Using the Force to create your dream job: Episode 54

John Mark Troyer – The Geek Whisperers

All the Geek Whisperers have changed jobs recently. We basically invented the new roles ourselves. How did we do that? This week we talk about using the force to create a new job and about our career journeys.

Amy recently was promoted from a manager of Influence Marketing in the Data Center group at Cisco to a remit that spans all of the corporation. We talk about:

• Tip 1: testing the title you want by putting it up on LinkedIn
• finding the people that actually do stuff in a corporation
• people really do the things they want to do, not necessarily their job descriptions
• putting your objectives in pencil, not pen
• trying things, filling a business need
• Tip 2: talk to your stakeholders; the people your role is affecting
• i.e., in listening, you are able to articulate the value of what you are doing
• Tip 3: you must be fluent in suit as well as t-shirt
• Brian Gracely
• Leaning the F in
• Know the value you bring to the table
• Find mentors, mentor others
• Create a community
• Tip 4: If you know there’s a business need for what you do, keep doing it
• Look for the holes; fill the gaps

Matt recently shifted from a inside sales engineer role at Infinio to a role in technical marketing.

• Matt has accepted that he is connected to the dark side of the Force — marketing
• If you’re not up on your Star Wars trivia, the Chancellor is actually the bad guy in disguise
• creating a new role for someone that can build a lab, try new cool things, and then talk about it
• self-help for self-loathing marketers: it’s all about good intent
• know who you’re talking to
• being a member of the club
• geek marketers must be willing to be the brunt of marketing jokes
• saying what’s on your mind and what you want
• checking off different roles around big and small companies on the way to becoming an executive
• if your interests are not where your job role is, do you want to keep doing it?
• putting people in the right roles is a good corporate retention strategy
• translating your skills into what the company needs
• not walking away from a relationship
• trusting your gut
• moving closer to the product team

John quit his job at VMware and started his own company and consulting practice

• finishing all the things you set out to do
• hunters vs farmers
• perceived need in the marketplace
• maintaining an income: healthcare & mortgage
• Ramen Profitable from Paul Graham
• talking to lots of potential clients in the industry you want to work in
• being a part of a community; learning to love IT
• have a vision for something that needs to be invented in the world
• doing what you love
• don’t discount the gate that is open in front of you

May the Farce Be With You!