I spend a lot of time working with managers and IT professionals talking about career management. Over the next few articles I’ll share these with you and how to beat them.
Career Trap #1: Believing that up is the only way.  When it comes to career progression, one of the common traps that we can fall into is believing that vertical career progression is the only way to success. Of course, if you’re just starting out in IT – like on a help desk -- up may seem to be the only way, but as you progress further in your career you may find plenty of opportunities where moving into a lateral position within your organization or taking a what might appear to be a step back may actually profit you more than moving directly vertically. There are also other times when the best thing for your career may be leaving the organization all together.
I think one of the most common mistakes is thinking that moving towards management is the logical development of someone's career, in Project Management, do you have what it takes? the author defines the characteristics required in a Project Manager, most developers don't have these characteristics, but a lot of them are sometimes forced to become Project Managers, although they have neither the communication nor the diplomacy skills.
by PM Hut (not verified) on 8/26/08 at 10:14 am |reply
Fail to Stay
Fail to Stay Fresh
Paula,
Thanks for your insights. Good advice to those trying to find or keep meaningful growth in their career.
I've seen cases where lingering too long in one techmology was detrimental to career growth. While becoming an expert in a technology can be useful, spending so long doing so without also gaining experience in newer technologies can cause a dead-end if your technology becomes obsolete.
The same can be said for newer technologies that never make it in the marketplace. If the experience isn't transferable to a similar but more penetrated technology, it can cause a career side-track.
Spending an inappropriate amount of time on office politics or building a network of peers(too little or too much) can present career barriers. Determining how much is appropriate is very difficult without feedback.
For suggestions on how technical expertise must be augmented by business skills to enhance career development, Robert E. Kelley's How to Be a Star at Work: Nine Breakthrough Strategies You Need to Succeed (Times Books, 1998), is a great resource.
by IT --> PM (not verified) on 8/26/08 at 11:53 am |reply
Great comments. When you
Great comments. When you think about career opportunities it's also important to consider what do you need to do to prepare for some of these moves. So, for example, if you don't have the skills today to become an effective project manager, how can you develop them if that's what you're interested in pursuing? If it's not, then what other technology areas should you be pursuing. Like IT-->PM brings up -- it's no one's fault but your own if you fail to keep your technology skills fresh. Seeking out new and different opportunities is the only way to keep growing your career.
Sidekick: The Good News & the Bad News Either way you look at it Microsoft Data Center management did not follow standards or best practices in this failure. In which case it makes me wonder more about the outsourcing of corporate data much less personal data.
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Quick, practical advice for IT pros. Made fresh daily.
I think one of the most
I think one of the most common mistakes is thinking that moving towards management is the logical development of someone's career, in Project Management, do you have what it takes? the author defines the characteristics required in a Project Manager, most developers don't have these characteristics, but a lot of them are sometimes forced to become Project Managers, although they have neither the communication nor the diplomacy skills.Fail to Stay
Fail to Stay FreshPaula,
Thanks for your insights. Good advice to those trying to find or keep meaningful growth in their career.
I've seen cases where lingering too long in one techmology was detrimental to career growth. While becoming an expert in a technology can be useful, spending so long doing so without also gaining experience in newer technologies can cause a dead-end if your technology becomes obsolete.
The same can be said for newer technologies that never make it in the marketplace. If the experience isn't transferable to a similar but more penetrated technology, it can cause a career side-track.
Spending an inappropriate amount of time on office politics or building a network of peers(too little or too much) can present career barriers. Determining how much is appropriate is very difficult without feedback.
For suggestions on how technical expertise must be augmented by business skills to enhance career development, Robert E. Kelley's How to Be a Star at Work: Nine Breakthrough Strategies You Need to Succeed (Times Books, 1998), is a great resource.
Great comments. When you
Great comments. When you think about career opportunities it's also important to consider what do you need to do to prepare for some of these moves. So, for example, if you don't have the skills today to become an effective project manager, how can you develop them if that's what you're interested in pursuing? If it's not, then what other technology areas should you be pursuing. Like IT-->PM brings up -- it's no one's fault but your own if you fail to keep your technology skills fresh. Seeking out new and different opportunities is the only way to keep growing your career.