how to evaluate your technical career track

How to Evaluate Your Technical Career Track

Poornima Vijayashanker#femgineerforum@femgineer

May 28, 20141

Background

• Femgineer • Forums

2

Agenda

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

3

Smart.

4

Inexperienced.

5

Falling off.

6

Environment.

7

Stuck.

8

It’s too late.

9

Get back on!

10

Many paths.

11

What are the roles?

12

Technical track.

13

FreelancerConsultant

Individual ContributorTechnical Team Lead

ArchitectCreative Director

ManagerTeacher

Professor14

Take stock of projects.

15

Side projects.

16

Meet Courteney.

17

18

Expertise.

19

Management track.

20

Budget & control resources.

21

Directions.

22

Understand organization.

23

Lookout.

24

Lots of open doors.

25

Interview them!

26

When was the last time someone was promoted?

27

Do people make transitions?

28

Understand the day-to-day!

29

Responsibilities&

Requirements

30

Get Some Feedback• Colleagues• Friends• Mentors

31

Perspective.

32

I’m not ready...

33

Constantly learning.

34

Training.

35

Transition.

36

Create a plan.

37

The role you want.Why you want it.

Why you can do it!

38

Demonstrate through stories

39

ASK!

40

Don’t muddle the message.

“...”

41

Do a bite-sized sale.

42

RISK.

43

Show progress overtime.

44

Mitigating risk == easy decision

45

Inaction.

46

Review

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

47

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

Sponsored by

48

Want to host a forum at your company?

Contact: justin@femgineer.com

49

E-mail CourseHow to Transform Your Ideas into

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

50

Courses

Confident CommunicatorLean Product DevelopmentWeb Product Development

Visit femgineer.com/learn

MentoringVisit femgineer.com/mentoring

51

Q&A

52

53

Breakout Session!

54

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

55