Posted on: 26-03-07 13:39:57
Quote:
Originally posted by rinky
I have been asked this question time and again. Interview seems to be going fine, but then this is almost the last question in almost every interview. I mostly reply that I would like to stay in technical role, their face expression changes. Why? I fail to understand.
Its probably not your answer, more the way you're presenting it. The need to be honest in an interview does not override the need to be tactful.
The response should be more like "At this point in time, it is the technical aspect of my job that excites me most. And I would like to grow on the technical track. But who knows, down the road if I am presented with the right opportunity to demonstrate lead or management potential, I may go down that path."
Which is the truth anyways, because you never know. Right now, you want to stay on the technical track, 5 yrs down the road, you may re-think that.
Overall, organizations will always prefer people who are multi-dimensional in their capabilities and have potential in other streams. If you are a technical guru with some management potential, you are likely more appealing than if you're a technical guru who wants to be nothing else. In the latter case, it may be a better idea to look for consulting positions, you'll probably end up getting paid more.
Read the above with the understanding that there is nothing hard and fast in today's business world. Its all driven by need.
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Are you there?
Quote:
Originally posted by Fido
Every time we talk about growth one question often comes to my mind ~
Similarly why cant programmers / Sys Admins be expected to just remain that coders and admins ?? Why does the market expect them to "grow"
Cant a person just remain a programmer or DBA even after 15 years od experience and what wrong with that ? Maybe he s more skilled than others due to his experience and interest ....
As MR said, one could be a senior progrmmer. But how many CTO postions are there? This is problem with the IT field. No wonder some IT folks leave the field once and for all. A friend of mine, a gora, after 15 yrs in the IT field, got fed up, became a general contractor (heating , plumbing, kitchen and bathroom renovation, etc) with couple of people working for him now.
Some cluttered information not in direct relevance to this thread but might be of interest to some:
1.Cognizant Technologies in Bangalore offers its techies a MBA program from BITS, Pilani where in the Classes are held at the workplace after work. This way they are able to train future managers.
2.Myself being a non-techie the biggest threat I percieve for many techies is much faster obsolescence of technology in IT compared to other fields like chemical, automobile or many other fields. Hence your current technical competency does not guarantee you a top slot in the next new company. The other threat is coming from non techies coming in with functional experience/managerial experience and taking away your management jobs. Case and point I have a friend of mine who is a Director in ORACLE, Bangalore and is responsible for implementation of the SW in many fields including Diary( I can write a separate thread on the IT revolution happening in the Diary farms of Anand, Gujarat and also in various Districts of AP, TN in terms of procurement of produce by ITC which really gives a practical example of how IT can touch the common man), Agriculture and related areas in Asia Pacific. He is hardly 38 and a ICWA, CA from India with no coding experience. He has 35 to 45 techies working for him. It might be one and an unique case but it is a threat. I have a school mate of mine who is a Chief Architect for HP in Bangalore. But he stayed with the company for the past 20 years and he started in S'Pore and then moved onto India. But how many of us have the patience to be with a company for 20 years.
3.I know this guy in Brampton who was a techie who worked for a Bank as IT support guy making 80+ who quit his job and started his own trucking business. It again boils down to the thought the best professions in Canada are truck drivers, taxi drivers, plumber, electrician, home renovators to name a few.
4. Tamil Nadu has around 100+ engineering colleges producing more than 35,000 engineers per year and where are they going into and the answer is that they are becoming techies. Hence there is a foreseeable glut for techies in times to come. http://www.newindpress.com/NewsItems.asp?ID=IEL20070327074801&Page=L&Title=B+R+E+A+K+I+N+G++++N+E+W+S&Topic=0&
Hence how is a coder with 20 + years experience going to differentiate himself from a young one off college who is willing to work at pittance. Even surgeons have to periodically update their skills and acquire newer skills. If not they will also get pushed onto the side in the mad RAT RACE.
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Speech by Thomas Friedman of The New York Times....
"When we were young kids growing up in America, we were told to eat our
vegetables at dinner and not leave them. Mothers said, 'think of the
starving children in India and finish the dinner.' And now I tell my
children: 'Finish your maths homework. Think of the children in India
who would make you starve, if you don't.'"
I think right now in India especially its the techies who are creating the demand and revenue and as the market grows the demand wont come down .
Its these techies which are making the industry need more managers and other ancilaries not the other way round .
A techie fares better than a non techie in tech related managerial jobs such as Project Managers etc and hence there may not be real threat from non techies till the top l;evel President / VP where obviously managerial calliber is needed more than technical ... But till middle level positions there s not much threat .
Plus if you are happy doing your technical thing why go into managerial areas and if you feel that you need to , nothing stops you.
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Fido.
I had another round of interview after this one, and kept a good open approach according to the situation. Thanks everyone for all the valuable inputs, since I was made the offer and I recently joined them.
