Inevitable with starting a new job, that January my focus would be on my career. I want to spend time on how I can be effective and how I can create value.
Some questions I’m contemplating:
How do I manage my work email? I want to minimize the time I spend on email, but stay on top of it.
What’s the vision for the project I’m working on?
How can I contribute to that vision?
Set up an internal blog (what do I call it?)
How can I get the most out of my manager?
How will I organize myself?
How do I organize my day to be most effective? Gym in the morning? When is my make time?
My friend Maggie and I were discussing the way compsci’s approach their career. Those who take the artisan track ask “What inspires me? What do I want to create?”; they evaluate their career in terms of the difference (and things) they make. Those who take the technician track say “I’ve checked these boxes and now I will be a manager/senior architect”; they evaluate their career in terms of title and salary.
Given that my website is entitled “Created by Cate” and the fact that I give talks about “Art, Life and Programming” it is clear I’m of the artisan bent. In fact, a prof when I was in 4th year described himself as a “software artiste” and that is what I’ve aspired to be ever since.
When I think about what I want to do next, it’s all about what’s inspiring to me and what I want to create. What change I aspire to make in the world. What I’ll jump out of bed in the morning excited to be a part of.
After my interview at Googlewent well, someone told me that I would earn more at IBM. Honestly, I looked at them in surprise – I have no idea whether it’s true or not, but to me it’s completely irrelevant. I’ll earn more than enough as a software engineer, and whilst there is surely a debate about where it’s most amazing to work – to me it’s one of culture, projects, passion, commitment to diversity and work-life balance. Not of money.
Technicians can be bought. Not so much artisans – we need to be ignited instead.
The world – companies – projects – teams – need both. It seems like technicians will keep things ticking along, whereas artisans will be more unpredictable.
However it seems like work and life as an artisan is way more fun. What do you think?
I’d never heard of Don Dodge until about a week ago, until he was one of the people laid off in Microsoft’s latest round of layoffs. He took it with great class, you can read the blogpost here.
I didn’t subscribe to his blog before, but his blogpost about his departure went viral on Twitter. A week later, the fact that Google has hired him went viral as well.
First off, well done him – on the new job and on handling the transition with grace. In his exit interview with TechCrunch he refused to say anything bad about Microsoft. Right the end, all he said was, “I was just surprised… I don’t… y’know, when I’m emperor I won’t do it that way”.
Second – this is a great example of blogging being good for your career. Working at Microsoft might have contributed to his personal brand, but when he left he took his personal brand with him. Handling it with class, built his personal brand up more. Now, a week later, he takes his personal brand to Microsoft’s nemesis – Google.
Talk about the best revenge being a life well lived!
I read a lot about how companies worry about their staff using Social Media. Microsoft was rare in that it allowed it’s employees to blog and identify themselves as working for Microsoft. It’s dawning on me that companies are going to have a new problem – when they lay off someone and that person announces it on their blog (what better way to let your contacts know you’re in the market for a new job?) they will have to deal with the fallout from that as well. That person could be bitter, and justifiably so, but maybe if they say no more than,
However, laying off 5,000 people when you have $37B in cash and huge profits is not cool.
