Grooming Yourself for the Next Position

instant000

How do you groom yourself for the next position?

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Essendon

I try to get hands-on experience at work on what I want to be doing. If this is not possible, I'll lab it up at home and think of getting certified in whatever it is.

Before I do the above, I will run a search on the leading job boards to see if what I want to be doing is in demand. No point in going after something if it's not going to be of value to a prospective employer. I know IT changes quickly, but then I dont think more than a year or two ahead.

QHalo

If I've scoped out a position at the current company that I'm working at, I try and talk with the guys and gals in that department and get a feel for what they're missing. Then focus on that and the other things they do. I've found it much easier to groom myself by making myself an asset immediately to the team that I want to be a part of.

I'm currently doing this where I work right now. They are short VMware talent, so I'm focusing on that.

Turgon

instant000 wrote: »

How do you groom yourself for the next position?

You reconcile yourself to accepting a position where you will really struggle and have to give 100%. That's how you grow as a professional. Then you go out there and get the job. It's worked for me.

instant000

Turgon wrote: »

You reconcile yourself to accepting a position where you will really struggle and have to give 100%. That's how you grow as a professional. Then you go out there and get the job. It's worked for me.

Hrm. I see.

The only job I've had with that type of experience was probably basic training, and that's probably stretching it a bit.

So, you're basically saying that if the recruiters come at me with the 6 figure offers, I should strike out for those positions, even if I feel I'm not totally ready? I don't want to jump out there and flop.

Is this one of those risk/reward type of things?

Turgon

instant000 wrote: »

Hrm. I see.

The only job I've had with that type of experience was probably basic training, and that's probably stretching it a bit.

So, you're basically saying that if the recruiters come at me with the 6 figure offers, I should strike out for those positions, even if I feel I'm not totally ready? I don't want to jump out there and flop.

Is this one of those risk/reward type of things?

With very few exceptions every subsequent job I have taken over 14 years as a contractor or a permie has been harder than the last causing me difficulty in some areas that I had to rise to. Obviously dont punt for something you cant do, like leading a skilled team to redesign mobile network MPLS cores off the bat, but you do need to be ready to take on something that puts you out of your comfort zone. The job I have now was 12 months unremitting hardwork on every level, technically and socially in terms of building relationships at work, but its transformed my prospects which were already good starting out.

N2IT

Turgon wrote: »

With very few exceptions every subsequent job I have taken over 14 years as a contractor or a permie has been harder than the last causing me difficulty in some areas that I had to rise to. Obviously dont punt for something you cant do, like leading a skilled team to redesign mobile network MPLS cores off the bat, but you do need to be ready to take on something that puts you out of your comfort zone. The job I have now was 12 months unremitting hardwork on every level, technically and socially in terms of building relationships at work, but its transformed my prospects which were already good starting out.

Truth.

Each time you take the "leap of faith" you get more and more comfortable. For me personally doing what Turgon recommends is the best way for me to learn and advance. I learned project and service management like that. I was thrown a project management plan and told read this over and begin the second iteration. My boss knew I wasn't capable of pegging the documentation down perfectly, but I learned a lot about managing cost and time. I learned acceptable terminology and other best/good practices.

If I wouldn't of come out of my technologist comfort zone I wouldn't be in the position I am in now.

Next up for me is (God willing) is managing a team of ~4 guys to perform patch management/release management on Linux servers. I have never done the technicial work before, but I have managed at the project and operations level. I will leverage the skills I do have and fill in the knowledge gaps I don't possess currently.

There is also a Windows 7 project that I may or may not be apart of and an EMEA business process project. One is long term 3+ years and one is ~2 months.

I'm nervous on both of those (if I get them).

Turgon

N2IT wrote: »

Truth.

Each time you take the "leap of faith" you get more and more comfortable. For me personally doing what Turgon recommends is the best way for me to learn and advance. I learned project and service management like that. I was thrown a project management plan and told read this over and begin the second iteration. My boss knew I wasn't capable of pegging the documentation down perfectly, but I learned a lot about managing cost and time. I learned acceptable terminology and other best/good practices.

If I wouldn't of come out of my technologist comfort zone I wouldn't be in the position I am in now.

Next up for me is (God willing) is managing a team of ~4 guys to perform patch management/release management on Linux servers. I have never done the technicial work before, but I have managed at the project and operations level. I will leverage the skills I do have and fill in the knowledge gaps I don't possess currently.

There is also a Windows 7 project that I may or may not be apart of and an EMEA business process project. One is long term 3+ years and one is ~2 months.

I'm nervous on both of those (if I get them).

You will be fine, and theres more money being multidimensional in terms of managerial/project/commercial/leader/strategy/architect/technical than being out and out technical these days. I work for a global company and all the wage players are not 100% technical. 100% technical is being beaten into the dust wage wise. Process, automate, outsource.

N2IT

Turgon wrote: »

You will be fine, and theres more money being multidimensional in terms of managerial/project/commercial/leader/strategy/architect/technical than being out and out technical these days. I work for a global company and all the wage players are not 100% technical. 100% technical is being beaten into the dust wage wise. Process, automate, outsource.

That's our strategy! Get the company to let us come in and take over services. Get their processes down and CI the processes. Automate processes whenever possible. Continually reiterating the process improvement piece. Eventually bidding on other services the company wants to transfer risk from.

pizzaboy

Thanks guys, these thread has opened my eyes to some very valid stuff. kudos!!

badrottie

Turgon wrote: »

You will be fine, and theres more money being multidimensional in terms of managerial/project/commercial/leader/strategy/architect/technical than being out and out technical these days. I work for a global company and all the wage players are not 100% technical. 100% technical is being beaten into the dust wage wise. Process, automate, outsource.

Spot on. Specialization is for insects.

My hard won technical skills take a back seat to the business development/project management/product management/security architect/risk analysis/etc. skills that I have developed.