CSC295.02 2013S, Class 10: Jon Flaherty '01

Overview:

Admin:
* Next week: Soren Berg '08

* Jon worked as a consultant from about a decade (at McMaster-Carr)
* Got MBA from Northwestern
* After working for about ten years, moved to a position as an engagement manager
* Moved from financially rewarding but otherwise miserable position to something that he really enjoys

Overview/Agenda
* His background [partially covered]
* Choosing the Right Career
* Getting the Job
* Succeeding in Your Career
* [Make sure to interrupt him]
* "I've learned some lessons over the past decade or so, so I hope to share
  those for you."

Background
* As a System Analyst, he did really boring programming in COBOL.
* Started working his way up the management track.  Challenging and
  financially rewarding.
* Top of his class at Kellog (learned abouve low GPA)
* Left McMaster-Carr in 2011, managing 50 people and a $30 million dept.
* Started at SalesForce.com as a consultant
  * A huge risk - much more junior position, much smaller salary
  * But work was intersting, as were people
* Currently an Engagement Manager looking to move into Product Manager role
* Questions:
  * How were you balancing Kellog and McMaster-Carr?  McMaster-Carr had
    a tuition reimbursement program, so he did it part time.  But it was
    stressful.
  * Why an MBA?  (Why not CS?)  Had thought about getting a degree in AI.
    But wasn't ready to do a full career reboot.  An MBA allowed him to learn
    stuff related to what he was working on at the time.  Gave him more job
    opportunities.
  * What was your dream job when you were at Grinnell?  Didn't think much
    about it when he was here.  In choosing a job, he looked mostly at
    compensation packages.
  * GPA isn't the only thing, but it's worth putting some effort in.

Live Demo from SalesForce.com
* Started as a CRM system (Customer Relationship Management)
* Has become more enterprise system
* Provides point-and-click customization, including things like sending
  email when certain events happen.
* Customization happens with consultants in the field  

Choosing the Right Career
* Figure out what interests you.  Don't focus so much from role
  ("I want to be a programmer") as much as strengths and interests.
  What do you excel at?  What are you interested in?
* When you get interviews and more, use glassdoor.com.
* Network, network, network
  * Warning ... if you focus on resumes, there's lots of cutting along the way.
  * Referrals jump you past the whole resume review step
  * Make sure that your contacts are always based on "I want to learn more about the industry"

Resume stuff
* Need to see a track record of success
* "One of N students elected for ..."
* "Made this improvement to whatever.  (Increased orders by N%)"
* Have some flavor on there - trip to Siberia or whatever.
* Keep it updated.
* Use the Career Center!
* An exmple from Jon - "Acheived 100% positive feedback from peers
  on ...."
* Take the time to match up your resume with their job description.
  (You should be creative; don't make them creative.)
  * HR people are looking to check boxes

Succeeding your career
* Be mature.  ("Who gets promoted, who doesn't, and why" is useful)
* Difference in a $40K career and a $90K career may be skillset
* Difference between a $90K career and a $200K career may be how
  they managed their career

Three things to remember!
* Network, network, network
* Make your boss look good
* Perception is reality - How your boss thinks you're doing is
  how you're doing

More Advice for Undergraduates
* [Distinguish yourself from your peers.  Only one person can get promoted.]
* The baseline for performance is results, not effort.  It doesn't matter
  how much you tried, or what excuses for why something didn't get done.
  The performance and your role in it are what matters.
* Bring solutions not problems!  (If you've identified a problem, come
  with not just the problem, but also a way that it might be addressed.)
* Bring (good) ideas
* Volunteer for extra assignments
* Be a joy to have around (and certainly don't be the negative person in the
  group)
* Dress to win - slightly better than your peers (don't overdo it)
* Get the skills you need for your NEXT job.  Most people won't promote
  you until you can do the next job.  (E.g., you won't become a senior
  developer until you start doing the work of a senior devleoper)
* Question: What should you wear?
  * When in doubt, wear a suit
  * If you've heard about the dress code, wear the top end of the range
  * Assume you'll be better dressed than the people who interview you
  * "There's a million Web sites to get info from"
* Make your boss's life as easy as possible
  * Don't disagree with your boss in a public place
  * This is the person who writes your performance review, who goes to
    bat for you, who ....
* The annual party is a unique event ... watch out!
  * Show up early.  Sip a glass of wine.  Network.  Leave early.  Treat
    it as a work event, not a fun event.

