I have been working as an MIS profesional now for about 7 years now. When I first started I did a little VB and Lotus Notes Development. Shortly after that I changed companies and got pigeon holed in Lotus Notes Development. I worked in that for the remainder of the years I mentioned above. Now the company has lost faith in LN and I have been moved to Actuate. This report tool has allot to be desired in my opinnion. Now to the point. Should I be concentrating on getting into something else, and if so what? Is Lotus Notes still a viable skill, and what about Actuate? What are the marketable skills today? I'm looking for a little career development advice from a seasoned veteran.
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Career Development Questions
- Thread starter techx
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Not sure about others experiences but getting placed in one specific area like that reporting tool does limit your opportunies. You will likely only be able to find a job at other employers within the area of your skill. Honestly the best thing to do is get expereicne in a development area(like java, .net, powerbuilder). I know a fair amount still use lotus notes, but again only larger companyies will have people dedicated to notes. What you could try to do is find a company where they dont need a full time notes devloper and be willing to learn other areas. you have some vb expericne, work on improving that. The more things you can do the more valuable you are to a potential employer
techx,
What do you want to do with your career? What is your dream job? There have been several threads along these lines, and the best advice I've seen is to first identify what you want to do. Then figure out what you need to do to get there. MMORANCBT has some excellent advice on this issue.
I am what I am based on the decisions I have made.
DoubleD![[bigcheeks]](/data/assets/smilies/bigcheeks.gif "[bigcheeks] [bigcheeks]")
What do you want to do with your career? What is your dream job? There have been several threads along these lines, and the best advice I've seen is to first identify what you want to do. Then figure out what you need to do to get there. MMORANCBT has some excellent advice on this issue.
I am what I am based on the decisions I have made.
DoubleD
Thanks DoubleD...
techx,
Corran007's advice about finding a company where you can capitalize on your current LN skills while having need to develop more comprehensive and broader skills is very good.
It is important that good developers often adopt multiple tools and that most of those tools have learning/adoption crossover - meaning they just aren't that fundamentally different.
Knowing LN development, Crystal Reports, Access, VB, and .NET would not be that uncommon. If you can find a place that stretches you into utilizing and adopting a diverse skillset you will probably be happier.
Also, you will have greater value in the market.
DoubleD is correct in that I place an extreme emphasis on doing something you like - something that puts a bit of a fire in your belly. It makes the continuing education easier - almost a non-issue.
Here are a couple links to my blog on IT careers... They might provide some insight in what you could do...
Only read this if you are a technology pro who wants to succeed!
Average Pay and Job Dissatisfaction
Living The Dream or Killing Time, you decide
They touch on pursuing what you like, trading pay for opportunity when necessary, and the danger of a Salary Survey mentality in career planning/job seeking.
I hope you find the info helpful.
Thanks,
Matthew Moran
Read my career blog at: Musings: Todo esta bien.. Todo esta divertido (it's all good, it's all fun)
techx,
Corran007's advice about finding a company where you can capitalize on your current LN skills while having need to develop more comprehensive and broader skills is very good.
It is important that good developers often adopt multiple tools and that most of those tools have learning/adoption crossover - meaning they just aren't that fundamentally different.
Knowing LN development, Crystal Reports, Access, VB, and .NET would not be that uncommon. If you can find a place that stretches you into utilizing and adopting a diverse skillset you will probably be happier.
Also, you will have greater value in the market.
DoubleD is correct in that I place an extreme emphasis on doing something you like - something that puts a bit of a fire in your belly. It makes the continuing education easier - almost a non-issue.
Here are a couple links to my blog on IT careers... They might provide some insight in what you could do...
Only read this if you are a technology pro who wants to succeed!
Average Pay and Job Dissatisfaction
Living The Dream or Killing Time, you decide
They touch on pursuing what you like, trading pay for opportunity when necessary, and the danger of a Salary Survey mentality in career planning/job seeking.
I hope you find the info helpful.
Thanks,
Matthew Moran
Read my career blog at: Musings: Todo esta bien.. Todo esta divertido (it's all good, it's all fun)
The only way to have a career and not just a job (yes I believe they are different) is to do what you enjoy. Although opportunities to completely change your career path are rare they can happen, but will only happen with a great effort from the individual.
Before you can find something that you are happy doing you first need to identify what items about a career you get you happiness from. Different people define happiness in their careers based upon different criteria.
4 years ago I did web app development and the associated SQL, and had done this for a number of years. I didn't do it because I enjoyed it, I did because I was decent at it and it was an income. At one company I was given the chance to work with OLAP tools and Data warehousing. The challenges this offered is what I needed to change from having a job to having a career which I now design and implement DW and OLAP Solutions.
What you ultimately end up doing maybe something you have yet to be exposed to but have a real ability to do it. Don't be down on the analytic report writing in actuate like most reportingpackages it is probably shines at doing a few specific items but is a real dog when pushed beyonds it's abilities or purpose. Report writing also can become tedious an seen as grunt work but if in an enviroment where ideas are openly exchanged and accepted you may eventually find that you excel in the analytics realm which ultimately is more than just report writing.
Shoot Me! Shoot Me NOW!!!
- Daffy Duck
Before you can find something that you are happy doing you first need to identify what items about a career you get you happiness from. Different people define happiness in their careers based upon different criteria.
4 years ago I did web app development and the associated SQL, and had done this for a number of years. I didn't do it because I enjoyed it, I did because I was decent at it and it was an income. At one company I was given the chance to work with OLAP tools and Data warehousing. The challenges this offered is what I needed to change from having a job to having a career which I now design and implement DW and OLAP Solutions.
