Jesse Lavery

Starting February 8th, I will be the new Web Content Coordinator at Allegheny College in Meadville, PA. I’m leaving behind the agency world and moving to high-ed. It’s a pretty big change for me and one that I’m super excited about.

My reasons for changing, in a nutshell:

1. More money. A no-brainer, but not the sole factor.

2. Opportunity for growth. At my soon-to-be-former job (henceforth known as “The Agency”), I would never have the chance to sit in any other chair than I’m already in. I’m not trying to rule the world or anything, but it’s nice to have the option / ability to advance.

3. Stability. The Agency is heavily tied to the tooling and manufacturing industry, which has taken a major hit in the economic downturn. Sure, the company has withstood similar downturns before, but every situation is different and there’s no way to predict what will happen this time. Allegheny’s not going anywhere. I have no fear of them shutting their doors within the next six months.

4. Perks. Free education for me and my family? Work on a brand new giant 27” iMac? Gym facilities? Good retirement and health benefits? Yes please!

5. Clients and the work itself. I won’t be sad that I no longer have to deal with some of the more, shall we say, “difficult” clients that we have at The Agency. More than that though, I’m excited about developing a given project or site over the long-term. As it is now, we finish a site, hand it off to the client, and maybe never see it again for two years until they want sweeping changes. I often wonder if design or development choices that I made were successful; if users were actually benefiting from and enjoying them. Now, I’ll get the chance to stay with projects longer and to see, evaluate, and learn from user interaction in a way I haven’t had a chance to before. That will be pretty cool.

Now, the one major drawback:

Khakis. No more jeans for me. Some will say that it’s a sign that I’m moving up in the world, that it signals more civilized environs. I say, not being able to wear jeans is un-American. But it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make for a super-cool job that I’m crazy excited about.

Wish me luck!