Tech is the typical topic on this blog. But today I want to highlight a personal milestone, one I've anticipated over the distant horizon for years. Now it's finally here. I've somehow managed to stay working in the same career for 20 years. And there's no telling how many more I might go.

It started for me in junior high. We were told to think of a career path as we would soon set a course through high school. I wanted to be an Architect and design residential floor plans, so I focused my electives on drafting. Eventually, this carried into college where I earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design and Development. After graduating, it took about two years to land in my current career.

The past 20 years

My income has been earned by doing the same thing for two decades: Structural Design. The oversimplified way to put it is, "I do AutoCAD." My professional work centers on computer aided drafting and modeling in 3D. Over the past twenty years, I've worked at four different architecture or engineering companies with the same role, starting as a drafter and working up to a designer.

Why is the big 20 such a big deal to me? Because that's the same amount of time my dad served in the U.S. Navy. He had the opportunity to rank up and serve longer but chose to retire from the military at 20 years. So that's always been a guide for me, to stay in my own main career for a solid twenty revolutions around the sun. Like father, like son.

Having that goal has helped me stay committed during rough patches. Working in the industrial engineering industry, especially in the somewhat volatile oil and gas market in Texas, hasn't been smooth sailing. Project schedules are typically fast-track; it's hard to maintain a sprint. And twenty years is a marathon.

Getting techincal

By the way, here's the tech angle of this post. Part of the reason I chose this career is because I like working with computers; Computer Science was my minor for a time. Also, drafting is technical and visual.

It's also significant to point out that while I prefer Apple or Google devices for my personal computing, I've worked professionally in a Windows environment for twenty years. I first started using Windows in the 90s for school and personal stuff.

Almost everyday of the week, I do "real work" on a Windows computer. And every day of the week, I do all else on a Mac or iPad. So when I say I'm iPad-only or Mac-mostly, that regards my personal computing. If including all my computing, well, I'm a mixed bag.

The next 20 years

Where will I go from here? For now, I'm continuing on the same trajectory. In fact, I can imagine many more years and projects to come because my current company is really great to work for, and because we are switching to new CAD software that will make us wonder how we ever worked without it before.

When it comes to retirement, I don't think I'll ever truly stop working for an income on some level. Again, my dad's path guides me. After retiring from a twenty-year Naval career, he started a new career that continues today, one that's somewhat opposite of military work.

I don't know if or when I'll stop my Structural Design career, but if so, I imagine I'll start something new, maybe a job that's the opposite of my current profession. I sometimes wonder if instead of working at a computer in a cubicle, I'll work outside in nature, like for Texas Parks and Wildlife. Maybe I'll be a teacher. Or maybe I'll stick with computers; I'm interested in web front-end development.

Final thoughts

Whatever the future holds, I can finally say, "I made it!" Well, I made it at least as far as the twenty-year milestone. It's a big one that helps me step back and rethink where I've been, what I've learned or accomplished, and where I may go next.

I'm proud, in a healthy way, of making it this far. And I'm thankful. God has blessed me, and my family, through the skills, talents, knowledge, self-discipline, and circumstances he's given me.

I also credit two key people for jump-starting my career. My brother-in-law, an Architect at the time, helped me get a job at the firm he worked for. Then the Lead Structural Designer at that Architecture firm in Houston took me under his wing and taught me all the basics of steel and concrete drafting.

If interested and you're on LinkedIn, you can learn more about my career path here.

Thanks for reading, y’all.