how to move on to be a "real report developer"

[VE]

Hi,

I have been working as a Crystal Reports writer/developer for over 10 years. Every position was with a non tech company where I supported finance and wrote management reports and made tools for operations users. I do a lot of creative things to make things work.

The last five years I have worked for a very difficult manager, she intercepts simple requests that would take me 5 minutes and makes them into monstrosities that take complex SQL commands, multiple sub reports and crazy formatting tricks. The good thing about that is my skills have grown exponentially, the bad thing is that it's really draining, particularly when the original requester needed what they asked for quickly. Then she gets mad because she thinks that since the original request was simple her version should not take so long. She also expects everything to be perfect the first time out regardless of unknowns and rates my performance accordingly.

I would like to get a job where I'm working with other developers for a company who's product is the application or support/implementation of an application. I want to work with people who understand the difference between a challenging project and a quick query. I want to work around people I can learn from and people I can teach.

Since I've worked alone with just Google to help me for so long, I probably have some bad or just strange habits. I don't have a degree, just years of experience successfully doing the job. I worry a little about how I would fit in with degreed and formally trained developers.

I've been sending resumes, and I get some calls and interviews. I emphasize my experience working with the end customer and making difficult situations work, but I think I'm missing something.

I don't have the money or time to get a degree, and I'm not sure that would actually pay off. Do certifications plus my kind of experience help? Or is it all just the luck of sending my resume to the right company at the right time? I'm often told that I have too much experience for the junior positions, which I kind of think are the right starting point for me, but maybe not.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

thank you
VE

 

[hilfy]

Would you be interested in learning more about the rest of the BusinessObjects suite of products? Do you mind travelling? Have you thought about consulting? Are you in the US?

If you can answer "Yes" to all of these, check out this job posting:

http://www.decisionfirst.com/company/careers/bi-consultant/

We're always looking for new consultants. I LOVE working for these folks - the pay and the benefits are good and there's always opportunities to learn new things.

-Dell

Dell Stinnett-Christy
Sr. Business Intelligence Consultant
DecisionFirst Technologies

DecisionFirst Technologies - Seven-time SAP BusinessObjects Solution Partner of the Year

http://www.decisionfirst.com

 

[VE]

Thank you, I will check that out

 

[MikeHalloran]

I want to work with people who understand the difference between a challenging project and a quick query. I want to work around people I can learn from and people I can teach.

Try to work that into your cover letter.

It suggests enthusiasm and common sense.

Since you're getting interviews, your resume and cover letter must be pretty decent.


So work on your interview skills.

Make a list of all the interview questions you've been asked.
Mark the ones that defined an inflection point; where they started selling you on the job, or un-selling you on the job.
You need to work on answers to those questions where the direction changed in a bad way. Don't memorize a response, but write one out and file it somewhere so you can review it occasionally.

When the question is asked, don't recite what you haven't memorized, but paraphrase it live, so it sounds spontaneous.
Then ask a question of your own; interviews work both ways.

You know that friend of yours who would help you bury a body, and retain no clear memory of doing so? Give that person the list of questions, and ask them to interview you. Videotape it, and review the tape later, in as much detail as you can stand.