Luck favors the prepared...

I wonder what the people in the auto industry are doing right now. If it were me, I'd have my resume updated, any certifications I wanted/needed done, and I'd be begging Nissan/Toyota/Honda for a job, on the cheap. I figure this is the time for the Foreign Three to beef up their management structures with experienced staff from the Big Three.

But that's just me. I prepare. I fear, and then I react on that fear. I'm always worried about being fired and running "What if scenarios" through my head.

I actually had one of those "What ifs" come true this week. Yesterday an email went out to everyone in my company asking them if they had any training dreams. Turns out we need to spend about $2500 BEFORE the end of the year. Well, turns out I did! I'd been trying to find an easy way to get my PMP (Project Management Professional) certification. I've been in project management about five years now and I'm fairly good at it.

So I email my boss, who emails his boss and, after about an hour "You're approved!" So, it's set! Next week I'm going to a 4 day PMP Boot Camp. It's 10.5 hours of Project Management per day, but of course I only get to charge 8 hours. Them's the breaks, I guess.

So yeah, that's about another $5k-$10k on my asking price. I won't see it from this job, of course, but in about three years I'll have to move on (contract ends) and I'm looking at finally moving into the six-digit numbers. Also, PMP certification is becoming a requirement in government work so I've got that as a possibility if I get tired of contract work. Life is good.

Of course, I was happy for about 10 seconds. Then?

"After I get my PMP...I should start thinking about a Master's Degree in IT Management."

Sometimes, I really wish I could turn ambition off and just be happy.

Sometimes.