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Getting your job search in gear

Written by Bob Aiello

Sunday, 13 January 2008 10:33

The recent credit crunch has left hundreds of top technology professionals unemployed as many financial services firms prune down their staffs in response to the recent turmoil in the credit markets. The positive side, to this catastrophe, is that many of my former colleagues got back in touch with me and others in an effort to network and find employment in a somewhat tough job market. Many of these technology experts have not needed to look for a job in a while and, in fact, may not even have an updated resume. How you approach your job search, especially after suffering a layoff, may make the difference in whether or not you land on your feet or suffer a prolonged period of unemployment. Read on if you would like a refresher on how you need to approach an effective job search.

The ABCs of job searching
Many of my fellow technology professionals have created complex computer systems that require intelligence, expertise and no small amount of hard work. It is often a wonder that these same - highly competent - colleagues cannot put together a decent resume or market themselves effectively. The field of technology often attracts professionals who are interested in seeing very concrete results. There is no ambiguity in whether the trade went through or not. Looking for a job is a very different cognitive experience with lots of ambiguity. Should I settle for a lesser salary or hold out for the "right" position? What kind of position should I be looking for? To organize these thoughts, I usually recommend that job seekers create an "ABC" list.

The "A's" are the jobs that are an absolute perfect fit to your skill-set. For me personally - this might be implementing a CM solution or joining a team that can't successfully get a release out the door (e.g. repeatable builds). The "B" is the jobs that you could do but maybe are not the most perfect opportunity. For example, if you have done enough ANT and Maven in your career then maybe a job as a release engineer is not your first choice. However, many employers are always looking for good release engineers and that just might land you a position with a great firm. I have personally seen situations where the release engineer was hired specifically with the agreement that within a year - the initial job would evolve into another more interesting position (release engineering is always a great stepping stone to understanding the entire system).

The "C" list is where you categorize those unexpected spots that might not be your best fit or may not pay the most. The end-game here is to get employed within a specific period of time. For example, one colleague of mine told me that he received 4 months severance pay and could probably be ok for about six months before really feeling the pinch.

Your time management must be focused on working your ABC job groups while keeping an eye on your budget and an honest understanding of when you really need to be employed again.

Networking for success
There are an amazing number of resources to help you network with other technology professionals and land your position of choice. In the coming months CM Crossroads will be updating our resume and job bulletin boards and you can also link to me personally via LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/in/bobaiello). People often contact me looking for good CM experts and CM'ers often network with me to find out about available positions.

Reading the writing on the...
Many technology professionals have a difficult time reading position descriptions and understanding what is written between the lines. Some positions are specified by the technology manager, but the actual posting is handled by an HR professional who may not fully understand all of the terms involved. That lead to misprints or, more commonly, position descriptions that are impossible to fill. The smart job seeker knows that many position description list the ideal candidate and often the company is glad to have a smart hardworking employee who, perhaps, needs to grow into the position as advertised.

Go for the job even if you only have some of the required skills!
Still, do you know how to figure out which items are negotiable and which are set in stone? We have an excellent posting this month for a Senior Software Configuration Manager working at Mykotronx in Torrence, CA. This job, as advertised, requires Active Secret Security Clearance, along with experience with MKS (one of my favorite SCM tools), SCM expertise and the ability to walk on water - oh that was another job description. My guess is that the Security Clearance is a fixed requirement and there is no room for flexibility. But I am betting that a good technology professional with other experience using CM tools (e.g. ClearCase, Subversion) would have a decent shot at this position. Do not ever lie about your background and skills, but you should also never sell yourself short either! This position has to get filled and my bet is that the right person could get them to inch up a bit on the salary and also accept other skills as proof that they can learn MKS or even SCM processes on the job.

Get yourself greenslipped
I have had more than one position where I simply interviewed for a job that I was TOTALLY unqualified for. I never misrepresented my background, but I also always cheerfully interviewed for positions even if I was obviously not a good fit. I simply presented what I could do and what I had done in the past. Twice in my career, I have accepted a position, without really knowing what my job would be ( I call this getting green slipped as opposed to being pink slipped). I simply liked my future boss and I really liked the company. I would have accepted any reasonable position to join that firm. I was flexible and willing to take on any challenge that needed to get done. I carefully and honestly explained my own skills and experience and we agreed that we would work out my exact position over time. I stayed at one such firm for seven years and my position changed into a role that I could never have envisioned.

Marketing yourself and your skills
It's important to market yourself effectively and be flexible on the role that you can assume in any organization. Consider where you can provide the most value and where you will personally enjoy the most growth. That may mean that you are initially a little out of your own comfort zone. The field of CM is growing and evolving almost as fast as technology itself. Good CM'ers:

implement Source Code Management tools and process
develop repeatable builds (e.g. ant and maven) and deployment tools and process (e.g. continuous integration using cruise control)
setup change control (e.g. CCRB) to organize release management
help with IT governance and control (e.g. ensure compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley)
Work with data security to see that company resources are protected at all times
act as source code librarians and manage reuseable code
facilitate offshore outsourcing by developing global cm infrastructures

Does this sound like a lot to do?

You are up to the challenge!

And please remember to drop me a line and let me know what job search techniques work for you and which ones we can share with others!!

Bob Aiello is the Editor-in-Chief for CM Crossroads and the manager of process improvement for a NYC financial services firm in NYC. Bob is on the Steering Committee of the NYC Software Process Improvement Network (CitySPIN), where he is also the chair of the CM SIG which meets in Midtown NYC. Mr. Aiello has a Masters in Industrial Psychology from NYU and a BS in Computer Science from Hofstra University.

you may reach Mr. Aiello at raiello@acm.org

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