Got the job! Yay me.

Meet the new job.

And to continue the Who lyric,

Same as the old job.

Same company, that is.

Yes, after the Honda debacle, and another two weeks of intense job hunting, I found a new position with Perot Systems.

In Youngstown.

On September 1, 2006, Perot signed a 10-year contract with Catholic Health Partners to run their data centers in Youngstown and Cincinnati.

I saw a position posted for a job at the Youngstown center, applied, interviewed and was offered the position. So I'll keep my 5.5 years with the company ... which means 3 weeks vacation (nice!) and all the usual perks that went with the company's benefits package, which I liked.

As for the job - it's very different that what I've done, which is good ... I'm ready for something new and different. I've done about all I can do on the user support end of the table ... this is all about servers.

750 servers at this location; 1,600 total between the two centers.

Going into the interview I told them I had limited server experience. They said that was not a problem, they'd show me how they did things at this level, and teach me how they want it done.

So I go from managing 6 servers to 750! There are plans to merge the centers in Cincinnati in 2007, but the position in Youngstown will stay there doing remote administration, and could turn into a work-from-home position. The are also other great opportunities for me to learn amazing things I'd not have the ability to learn on my own - stuff that I could never get my hands on, hardware and software wise. All in all, this is all new stuff to me, and you know how I love a technical challenge!

I find out tomorrow the actual salary and start date, but I know the salary range ... it's a little less than I was making in my last position; but it's a different job, different level and different market.

It's well within my acceptable range, and more than I have been offered for any position here in Columbus, so it's all good.

And I'll be closer to my friends and family, which is what's important to me at this stage in my life.

I love Columbus, but the draw it used to have on me has faded.

So for those of you in the Youngstown area, you'll be seeing more of me soon.

-Eric