Plot twist, I’m back at ArcTouch!
After almost four years of my urban planning side quest, I’m back on the main quest.
The adventure
I feel super fortunate that I was able to spend the past few years exploring the world of planning and related spaces. It gave me the time and space to dive into something I’ve been curious about, make new friends in diverse industries, and find new hobbies that help me feel like a more balanced human.
When I decided to return to school, my mission was to work on a product for planners. Working at UrbanSim felt like the perfect “capstone project” for that original goal. So when I was laid off in March, I wasn’t sure what to do next. I’m still really interested in planning as a subject area and still believe there’s a way to incorporate that experience, but I wanted to keep an open mind about my next step.
I felt like I was in a weird spot career-wise with my particular skill sets and experiences because I felt like I could go in any direction, and I wasn’t quite sure how to explain my side quest in the context of my design career. Luckily, after letting my network know I was open for work, I had great conversations with folks about different types of opportunities.
The return
I was surprised when my old boss at ArcTouch reached out about possibly coming back. The more we talked about it, and the more I talked to other folks on the team, the more excited I was about returning and working together again.
So as of last week, I’m officially back at ArcTouch as the Director of Design! 🎉
I’ll be a design evangelist, helping clients and internal teams imagine possible futures and find exciting ways to combine delightful design with new technology. I’m excited about the role and feel like it’s an excellent fit for what I already love doing.
There are also cool projects in the pipeline, but what I’m really looking forward to, maybe more than anything, is working with the whole team again, both new and old.
Careers are like a ball of yarn.
When I think about the way my career has unfolded over the past 15+ years, I keep thinking about this quote I came across a few years ago:
“It’s similar to untangling a ball of yarn: if you waited until you knew how the entire process would end, you might never get started. Of course, you hope to have a clear vision right from the start, but if you don’t, dive in and see what you find — you’ll likely make key realizations along the way. Ironically, often it’s the roadblocks you encounter that point the way.”
— Manhattan Prep GRE strategy guide.
(Solid life advice metaphor from an unexpected source)
🧶
