As a technology professional, your career path can and probably will take many directions. The challenge is determining which directions are right for you. Are you no longer learning or growing at work? Do you want to change jobs but don’t know where to start? Do you feel stuck on a narrowly-defined path that doesn’t excite you? Whether you're just starting out or are the most experienced person on your team, this workshop will help you determine what's next in your career.

1. Charting a Course to
Your Dream Job
Cassandra
Faris
Kim
Preece
@cassandrafaris @KimberlyAPreece

2. Gap Conversation
• Pair up with the person next to you
• Think of a modern-day object
• Pretend your partner is from 100 years ago
• Spend up to 5 minutes explaining the object to your partner
• Switch roles and repeat using a different object

3. Group Formation
Form into groups of 4 & share the following information:
• Childhood career goal
• Educational background
• Current job
• Hobbies

4. Today’s Agenda
Takeaways & Next Steps
Identifying Opportunities
Career Path Reflection
Career Goals Reflection

5. Today’s Agenda
Career Path Reflection
Career Goals Reflection
Identifying Opportunities
Takeaways & Next Steps

6. Kim’s Career Journey
What a long, strange trip it’s been
MEDICAL ASSISTING
B.A. HUMAN RESOURCE
MANAGEMENT
SUBSTITUTE
TEACHING
TEMPORARY LABOR
RECRUITER
MEDICAL
RECRUITER
TECHNICAL
RECRUITER

7. Cassandra’s Career Journey
What a long, strange trip it’s been
B.A. PHILOSOPHY
LAW SCHOOL DROPOUT
INSURANCE
SALES
MBA ORGANIZATIONAL
LEADERSHIP
WAREHOUSE
RECRUITER
TECHNICAL
RECRUITER
TECH COMMUNITY
ADVOCATE

8. It’s OK if you don’t know
what you want to be
when you grow up

9. Signs It’s Time to Plan a Career Move
• Not learning
• No career path
• No investment in growth
• Title-only promotion
• Company changes
• Instability
• Relocation
• Dread work
• Bad leadership
• Unlikable coworkers

10. What We Think We Should Do
Follow a pre-set career path
Learn the latest tech or methodology
Get more years of experience

11. What We Should Also Do
Understand your business
Figure out what you want to do next
Learn communication skills
Mentor & teach others
Get out of your comfort zone

12. Technical skills are not the only
career skills you need

13. Career Path Reflection
Likes & dislikes
Favorite/fulfilling projects
Why you’re in tech
Most challenging project

14. Career Path Reflection

15. Career Path Discussion

16. Today’s Agenda
Career Goals Reflection
Identifying Opportunities
Takeaways & Next Steps
Career Path Reflection

17. Determining Career Goals

18. Identifying Priorities
Location
Culture
Growth
Perks
.
Compensation
Equity
Education
.
Size

19. Examining Values
Yours? Your employer’s?

20. Company culture is not:
Company culture is:

21. Values & Priorities Reflection

22. Values & Priorities Discussion

23. Your priorities and values help
you limit and guide your career

24. Career Goals Reflection
Things you want to learn
Strengths & weaknesses
Someone you admire
Dream job

25. Career Goals Reflection

26. Career Goals Discussion

27. Break
See you in 15 minutes
*
*Obligatory CodeMash bacon mention

28. Today’s Agenda
Career Goals Reflection
Identifying Opportunities
Takeaways & Next Steps
Career Path Reflection

29. Communication with your
manager is the key to internal
career growth

30. Identify Internal Opportunities
Communicate goals to your manager
Be proactive
Identify relevant training
Ask forgiveness, not permission*
*Use sparingly and with care

31. Researching Internal Opportunities

32. Training
• Know how you learn
• Invest in yourself

33. Learn by Teaching
•Area of expertise
•Deeper understanding
•Communication skills

34. You will learn by being
active in the tech community

35. Professional Networking Online
• LinkedIn groups
• Slack
• Github

36. Professional Networking Offline
• Meetups
• Tech events
• Non-profits
• Volunteering

37. Career changes rely on transferrable skills
What you
already know
What you need
to learn

38. Identify External Opportunities
Learn professional skills
Talk to people in your desired role
Find a mentor
Build a network

39. Job Search Resources
• Indeed
• Stack Overflow Jobs
• LinkedIn
• Company websites
• Your network

40. You need to understand the
value to bring to an employer

41. Identifying Opportunities: Reflection

42. Identifying Opportunities: Discussion

43. Resume Tailoring

44. Resume Tailoring

45. Resume Discussion

46. Today’s Agenda
Career Goals Reflection
Identifying Opportunities
Takeaways & Next Steps
Career Path Reflection

47. How do you know you’re succeeding?
• Practical considerations
• Feedback from others
• Treatment by others
• Are you happy!?

48. You’ll know your career is on the right
course when you’re happy at work

49. Q & A

50. Thank you!
@KimberlyAPreece
kim.preece@improving.com
@cassandrafaris
cassandra.faris@gmail.com