Events of the Past 13 Months - Part 1

It has been 13 months since my last blog post. A great deal has happened in my life since then so there is a lot to talk about in this catching-up post. I may break it down into several more manageable segments. In this first segment, I will concentrate on my professional life as let's face it - it's what pays the bills.

Toward the end of March, I left J&J after six and a half years. There were a number of reasons why I decided to leave, but the main ones were: the long commute, working 2nd shift and the lack of recognition and opportunity in my job. I had just grown very frustrated with my role in Fort Washington and was starting to get burnt out. The last straw was my performance review at the beginning of March. I received the same rating as the previous year even though I probably did three times the amount of work and was involved with every project or initiative that came down the road. I was given the same BS feedback as the prior year; that I needed to increase my visibility. Okay. That's what you told me last year too so I went out and got involved in half a dozen projects in addition to my regular duties. Apparently, that wasn't enough. Bottom line: I was sick of my job, sick of driving 155 miles (better part of three hours) each day and tired of never being home in the evenings. I put in for a 1st shift position in FW and didn't get it and I tried a couple of times to get back to the Lancaster Plant, but it just didn't work out. Back in the Fall of 2009, I really started looking externally for a new opportunity.

That opportunity showed up in the form of a 1st shift QA position at Hershey's. I went from making Tylenol to making chocolate and I LOVE it! I am working as a Senior QA Specialist at the West Hershey Plant, which makes Hershey Bars, Hershey Kisses and Nuggets. I have been there a little over a month and I am really liking it so far. Our QA group is small. There are seven of us total. I am getting the chance to be involved in so many different things and each day is unique. I feel a renewed sense of commitment and enthusiasm. Hershey's is a great company with iconic brands and a great reputation. Our 1Q sales were up 15% this year so the financials are looking good. My commute is an easy 30-minute drive and I love working in Hershey. It's like being in the center of the chocolate universe. Plus, the company has strong ties to the community, to Hersheypark and to the Hershey Bears, who I love and now feel a more personal connection to than I did before. I love when the Bears' radio announcer John Walton says something like, "4-1 Chocolatetown," after the Bears score a goal.

So that is pretty much it for the professional side of the last 13 months. I am now home every day by like 4:00 or 4:30 and am getting to spend more time with the family, which can be both good and bad. I will discuss those challenges in another segment. I'll conclude with a little thought I had shortly after I started my new job, "How can I not have a good day, I make chocolate for a living?"