First thing, thanks to everyone who wrote in response to this challenge. I heard from people at all stages of their careers, but some trends emerged. I can only cover a few of them here, but the rest will appear as topics for the future. As promised previously, all names have been changed to protect the innocent or the guilty, for that matter.
How Do I Get Started?
Terry Trainee wrote,"I just graduated from the AlphaBeta Computer Training School and received my MCSE, but I've never really worked professionally in the computer field before. I graduated from college with a degree in communications and had a few years of experience as an assistant store manager before deciding to go to AlphaBeta. I've sent my resume to lots and lots of companies, but no one is contacting me to show any interest. All I hear is that there aren't enough networking pros around to fill the demand - How come I'm not getting any responses?"
There are a few different assumptions that Terry has made here and they all need to be addressed. He/She has developed a career target with major growth potential - networking - and has aggressively pursued a credential - the MCSE - with a known value in the marketplace. This is a good thing. However, Terry has also made a critical assumption: that passing the MCSE exam equals "networking pro" status. Nope. Not according to many employers.
Passing multiple choice exams like the ones that lead to Microsoft's Certified Solutions Engineer
Designation signifies that a student has studied a broad range of subjects and can identify and select the answers which have been recognized as correct by the test constructors. Passing means that the student has mastered the information, but not necessarily the applied skills. As my friend William says, "When I look for a network engineer, I want to hire someone who's built a bunch of servers under field conditions, not someone who can recite to me how a server should be built. I'm not impressed by somebody who's built a total of one server with a bunch of students in a lab."
The second incorrect assumption is about job search targeting. Terry has overlooked one of his/her existing strengths: previous experience in retail management. While Terry wants to change career direction, he/she should be leveraging all previous experience. Large retail companies need network engineers too. Against candidates with similar networking credentials, Terry would be an especially strong candidate because of first-hand knowledge of the retail environment. Failure to target these types of companies will lengthen Terry's job search. And, it will probably reduce the salary Terry can realistically expect to get for this critical first job.
Finally, Terry is making the mistake most job seekers make - sitting back and waiting for employers to come after them. Even under conditions of high demand, you need to make the first move and assertively follow up if you want to get that offer.
How Do I Get Moving?
Helen Helptech wrote, "I've been at my present job for two years and I'm bored. I answer the same stupid questions over and over, though I try not to get irritated about it. Even when there are new applications or changes to our system, it's only challenging for a few weeks and then it gets old. I've asked for some internet applications training, but my boss never gives me a straight answer. It's always, like, I can't talk about this now, or if you could just wait until we roll out the next upgrade, I promise we'll sit down and work something out. I heard about an opening in the sales support team, but I don't know anything about that application. Do you think I should look into it, or should I just wait?"
Helen has my favorite kind of career problem: she's outgrown her current job, but she's so good at it that no one wants to let her go. The likely reasons why her boss is putting her off are because she learns quickly and users respond well to her. She tries to work with users at their levels and probably stays cheerful even when she's in a bad mood herself. Why would a manager help her to move on when she's this valuable?
Count yourself blessed if you've got a boss with even a smidgen of concern about your career. Many of them are completely focused on their interests and see you just as the means to their success. Keeping Helen where she is helps her boss to look good. If the boss is on a fast track to something else, there's no value to that person in derailing his/her own progress. That's why Helen is getting the run-around for training. If things continue on this path, the boss will probably give Helen a training opportunity eventually but only if he/she thinks it will keep Helen from leaving. I'd bet that, under these circumstances, the boss will try to convince Helen that the only kind of training that's worth anything to her will be something that relates directly to her current helpdesk job.
So, what should Helen do? I think she should quietly find out whatever she can about that sales support job ASAP. She might not know anything about the application, but given her previous record of success in helpdesk, sales support is probably right up her alley. Plus, she seems to be a quick learner. The real risk here is in organizational politics.
It doesn't look like her boss is in any hurry to help Helen on her own terms. If Helen confronts her boss directly and tells him/her that she wants to leave, it could get ugly. If Helen's boss has a relationship with the sales support team, Helen's chances might evaporate before they even materialize. Or, Helen's boss could sabotage Helen's chances by giving a lukewarm reference or even inventing some negative criticism. The same outcomes are also possible if Helen goes around her boss to the manager of the sales support team.
Helen's best bet is to approach someone she knows (and trusts) on the sales support team to be her agent. Think of this as "internal networking." This individual can ask the manager what the best strategy is for Helen in this situation. The sales support manager may approach Helen directly him/herself or may approach Helen's manager instead. As an alternative, Helen can approach the company's Human Resource department for help in the situation.
The one thing Helen should not do is to wait around. Unless, of course, she really doesn't want her current situation to change and just wants to complain about it.
What Should I Do Next?
Jason Javascript wrote, "I've been a developer for the last several years and recently was promoted to lead. I really like the new responsibility, but I'm wondering whether moving up into project management is the right next step for me. My last project was a fiasco! Everything that could go wrong did go wrong. There were shouting matches between IT and business unit managers, team members resigned from the company rather than be assigned to the project, and the person originally picked to manage the project was replaced after three months. Why should I want to do this?"
I give up...why should he? No one is required to move inevitably down any particular career path. I know that most experts urge people to have career goals and objectives. I think it's important too, but flexibility is everything. It's important to remember that not everyone is suited for management positions, something that smart companies are coming to recognize. Increasingly, technical expert paths are being developed to provide career ladders and appropriate compensation for people who don't want to be in traditional management roles.
Having just come off the experience Jason described, I couldn't imagine why anyone would aspire to project management either. But it's really too early to tell. Right now, Jason should focus on being a team leader and not worry about the additional responsibility of project management. Only by leading, guiding and motivating his own development teams can he discover whether he has an aptitude for management. Practicing new skills in a limited environment is the best way to see how you will respond to challenges and deal with both success and failure. Jason doesn't have to make the decision about his next career move any time soon. He can wait a while and, with any luck, will have the opportunity to observe better project management up close and personal before deciding what to do next.
More
Recognize yourself or any of your co-workers here? Write to me at jamie@jobcircle.com if there's anything you'd like to add or if you're still puzzled about some aspect of your career. Next month, a topic I promised earlier, "The Perils of Geekspeak" - why it's important to speak business English. Happy Spring.
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Jamie Fabian spent more than 15 years as a human resources executive before changing careers to become a senior project manager for a growing IT consulting company. Now in management consulting for a large Pharma company, Jamie would like to be seen as a hybrid of Tom Peters, Tom Jackson, and Tom Wolfe, but spends too much time working, driving carpool and watching mindless TV to write more than this column. You can contact Jamie with questions and comments at jamie@jobcircle.com.
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