Why do I quit my job at dream companies like Facebook and Google?

Below is David Pullara's post on LinkedIn about his decision to leave Google in April this year. The post so far has reached 300,000 views on LinkedIn, hundreds of shares and comments (mostly positive), are thousands of likes …

I am an old Google employee.

For those who know me, they will be surprised to see the word "old" in the sentence above. As a marketer, I've always loved Google for the past decade. When I first started working here from last year, I couldn't help but be happy to work in a company that has been shaping the digital marketing industry, and moreover, taking the lead in shaping the working style. of everyone in the world. Google has no doubts, is really changing the world every day, and when working here, I can live as I dreamed.

But the decision to leave Google, though extremely difficult, was the right decision. I felt that I made the right choice, because I gradually realized, although I worked at a company I loved, but my position did not give me the same feeling.

This is something I could not expect when I first found the job posting "Account Executive" posted on Google's website in early 2015. Actually, I thought, "This is the perfect position for me. ! ”Although I am a marketer and the job is obviously about sale, the tasks mentioned are more about strategic thinking, building relationships, and finding solutions more than merely“ meeting targets". Throughout my career full of interesting imprints – moving from one industry to another, from one company to another, from one function to another – and I always find thrill in must adapt to new environments, or from learning strange and interesting skills. So what is the difference from "sale position"?

During the interview, I was also very sincere that my work history was not a bit of a sale experience, but the interviewer said it was not what they were looking for. They are looking for a good marketer, strategically minded, who "understands customers and understands how media decisions are made." I thought, "Who am I?" with this description, and know that I will be a valuable factor in the team. Google seems to agree, so they invited me to this position, and I started a new chapter of life, an official of Google from June 2015.

At Google, everything happens very quickly; Every Google employee knows this, and no one is justified. Google often recruits people who are extremely smart and curious, and they are used to solving everything on their own. So if anyone asks you how the first months worked at Google, the answer is often "Great, but I feel a bit overwhelmed" or, "I don't think, but it feels like I'm drinking water from The fire hose ”, the person will laugh warmly, nodding and reassuring you that these feelings are perfectly normal and any new Googler will have a similar experience. They tell you not to worry, but things will get better in the next few months.

So I decided not to settle. Instead, I tried several times earlier to understand all of Google's products, and how marketers will use these tools. I continue to meet with customers to decide how I will help them, and strengthen relationships with talented colleagues and global players to understand more about the ideas and practices of they. I accepted the speed of Google's rocket operation, a pace very different from the previous companies I used to, and a pace that proved both effective and enthusiastic.

But something is missing. There is still something wrong.

All my life, I have always been a super productive worker, and I am very familiar with the speed of learning and working quickly. The feeling of disability after a few months of work is not the feeling that I often encounter, and obviously not the feeling I am willing to accept. So I put more effort into it, and began to seek help. I had a sincere talk with my manager about what I was going through and what I wanted to do to solve, and together, we came up with a plan to make me more comfortable in my role. mine. I spend more time on training. I connect with many other Google employees to hear their advice, how to succeed in my role, and apply their suggestions if possible. I get along with more customers to see if I have another chance to help them. I even found an Executive Coach, my own investment to learn more about myself and what I need to do to succeed.

But in the end, it was my newborn daughter who helped me realize the problem.

My wife and I had just had our first daughter, Charlotte, in early February, and my manager encouraged me to take advantage of Google's paternity policy. At first, I was still a little hesitant, but decided to take a break after hearing her say that I would never regain the first moments with my daughter, and she was right. So I take a month off to spend time watching what.

In Meghann Foye's article on The New York Post, talk about the concept of "maternity leave," in which she defines "a vacation that allows women (and a small part – men) to focus on the face." another of life does not surround work. ”I find myself in it, I take the time to re-evaluate the priorities in life. I spent four weeks of my vacation holding my daughter in my arms and thinking about what made me happy, and what wasn't.

And I realized, the work itself, is the factor that doesn't help me be happy.

I love Google. I love the culture and mission of the company. I feel blessed to be surrounded by intelligent and enthusiastic people. I love the way companies treat their employees, not just about compensation and benefits, but also from a perspective of trust, information, and respect. I love Google. But I just realized that I didn't fill in the right role.

I am a marketer, not a sale. I have a passion and skills to build brand in the long term, not to build quarterly sales figures. And I, though extremely respectful of both sales and agency partners, do not really belong to any group. Trying to be a different person (and I really don't want to do that) has affected the real person and is the root of my unhappiness.

As Steve Jobs once said, "The only way to make great things is to love what you are doing. If you haven't found love yet, keep looking, don't stop. "I'm not happy because I'm struggling, I'm struggling because I'm not happy. And to handle the problem, the solution is now clearer than ever.

When I went back to work after the vacation, I once again explained to the manager, and explained why I felt I wasn't doing the right role. Accordingly, I said that I would stay with Google if there was a position that really suited me, otherwise I would have to break up with the company. The manager was very psychological and sympathetic, she fully supported me looking for other options in the company. After realizing that the position I was looking for was not here, she still strongly supported me to leave the company gently.

When I announced this news to my colleagues, everyone was very psychological. Many people write emails telling me that they are very impressed with my self-awareness, and the courage to make the necessary choices for me. Among those great emails, there's a saying that I really like: "If you're not immersed in what you're doing, don't waste your precious time – especially when you have three babies. She is watching you as her role model. ”

Sometimes I hesitate, will I make the right choice when leaving a big company like Google without a better stop? Of course. (Incidentally, at that time I was also eating a sandwich, and I don't know if the Google cafe menu today has a re-dish.)

But then I think about how much time a person has to work in life, and how bad this time is to do things I don't like. I told myself that I didn't really leave Google, but a position that didn't bring happiness.

And most importantly, I remember the three kids who will look at me, and I want to teach them to realize what they like to do, and encourage them to pursue their dreams.

I was no longer wondering about my choice, but went back to eating a sandwich with a smile on my face.

ITZone via David Pullara

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