during my early days with the company. I reminded him about that baseball game we went to and how he joked about wanting to retire. The day has finally come and I couldn’t be any happier for him. He deserves this after decades of hard work and being one of the leaders of the company. He was a great teacher, a mentor, who knows the value of integrity and hard work.
“One helluva career,” I told him. I am still here on this career path because of him. Without him, his guidance, and this opportunity he gave me, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I am lucky to have this chance to do remote work as I believe I am the only one in the company to have this privilege. And it was only possible because of him and the trust he put in me.
This is the first time I get to witness someone close a chapter like this in their life. I know there will be more in the future, but this one in particular, though it’s not mine, is very dear to my heart.