Managing my career has been a sometimes exhilarating, sometimes frustrating endeavor.

I have a pretty good notion of where I want to go, and the skills I have that can take me there. I'm a decent coder, and can pick up new languages and technologies reasonably quickly. I thrive on accumulating knowledge, and have a knack for making that knowledge accessible to others. That makes me a good team lead and mentor, which is a role I enjoy.

When I accept a job offer that has the potential to put me one step closer to reaching my destination, it is exhilarating. There's the excitement of learning new skills or perfecting existing ones, helping my team mates grow their skills, and working with my customers to bring joy, or at least less pain, to their work life.

The frustration comes when I realize I that the carrots dangled during the interview don't exist. Or they exist, but they're not written in to the contract. Or they're in the contract, but I'm in the wrong job code to have the carrots. Or... You get the idea.

It seems to come down to interviewing. If I really want to ensure my career takes me where I want to go, I have to ask the hard questions during the interview.