Welcome Guest. | Log In| Register | Membership Benefits


Career Counsel

April 7, 1998

At a crossroads in your career? Career Counsel is a great entry point. Your questions will be answered by Paul Daversa, president and CEO of Resource Systems Group, a technology executive search firm.
I have about 16 years' experience in IT, four of which have been with a workflow-imaging software vendor developing software solutions for different customers using a client-server architecture. I finished a master's degree in computer science four years ago and now have the title of Senior Software Developer in this company. I have a goal to become a CEO or CIO of an international corporation. Should I stu dy for an MBA to get more qualification or just start my job-hunting?

You should consider doing both! An MBA would be an added plus to your educational pedigree and a compliment to your technical skills. Your technical experience, particularly in the "workflow imaging" is a very hot and in-demand skill, particularly in pharmaceuticals and insurance. At the same time, you should begin a job hunt that will provide you more leadership and management experience. The successful CIO is one who has had executive exposure and has been accustomed to dealing with operational issues as well as technical issues. If I were pressed to recommend one or the other, I would lean more strongly toward the development of leadership and project management skills.

I am a 28-year-old IT professional. I have experience in networking, Internet, project manag ement, and year 2000 management. I have a bachelor's degree in Math/Computer Science and a master's degree in telecommunications, both from different, but top-notch institutions. I have also worked at the same company since college graduation (six years). My goal is to eventually serve as a technical or MIS director. As with most people, I feel that I am underpaid for my skills and abilities. I am currently serving as a Webmaster and year 2000 director for a midsize company in Pennsylvania. What is a realistic salary for someone of my age, skills, and education with the job functions and location that I described? Also, what can I do to make myself more marketable as a director of IS? When should I realistically expect to make the transition into senior management? I don't want to wait.

Your compensation should be $75,000-$90,000, based on the technical and educational criteria you supplied. It sounds like you have not only excellent technical depth but also a wide variety of experiences across a broad range of technical and business issues. Your move into management will most likely be brought about in a job move where you can describe how you drove technical initiatives and took leadership roles in the projects were involved in. Although your long tenure has proved to be a wise one because of the variety of experiences, often companies may remember you as the "too young, and not enough seasoning" professional. Your odds are far greater by bringing your successes to a company who sees you as a "fast tracker" who has helped drive change.

I am an experienced programmer, having coded extensively in C, SQL, and various application languages. I am also a skilled writer, having written a number of manuals and published two books, with a third due out this summer. I pride myself at being able to present complex technical matter so t hat novices can grasp it on the first reading. I would like to find a job where I can use both skills. A Web shop would be right up my alley; however, at my age and with my responsibilities (I'm 46 and have five children), I can't afford to take an entry-level position. Yet it appears that a person with more than one skill does not fit comfortably into the organizational charts of larger, more established companies. Must I emphasize one skill and let the other lie fallow? Or can I package myself to make my combination of skills attractive?

I've been working with a number of startups over the last 18 months who would love your background and would trade off your lack of Internet and Web experience for your strong documentation experience. The biggest struggles for most Internet startups are the training and documentation side. You've had some really good experience on the core development side and your writing skills obvio usly speak for themselves, so start targeting the smaller Internet plays. As for your age, unlike traditional corporate cultures, the startups I've dealt with could care less about age; they're are only concerned with results.



View Past Issues Of Career Counsel:
March 24, 1998
March 12, 1998
February 24, 1998
February 17, 1998
January 27, 1998
January 13, 1998
December 23, 1997
January 27, 1998
November 25, 1997
November 17, 1997
October 14, 1997
September 29, 1997



Send a question to Career Counsel

Send Us Your Feedback

Top of the Page