Advice for a top performer (from "Who gets promoted")
* [Assume that you're already doing a great job.  Here are steps to get
  promoted]
* Performance first, then manage the perception
* Be *known* for doing good work
  * If you manage people, celebrate their successes (to your bosses)
  * Point out your contributions as you go, but politely.  Your higher-ups
    are going to stop by your desk when you start.  BE PREPARED FOR TO TALK
    ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING ("What are you working on?  Well, it's interesting
    ....")
* Keep a brag sheet going and an internal resume
* Always be ready when someone stops by your desk
* Manage your review process - E.g., in advance send a message saying
  "Hey, I know reviews are coming up, so I thought you'd like a
   list of some things I"ve been particularly proud of this period."
* Don't get caught surfing, email

Make Your Boss Look Good
* [We've heard why before.]
* Note: Even if you win an argument with your boss, your boss is unhappy,
  and so you've lost.
* Don't conduct arguments (or even discussiosn) over email
* Don't go over your boss's head direclty
  * Ask for permission
  * Or use other means - training events, company meetings, affinity groups,
    trade shows, etc.
* Learn to disagree without coming at things head on
* Q: What's the chain of command when you disagree with your boss?
  Start with your boss.  And start by listening.  (So, "I don't understand
  why we're doing this ...")  You'll have a much better chance of making
  your argument once they've spoken - they won't listen as well until they
  talk about it first, and you have more ammunition for comparing your ideas.
  If they still disagree, do what your boss says.  You can then try to go
  over their head, but only do that in extreme circumstances.  (Again,
  even if you win, you lose.)
* How does this matter if women are involved?  Is this all male-centric?
  Gender distribution in software is more men than women.  (His company
  is 70/30 on the technical, closer to 50/50 on the sales side.)

Mentors, Sponsors, and "Guardian Angels"
* Find someone you can go to for advice - a year or two ahead of you or a
  job title or so ahead of you - can give you advice about company, etc.
* Guardian angels - Someone much higher above you who can protect you when
  things go wrong.  Also a source of high-level career advice.
* Be careful about how you approach them - it has to be valuable for them
* Make the meetings worthwhile

Some Comments from Jon
* Work on that GPA.  It can be important.
* Money can mean a lot, but there's a law of diminishing returns.  After
  awhile it can be less worth it.
* Take advantage of the resources on campus - after you leave you pay
  $100/hour or more for such services.
* Do the exercise at CareerLeader (www.careerleader.com)
* Don't be afraid to have a conversation with someone you've never
  met.  Think about it as learning more about a field, not looking
  for a job.
* LinkedIn can help find people to talk to
* Go to all the career events offered on campus
* You need to spend some time managing your career
* Watch Napoleon Dynamite - Just Follow Your Heart
* Your resume must stand out - employers want you to be better than
  your peers.  You need facts to back that up.  Hard data and facts
  are good.  (Estimates are ok.)
* Book: "Who gets promoted, who doesn't, and why" - Donald Asher [Read it 
  once you get hired, or right before you start a career]
* Book: "How to win friends and influence people" by Dale Carnegie
* Website: Careerleader
* Website: Strengthsfinder

Questions
* How much time do you spend managing your career?  Not much.  When he
  started, it was 0%.  Now it's about 3%.  But a little bit goes a long
  way.  (It only takes an hour to update your resume, and you can do it
  once a month.)  Since he got hired <2 years ago, he's increased his
  salary by about $50K.
* So, what is a System Analyst anyway?  A programmer who does a bit of
  understanding requirements and translating them into solutions.
  * Note, however, that job titles and responsibilities vary significantly
    from company to company.
* Mentors: How do you identify potential ones, and what do you bring to the
  relationship?
  * They get a sense of satisfaction out of you doing well.
  * Be personable, appreciative, etc.
  * Say nice things to their higher ups, if that's possible.
  * Finding them: People you're working with or that you know personally.
  * Doesn't have to be formal - almost anyone you ask for advice will sit
    down with you for 30 minutes.  The person you keep coming to ends up
    being

New ideas
* Much more about once you've started the job
* Hearing that resumes get filtered
* Think ahead and make an effort to get there
* Have a snapshot of thirty seconds for when you meet with a superior
* Perception is reality - Look like you're doing a good job
* Baseline is results

Important repeated ideas
* Rewrite your resume
* Come with questions and answers
* Network, network, network
* Think ahead