How to Evaluate Your Technical Career Track

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How to Evaluate Your Technical Career Track Poornima Vijayashanker #femgineerforum @femgineer May 28, 2014 1

description

It's often unclear what tracks are available to people in technical careers such as designers, engineers, and product managers within any size organization. The path chosen by many is the management track, but what if you want to stay technical? Are there alternatives? In this talk, you'll learn: • What to think about when you're evaluating the choice between pursuing a management vs a technical track • The opportunities that are available to you if you choose to go down a technical track, what the day-to-day will be like, and how to prepare for this path

Transcript of How to Evaluate Your Technical Career Track

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How to Evaluate Your Technical Career Track

Poornima Vijayashanker#femgineerforum@femgineer

May 28, 20141

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Background

• Femgineer • Forums

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Agenda

• What are the roles?• Technical v. management track?• How to transition?• Breakout session

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Smart.

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Inexperienced.

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Falling off.

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Environment.

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Stuck.

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It’s too late.

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Get back on!

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Many paths.

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What are the roles?

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Technical track.

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FreelancerConsultant

Individual ContributorTechnical Team Lead

ArchitectCreative Director

ManagerTeacher

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Take stock of projects.

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Side projects.

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Meet Courteney.

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Expertise.

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Management track.

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Budget & control resources.

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Directions.

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Understand organization.

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Lookout.

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Lots of open doors.

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Interview them!

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When was the last time someone was promoted?

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Do people make transitions?

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Understand the day-to-day!

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Responsibilities&

Requirements

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Get Some Feedback• Colleagues• Friends• Mentors

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Perspective.

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I’m not ready...

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Constantly learning.

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Training.

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Transition.

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Create a plan.

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The role you want.Why you want it.

Why you can do it!

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Demonstrate through stories

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ASK!

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Don’t muddle the message.

“...”

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Do a bite-sized sale.

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RISK.

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Show progress overtime.

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Mitigating risk == easy decision

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Inaction.

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Review

• What are the roles?• Technical v. management track?• How to transition?• Breakout session

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Next Forum on June 19thWhy You Should Speak at Technical Conferences

Sponsored by

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Want to host a forum at your company?

Contact: [email protected]

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E-mail CourseHow to Transform Your Ideas into

Software Productshttp://femgineer.com/transform-ideas

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Courses

Confident CommunicatorLean Product DevelopmentWeb Product Development

Visit femgineer.com/learn

MentoringVisit femgineer.com/mentoring

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Q&A

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Breakout Session!

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KEY OBJECTIVE(S) AGENDA

DELIVERABLE

BREAK OUT SESSION

Think about your track. 30 minutes Get into groups of ~5 people.1. Introduce yourself to the group.2. Take stock of past projects3. What did you enjoy about those

projects?4. What role do you think you maybe

suited to based on what you enjoyed working on?

5. What are some next steps for you?6. Share with the group.

Short presentation

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