Your IT manager asks you about your desired career path

[iamme]

.

 

[spidey07]

"I would like your position and would like your leadership to guide me there. This is good for both of us - you can move up and can have me in your position as a trusted ally. If you support my growth I can guarantee i will support yours. I promise that."

 

[iamme]

i guess my question is, for those who have been in the industry a while......if you could go back, what might you do differently, career-wise?

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: iamme
i guess my question is, for those who have been in the industry a while......if you could go back, what might you do differently, career-wise?

I would focus more on soft skills and people and business knowledge much more so than technical skills. My answer in my previous post is a direct result of experience.

You asked for a stepping stone to something bigger, that is it in a nutshell.

Read much deeper into my post. See what this perception is really presenting. Understand it. It's negotiation, deal making, etc.

 

[iamme]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: iamme
i guess my question is, for those who have been in the industry a while......if you could go back, what might you do differently, career-wise?

I would focus more on soft skills and people and business knowledge much more so than technical skills. My answer in my previous post is a direct result of experience.

You asked for a stepping stone to something bigger, that is it in a nutshell.

Read much deeper into my post. See what this perception is really presenting. Understand it. It's negotiation, deal making, etc.

i appreciate it, spidey. please don't think i was disregarding your advice.

how did your manager react to your statement? what steps did you end up taking to achieve that goal?

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: iamme

i appreciate it, spidey. please don't think i was disregarding your advice.

how did your manager react to your statement? what steps did you end up taking to achieve that goal?

My first manager was kind of frightened, but I let him know I'm here to help lift him up, not take him down.

My first director was the same way but he understood negotiation and having strong allies.

After I understood the game, I played it for a while and figured out it would be better if they paid me to play the game for them.

So that is what I suggest - project management and understanding how to deal with people and make them do the work for you. What you need is a mentor.

 

[iamme]

 

[ultimatebob]

Originally posted by: spidey07
"I would like your position and would like your leadership to guide me there. This is good for both of us - you can move up and can have me in your position as a trusted ally. If you support my growth I can guarantee i will support yours. I promise that."

Good advice, but that wouldn't work in my position. My primary boss loves his mid-level management job because he can pass 90% of his work off to his underlings. He has no interest in getting promoted, because then he would actually need to do some WORK for a living instead of leaving at 2 each day to pursue his various hobbies.

My other boss in personnel is about five years overdue for retirement, and is just trying to hang onto his cushy job as well.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: ultimatebob

Originally posted by: spidey07
"I would like your position and would like your leadership to guide me there. This is good for both of us - you can move up and can have me in your position as a trusted ally. If you support my growth I can guarantee i will support yours. I promise that."

Good advice, but that wouldn't work in my position. My primary boss loves his mid-level management job because he can pass 90% of his work off to his underlings. He has no interest in getting promoted, because then he would actually need to do some WORK for a living instead of leaving at 2 each day to pursue his various hobbies.

My other boss in personnel is about five years overdue for retirement, and is just trying to hang onto his cushy job as well.

LOL!

yeah, probably not a good move on somebody already firmly entrenched. I assumed this was first line manager.

 

[iamme]

hehe, that's good stuff

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: iamme
hehe, that's good stuff

ok, Imagonna give it to you straight.

This is the classic "dangle the carrot" routine. Chase the carrot! I want you to chase the carrot! What are you willing to do to chase it?

Here's a few carrots I can dangle for you...
"There's a lot of opportunity here"
"I believe you can go far if you put in the extra effort"
"Come review time we'll see where you are at"
"The opportunities are there for you to go get them! Do you want them!"
"I don't feel like the hassle of filling a position, so could you stick around a while longer?" (not said to you)
"You're really doing a great job. We really need you. Keep up the good work and you will be rewarded."
"I'm really impressed with your efforts."

You have to understand, it's like used car salesmen. Only it is reversed.

 

[eldorado99]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: iamme
hehe, that's good stuff

ok, Imagonna give it to you straight.

This is the classic "dangle the carrot" routine. Chase the carrot! I want you to chase the carrot! What are you willing to do to chase it?

Here's a few carrots I can dangle for you...
"There's a lot of opportunity here"
"I believe you can go far if you put in the extra effort"
"Come review time we'll see where you are at"
"The opportunities are there for you to go get them! Do you want them!"
"I don't feel like the hassle of filling a position, so could you stick around a while longer?" (not said to you)
"You're really doing a great job. We really need you. Keep up the good work and you will be rewarded."
"I'm really impressed with your efforts."

You have to understand, it's like used car salesmen. Only it is reversed.

There may be some truth to this, but unless he's a total failure as a manager he knows that praise and acknowledgment only goes so far. Money speaks louder than words most of the time and everyone knows that. If he thinks he can keep a valuable employee by BS'ing them then he is an idiot.

 

[irwincur]

IT Managers are rarely the most technical of people. As a matter of fact, to really get ahead in the IT world, you have to, at least to a certain degree, distance yourself from the technical aspects. Yes, certs help in the ealry years, and if you choose to lead a highly technical path, they will be required. However, that highly technical path also leads to 80 hour work weeks and little respect in the corporate community. Advanced education is the only way in corporate America to move beyond the pure technical aspects of the industry and into management.

I know a lot of brilliant people that probably have what it takes to be management - but they will never get there. Fair or not, their lack of a degree will prevent them from moving out of the technical side of the industry. And in all reality, those with no formal education that I have seen actually make the leap, typically fail. There is a major difference between someone trained to lead peope, and someone trained to fix computer problems.

The best IT managers I know are those that bring smart people in to do the work. Be it consultants or staff help - they rarely get their hands dirty. They manage people and projects.