Leaving Microsoft in Silicon Valley, joining Demand Media in Santa Monica
After having worked for almost 4 years for Microsoft, I’ve decided to let go.
Some people think it’s crazy to quit a well-paid and stable job in this economy,
but as much as I love Microsoft, I love my fiancée more, so it was time for me
to pack up my stuff in San Jose and join PT in Los Angeles. Looking back, I am
saddened to leave the dream company I’ve always wanted to work for since
childhood, but I am proud to have left my imprints on Microsoft Mediaroom (aka AT&T U-Verse) – the
coolest TV product out there.
On the other hand, I am very excited about this move. As a big-city person, I
hated living in Silicon Valley, a place that is surely vibrant and exciting for
the tech community, but socially and culturally doesn’t have that much to offer.
I’ve now returned to Los Angeles and live with PT near UCLA. We go jogging every
other morning and have dinner together each evening. On weekends we drive
together to visit our parents (and my cats) in OC, but we’ll also reserve the
right to stay in the City of Angels on weekends too. While this isn’t New York
City, it’s the second favorite US city for me to live in.
As for work, I’ve returned to my passion of web development and joined social
web conglomerate Demand Media in Santa
Monica. My commute to work is surprisingly short for the greater Los Angeles
area (only 15-20 minutes), and working right next to the Santa Monica beach and
the Third Street Promenade
surely is a great location for fun, food and festivities. I can’t wait to play
some real beach volleyball with my new coworkers in the summer. What’s also
exciting is that as a Lead Software Engineer here, I’ll get a chance in leading
a team of developers in developing new features on some high-traffic websites. I
am looking forward to the challenge and opportunity.
All in all, lots of changes to my life this month, but I am embracing them
all.
PS: This will be my last post on MSDN blogs. I'll continue blogging personally at http://www.enderminh.com/blog/
