Today (June 28th) is my last day at Rocket’s China branch, marking the end of my ten years here. This is the longest I’ve worked at any company in my career, and I wanted to take this opportunity to write a few words to conclude this decade.
Time flies. In the blink of an eye, ten years have quietly passed. Only by living earnestly and diligently can one avoid lamenting the passage of time. A favorite quote of mine is: “The best time to plant a tree was ten years ago, the second best time is today.”
Influenced by my colleagues, I fell in love with the software industry after joining the company and aspired to become a technical expert in the eyes of others. I transitioned from a test engineer to a developer and eventually dedicated myself to the DevOps field, reaping joy and accomplishment along the way.
A Decade’s Journey—Thank you. During my ten years at Rocket China, I’ve met many excellent colleagues and friends from whom I’ve learned a great deal and been profoundly influenced.
Countless team dinners, activities, trips, football games, badminton matches, swimming sessions, and more—thank you for accompanying me along the way, making this journey more exciting and unforgettable.
Thank you also to my family for their constant tolerance, understanding, support, and love. You have been my strong backing, allowing me to move forward fearlessly. Thank you for all the beautiful memories of these ten years.
Thirty Years, Five Cities. In my thirty years, I’ve lived in five cities: born in Zhuanghe, Liaoning; studied at university in Shenyang; my first job was in Shanghai; later, I worked in Beijing for three years. In 2014, I resigned from JD.com and returned to my hometown of Dalian.
Dalian is one of my favorite cities; it has beautiful scenery and a pleasant climate. Here, I bought a house, got married, and had a child, completing many important milestones in my life.
All good things must come to an end. As the last day approaches, my feelings are mixed.
There is excitement and anticipation for the future, but also worry about challenges and the unknown, as well as concern for my family. I look forward to my wife, child, and I becoming better and stronger on the road ahead; however, this will undoubtedly be full of challenges, both professionally and personally. I can’t be sure whether this process will be smooth or how long it will take.
Choosing Europe—A New Chapter. Some may ask, “Can’t you support your family in China? Why go so far?” In reality, it’s not a matter of right or wrong, but a matter of choice. A person’s choices are often closely related to their experiences.
Previously, I never considered going abroad. It wasn’t until I joined Rocket China that I saw excellent colleagues taking their families and children to Australia, Europe, and Japan. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to travel to the US on business and to Japan for tourism, witnessing a wider and more exciting world.
These experiences gradually planted a seed in my mind: if I had the opportunity to go abroad, it would be a challenging and fun life experience.
I admire those who proactively break out of their comfort zones, while I have passively waited for opportunities to arise. If an opportunity presents itself, I’m willing to try bravely.
It just so happens that the company is adjusting its business, and the project is moving to Europe. For others, this might be bad news, but for me, it’s a rare opportunity. While it’s not a perfect opportunity, when is life ever perfect?
This opportunity will allow me to improve my English in a fully English-speaking work environment; my two-year-old daughter will also have the chance to receive a different education and begin her journey learning a second, or even third, language.
For our family, this is a completely new challenge and beginning. Although we are over 35, I still believe we are young and can continue to learn and explore, maintaining our curiosity about the world.
Another reason for choosing Europe is that it’s comparatively easier for programmers to extend their careers to their forties, fifties, or even sixties in European countries than in China.
Furthermore, as I’ve gotten older, my definition of a “good company” has changed.
For instance, when I first graduated and went to work in Shanghai, I thought SIMCom was the best company; later, when I worked at Neusoft in Beijing, I thought Neusoft was pretty good too; then, I joined JD.com, thinking it was probably the best company I would ever join; until I joined this foreign company, and for the past ten years, I’ve felt that this is truly a good company.
If I were to use my current standards to find a new job in Dalian or other cities, I’m afraid it would only be possible in my dreams.
Finally, thank you to every friend and colleague I’ve met at Rocket China over the past ten years.
I sincerely appreciate the farewell greetings and well wishes from each of my colleagues.
I hope we can meet again on life’s journey in the future.
Goodbye! 👋
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