Are you reading during Labor Day Weekend? August 29, 2008
Posted by hardly Other
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Good. You and about half the working population in the U.S. are on the same track.
Copyblogger has a great post, How to Read.
Not only can this help improve your understanding of whatever tech read you've gotten your hands on lately, it can vastly improve your reading of both job descriptions and resumes.
Or, in writing them.
For all you first-timers out there… managing your network August 29, 2008
Posted by hardly Career Development
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After picking your future company, er, network, you need to then manage your network.
What does this mean?
Make friends. Go to lunch with people. Help those who ask. Be polite to everyone. Make connections.
Easy to say, hard to do sometimes. So, set some goals. Go to lunch once every week with people on your team. Go to one lunch every month with someone or a group of someones who are not on your direct team. Attend conferences, when you can. Do a good turn daily.
Over time, e.g. years, this pays off in big ways because you never know who will end up helping you later. And remember, the only person who makes your career happen these days is you!
For all you first-timers out there… Three posts by Marc Andreessen August 28, 2008
Posted by hardly Career Development
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I've recently discovered Marc Andreessen's blog, and it's pretty darned good. For you new to the job market out there, he has three great, thought-provoking posts regarding Career Planning:
The Pmarca Guide to Career Planning, part 1: Opportunity
The Pmarca Guide to Career Planning, part 2: Skills & Education
The Pmarca Guide to Career Planning, part 3: Where to go and why
BTW: Job Hacking Technorati Profile
For all you first-timers out there… picking your network August 28, 2008
Posted by hardly Career Development
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One of the things that isn't commonly thought about when deciding to go to work for a new company is that you're making a very long-term choice regarding your comrades-in-arms.
Because very, very few people work at any given company for more than 5 years anymore, your career opportunities will be driven more by the people you work with and how they view your work. In other words, your yearly review will have less impact on your future than the daily (usually unspoken) reviews you receive from your peers.
With that in mind, how do you feel about EVERYONE you're about to go to work with? Do you like them? Do you respect their Development skills based on your interviews with them? Would you want to have them on your team when the project is on the line?
For all you first-timers out there… working at a big company August 27, 2008
Posted by hardly Career Development
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I worked at a big company once. It was a movie theater chain, American Multi-Cinema.
It has a great story regarding its beginning.
The founder, Stan, was running a theater in Kansas City in the early 60s. Problem was, he wasn't making any money. And, he knew that unless something changed, he wouldn't be in the theater biz for too much longer.
It's well known that theater owners make their money on the concession stand. And this has been the case for a long, long time. So, our intrepid hero said to himself, "How can I get more people in the door to buy my popcorn?" And, his answer was to divide his theater down the middle, creating two theaters in one location - the first multi-plex. Big suprise, it worked. Leading us to where we are today with H-U-G-E multiplexes showing a lot of movies with staggered showtimes, and AMC being one of the top companies in this business.
Here's the thing: AMC did not start big. It started small. And it got big by being innovative in the face of adversity.
As this relates to Development talent, there are very few small, start-upish, entrepreneurial companies that want to hire people from big companies. And, there are very few big companies that want to hire talent from small companies. The reality is that there are very different skills required for success at a small company v. a large company. They each have strong appeal, and like most things in life, different people like one over the other. Large companies tend to be bureaucratic, political, and very clear about taking risks (maximize the profit for the perceived risk). Small companies tend to be nimble, low on process orientation, and working on finding their riches in a new part of the eco-system.
One thing: Big companies are not less risky, career-wise than small companies. In both cases, you can be out of your job in a heartbeat. The market shifts, the company decides to allocate resources elsewhere, they go through a re-org, or they lose it all to hubris (see Enron & Anderson Consulting).
Vote for Communicatrix! August 26, 2008
Posted by hardly Weblogs
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I'm not too big on wacky self-promotion myself, but I love it when others do it. Especially when they do it well!
One of my fav bloggers, Communicatrix, has entered a contest put on by SouthWest Airlines. And, to win, she needs 'thumbs-up' votes. Her video is wacky, and fun. Go vote for her already! C'mon, there's nobody at work this week anyway!
For all you first-timers out there… thinking about the future August 26, 2008
Posted by hardly Career Development
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For my first post in this series, let's talk about the future.
First, I'm going to state outright that I'm not a big fan of the 'generational differences' club. It's not that there aren't trends out there that one should pay attention to, but rather that I think this thinking is out there to help people sell stuff, like books, or magazines, or blogs, and I'll even bet the random movie or YouTube video. It does this by making people feel bad by whipping up a frenzy of envy between these 'groups'. I hate stuff that makes people feel bad!
Before we get into the future, a couple of bits to clarify. First, most everyone has similar needs and wants. For Developers, the overwhelming attribute is usually the desire to create. And not just a module, or what-have-you for the given project. They want to create a great thing, something that is used by a lot of people. Best of all might be something to show to their buddies, their significant other, their parents. "Lookit this, you'll dig it!"
But, how does one know WHAT to create. What will be the next big thing? Tough to say. Could be something you're really into. Might not. But chances are, it's something that will be an evolutionary step from technology that exists today. Sorta like the horseless carriage.
The three sources that I use for helping me view the future are the Mark Anderson's Strategic News Service, the work of Glenn Hiemstra, The Futurist, and most notably his book "Turning the Future into Revenue", and Robert X. Cringely.
One last thing: Remember that the horseless carriage was not created by a big corporation. It was created by several inventors who were not working for anyone other than themselves.
New Wireless Service! August 26, 2008
Posted by hardly Web/Tech
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Looks like a great new wireless product from Google. Looks like they're giving some of the other consumer pipe vendors a run for their money...
And for all you first-timers out there… August 26, 2008
Posted by hardly Job Hunt Process
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One of my loyal readers recommended that I speak to the special needs that 1st-time technical job-hunters have. He thought I might have seen some things that would be helpful as you begin the process of figuring out what you want to do to make money.
This is a surprisingly difficult request!
Why?
Because the notion of a 'career' where one gradually moves up the rungs is almost silly (hence, Job Hacking). Because the demand for some roles, like Developers, far outstrips the supply, whereas the demand for other roles, like Directors of Development, does not come close to meeting the supply. Because it's almost impossible to describe to a job-hunter what it's like to be in the shoes of the hiring manager. Because my assumptions about any one job hunter are almost certainly to be incorrect.
Still, it's an interesting request, and it has all sorts of great things to consider.
With that, we're off to the races...
Leading Economic Indicators August 25, 2008
Posted by hardly Strategic Concerns
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Mr. Cringely has a thought-provoking article this week regarding leading economic indicators, in which he makes the case that the % of CCIEs in a given population, or the amount of GDP per CCIE is something to pay attention to.
CCIE = Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert
If one were to relate this to late 19th-century economic development, it might be equivalent to the % of Master Mechanics in a given population (you know, the guys who made the key parts of trains, automobiles, industrial tooling, etc.). But back then, we didn't think about leading economic indicators as people doing a given job.
Interesting shift in thinking regarding important economic factors (although I would have preferred 'people' not 'men' in the title). There are probably others which are technically focused, but all about the people in the role. Wonder what they might be...
