There is a certain nakedness to vulnerability. Wouldn’t you agree? For instance, I used to make it clear that I loved the daily chaos. I guess I always figured that it was exciting to know that, once again, I would have the chance to bring order to it. I pride myself on being “a fixer” you see, and a builder of things and people. A curator of special arenas…

• Team Leadership & Development: Guide, mentor team of leaders and engineers (often cloud), drive collaborative, innovative, and engaging work culture. Motivate and empower team members to achieve excellence and growth.
• Security & Compliance Management: Establish and uphold strong security measures to ensure adherence to company standards and regulatory requirements.
• Cloud Operations Oversight: Manage the daily activities of the cloud computing environment, including tech debt left behind by prior regime, real-time monitoring, incident management, system patching, updates, vendor services, capacity planning, extended product support, custom integration support, and performance enhancement. Utilize enterprise tools and processes to ensure consistent and unified infrastructure management across both on-premise and cloud platforms.
• Automation Strategy: Champion an “automation-first” approach within the team by spearheading initiatives to automate provisioning, deployment, configuration management, and monitoring tasks.
• Process Improvement & Optimization: Proactively identify and drive enhancements in processes, cost management, and performance optimization to achieve continuous improvement.

But if you are always fixing, let me say this from the seat of experience, something must change and be handled more efficiently. In this professional life of ours, there is so much more! And the more I keep living, the more I keep learning.

Have you ever felt like this?

“I woke up having to acknowledge something…”

• I no longer want for countless sleepless nights or an overabundance of distracted weekends.
• I want to work for a company that gets it right (at least most of the time).
• I want to work for a company that seriously cares about work-life balance, and allows me an appropriate measure to be able to see and spend time with the beautiful faces in my family.
• I want a company with a delight for good culture, team building events, and one intent on terminating any discovered, intentional, and repeat negative biases in the environment.
• I want a team that’s curious, customer-first, skilled (but not perfect), flexible, mean with determination, honest, collaborative, resourceful, unafraid, willing to learn and grow, and sufficiently staffed.
• I want to arrive every day to an operational environment I enjoy, and that I can help make more efficient, adding value to drive product adoption and deploying the best of my experience, good nature, and ingenuity.
• I want to be challenged, improve hard things, and be recognized for the differentiated efforts.
• I want to be in a place where it is clear in the DNA that they thirst for decency, where you work hard, treat people the way you want to be treated (including accountability), and have fun while doing it.
• I want to love what I do again, and the people I do it with.

If that sounds like you…yeah, me too! I’d say you would be reflecting deeply on what you truly want from your professional life and are ready to make some significant changes. You would be filled with a desire for meaningful work, a positive environment, and a balanced life.

This is much like walking through a journal entry that is both insightful and inspiring, I hope. In fact, I would encourage you to journal if you never have. And, if you have but stopped, I’d encourage you to pick it up again, as it is a good way to get your thoughts out in a safe way. Back to the content…It’s clear in the passage above that this person (whoever they might be) is yearning for a work environment that not only aligns with their values but also supports their well-being and personal growth. The clarity in what they’re seeking—from a company with a strong culture and commitment to balance, to a team that’s both skilled and supportive—demonstrates a thoughtful and mature approach to career development.

It’s important to recognize that your aspirations reflect a desire for not just a job, but a fulfilling and enriching experience. And I’m right there with you friend! This kind of reflection can be a powerful guide in making decisions about your career path and finding a place where you can truly thrive.

Remember that such environments often don’t just appear; they are built through a combination of seeking out the right opportunities and sometimes the right someone helping to influence change within organizations. Keep this vision close as you explore new opportunities, and trust that your clarity and commitment will lead you to a place where you can love what you do and work with people who share your values.

Subject: Enthusiastic Talent Seeking Alignment with Your Vision and Culture

Dear [Company Name] Team, Somebody, Anybody,

I hope this message finds you well. My name is [Your Name], and I am deeply inspired by [Company Name]’s commitment to excellence, innovation, and a supportive work environment. After thorough research and reflection, I am excited to express my interest in contributing to your team.

In my professional journey, I have come to value an environment where great products are crafted with a clear purpose, where work-life balance is respected, and where collaboration and decency are at the core of the company culture. I am seeking a role where my experience, skills, and passion for creating impactful solutions can be fully utilized, while also contributing to a team that is curious, skilled, and dedicated to continuous growth.

I am particularly drawn to [Company Name] because of [specific reasons related to the company’s values, culture, or projects]. I am impressed by your [mention any specific initiatives, projects, or values the company holds that resonate with you], and I believe my background in [briefly mention relevant experience or skills] aligns well with your goals.

I am enthusiastic about the opportunity to bring my [specific skills, experiences, or qualities] to [Company Name], and I am eager to contribute to a culture that values both high performance and respect for its people. I look forward to the possibility of discussing how my vision and capabilities can align with [Company Name]’s mission and help drive mutual success.

Thank you for considering my application. I am excited about the potential to contribute to and grow with your esteemed team.

Warm regards, …

Be well!