Career Planning for Technical Professionals (PDF)

Career Planning for Technical Professionals Ernest Schirmer, Acentech, Inc. Managing Director, Mid-Atlantic Office Director of Technology Consulting Trevose, PA 19053 Trevose, PA 19053 www.acentech.com • Architectural Acoustics • Noise & Vibration • Environmental Noise • Sound masking • Audiovisual Systems • Information Technology Infrastructure 35th Annual Trenton Computer Festival Saturday April 24, 2010  The Basics • Why is the goal of a rational company? To maximize profit • Why are people hired? • Why are people hired? To solve a specific problem • It’s not about you  The Many Meanings of "Career" • progression in a field • progression in an organization • sequence of role-related jobs • a sequence of jobs   The Career Window Adapted from “The Doom Loop System” (1991) Like Don't Like Do Frustrated Do Well Don't Do Well Satisfied Satisfied Frustrated & Bored Anxious Excited Miserable Miserable  Reasons for Job Satisfaction In rough order of importance: 1. Sense of achievement 2. Recognition 3. Nature of work (goal) 3. Nature of work (goal) 4. Responsibility 5. Professional advancement 6. Professional growth  Reason for Job Dissatisfaction In rough order of importance: 1. Company policies 2. Supervisor/manager 3. Working conditions 4. Salary  Reasons for Job Dissatisfaction 5. Relationship with peers 6. Personal life 7. Relationship with subordinates 8. Status 9. Security  The Components of a Career • Career Management – Progress – Timing – Opportunities • Career Assessment Career Assessment – Strength – Weakness – Opportunity – Threat • Career Change – Plans – Goals  The Components of a Career • Career Definition – What do I want to do? • Career Planning – Education Industry – Industry – Location • Career Development – Performance – Opportunities  Forces Affecting Careers Factors Affecting Job Search 60% 70% 80% 90% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% New Technology Downsizing External Factors Reorganization  Darwin Was Right: Change = Survival 4004(1971) 8080(1974) 386(1985) 486(1989) Pentium(1996)  Hot Jobs of Yesterday Typesetting – Replaced by desktop publishing. Secretarial Dictation – Replaced by do-it-yourself word processing. IBM Punch Card Operator – What’s a punch card? Telex (TWX) Operator – Replaced by FAX and email. Telex (TWX) Operator Replaced by FAX and email. FAX Machine Operator – Replaced by do-it-yourself FAX machines. Telephone Operators – Replaced by Touch-Tone™ phones, voicemail. Draftsman – Replaced by Computer Aided Design (CAD) operators. `  Career Advancement Skills • The “half-life” of a technical professional is about 18 months � 50% of what you know is obsolete every 18 months • After you are hired, it’s not what After you are hired, it’s not what you know, but how do you learn • Do you have to quit? • What about an internal promotion?  Career Advancement Skills In rough order of importance: 1. People skills 2. Project planning 3. Business knowledge 4. Technical skills 5. Communication skills