What you ultimately end up doing maybe something you have yet to be exposed to but have a real ability to do it. Don't be down on the analytic report writing in actuate like most reportingpackages it is probably shines at doing a few specific items but is a real dog when pushed beyonds it's abilities or purpose. Report writing also can become tedious an seen as grunt work but if in an enviroment where ideas are openly exchanged and accepted you may eventually find that you excel in the analytics realm which ultimately is more than just report writing.
Shoot Me! Shoot Me NOW!!!
- Daffy Duck
In response to the opening post,
You are really hurting yourself if you suggest 'all I know is LN'
The reality is that you know an awful lot more, but the key to demonstrating that to yourself and others lies in lateral thinking. Expand everything your jobs have involved, every responsibility you have had (ie. any soft-skills) and list those things.
The classic example is 'retail assistant' that nobody takes seriously but which expands into: stock control, customer relations, accounts/RMA, money handling (trust), &c.
If you don't list all those little things that your LN jobs required on the side (and build on the topics with some good text books) then you are going to find yourself in a bit of trouble.
You don't want an employer looking at your CV and thinking you are a one show in town, and saying 'Seven years of LN' just strikes me as being no different to shooting yourself in the foot. Make yourself look adaptable, and ready yourself for a cross-examination by actually reading up on those things.
In my opinion, marketable skills don't exist. Asside from things like SQL there is very little that transfers from one job to another. Showing that you are a big box of tricks and able to fill any role is the way to go.
Mind you, I'm great at getting myseld in hot water, so... heh
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Memoria mihi benigna erit qui eam perscribam
You are really hurting yourself if you suggest 'all I know is LN'
The reality is that you know an awful lot more, but the key to demonstrating that to yourself and others lies in lateral thinking. Expand everything your jobs have involved, every responsibility you have had (ie. any soft-skills) and list those things.
The classic example is 'retail assistant' that nobody takes seriously but which expands into: stock control, customer relations, accounts/RMA, money handling (trust), &c.
If you don't list all those little things that your LN jobs required on the side (and build on the topics with some good text books) then you are going to find yourself in a bit of trouble.
You don't want an employer looking at your CV and thinking you are a one show in town, and saying 'Seven years of LN' just strikes me as being no different to shooting yourself in the foot. Make yourself look adaptable, and ready yourself for a cross-examination by actually reading up on those things.
In my opinion, marketable skills don't exist. Asside from things like SQL there is very little that transfers from one job to another. Showing that you are a big box of tricks and able to fill any role is the way to go.
Mind you, I'm great at getting myseld in hot water, so... heh
----------
Memoria mihi benigna erit qui eam perscribam
- Thread starter
- #9
To All,
I'm glad to hear everybody’s advice, and it makes me think a little bit more at were I'm at, and were I'm going. I'm trying to open up my opportunities in different ways.
First, I'm going for a grad degree in IT Project Management. My game plan is to get my grad degree to open up more opportunities on the programming and management front. Hence, if I get layed off (we all worry about that) I have two skills to fall back on Programming/Management. It's great in theory for becoming more marketable, but the question is still finding a "career" as MDXer puts it.
First off I am pretty sure I do not like Actuate (the editor sucks by the way). The problem is how do you let management know? This could be a black mark on the next review. Secondly, I have a problem connecting with the new team? I meshed more with my old team than with this team. My third, and last issue is I'm stuck in a large corporation were we have different IT departments. This makes it a little tougher to try new things I have not tried before to see if I like it. I gave Actuate a shot, but I now know I dislike it. Don’t get me wrong I am not a just a 1 trick dog. I have the reputation of being a programmer that is versatile. It’s just how can you justify using another language to management when their stuck in their ways.
Not sure what’s to come and this in the mist of cost cutting. I think I'm going to concentrate on getting my grad degree. I think that will give me more leverage here. After that I'm not sure. I guess the next step is to find my "career". All I know is I need to find a way out of my current position without quitting. If there are any more thoughts just let me know.
The true road to enlightenment is closed for repairs...
I'm glad to hear everybody’s advice, and it makes me think a little bit more at were I'm at, and were I'm going. I'm trying to open up my opportunities in different ways.
First, I'm going for a grad degree in IT Project Management. My game plan is to get my grad degree to open up more opportunities on the programming and management front. Hence, if I get layed off (we all worry about that) I have two skills to fall back on Programming/Management. It's great in theory for becoming more marketable, but the question is still finding a "career" as MDXer puts it.
First off I am pretty sure I do not like Actuate (the editor sucks by the way). The problem is how do you let management know? This could be a black mark on the next review. Secondly, I have a problem connecting with the new team? I meshed more with my old team than with this team. My third, and last issue is I'm stuck in a large corporation were we have different IT departments. This makes it a little tougher to try new things I have not tried before to see if I like it. I gave Actuate a shot, but I now know I dislike it. Don’t get me wrong I am not a just a 1 trick dog. I have the reputation of being a programmer that is versatile. It’s just how can you justify using another language to management when their stuck in their ways.
Not sure what’s to come and this in the mist of cost cutting. I think I'm going to concentrate on getting my grad degree. I think that will give me more leverage here. After that I'm not sure. I guess the next step is to find my "career". All I know is I need to find a way out of my current position without quitting. If there are any more thoughts just let me know.
The true road to enlightenment is closed for repairs...
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