1st September, 2005

Copyright © 2005, Peter Harding

www.pha.com.au

What Now?

“Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to

time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.”

- Oscar Wilde

1st September, 2005

Copyright © 2005, Peter Harding

www.pha.com.au

Where Should I Start?

• My background

• Small business vs BIG BUSINESS – “The Corporate Ladder”

• Skills

• Interests

• Politics

• “Getting Ahead” – career development.

1st September, 2005

Copyright © 2005, Peter Harding

www.pha.com.au

How Prepared are You?

Pilot training analogy:

• Private versus Commercial.

1st September, 2005

Copyright © 2005, Peter Harding

www.pha.com.au

The Value of Youth

What is your value to an employer?

Examples:

• Fighter pilots

• Futures traders

1st September, 2005

Copyright © 2005, Peter Harding

www.pha.com.au

Employer Approaches

• Recruit the best

• Train to suit your distinctive methodologies

• Work hard and apply

Refer to:

• “Built to Last”

• “What they Don’t Teach you at Harvard Business School” (Mark McCormack)

• Fifth Discipline – Organizational Learning (Peter Senge)

1st September, 2005

Copyright © 2005, Peter Harding

www.pha.com.au

Strengths of a New Graduate

• Bright• Fresh perspectives…(Doesn’t know what is not

possible? [Henry Ford; Thomas Eddison])• Optimistic…• Enthusiastic…• No bad habits?• Can be trained to suit organizations requirements

and methodologies.

1st September, 2005

Copyright © 2005, Peter Harding

www.pha.com.au

Weaknesses

• Skills may not match job requirements exactly

• Lack of real world experience.

• Needs to “learn the ropes”…

• Will require supervision and training. [Large organizations Vs Small ones]

• What else?

1st September, 2005

Copyright © 2005, Peter Harding

www.pha.com.au

Career Path

• Change is a Certainty!

• Increasingly complex technology.

• Information explosion…

• Commoditization of skills

• Outsourcing/Off-shoring…

• Where do you fit?

1st September, 2005

Copyright © 2005, Peter Harding

www.pha.com.au

Types of Jobs/Organizations

What will you do?

• Technical

• Project (management)

• Management

• Politics & meetings

How will you engage?

• Execution vs politics

1st September, 2005

Copyright © 2005, Peter Harding

www.pha.com.au

Employee vs Contractor

• Control own time…

• Own your own job…

• Scalability of activities…

• Sales vs. execution…

• Experience and client expectations…

1st September, 2005

Copyright © 2005, Peter Harding

www.pha.com.au

Business

• Is a contractor “in Business”?

• How do I set it up?

• Advantages and disadvantages

• Skills and experience requirements.

• Sales vs execution.

• Tax and other implications.

1st September, 2005

Copyright © 2005, Peter Harding

www.pha.com.au

Getting your First Job

For you…• Preparation• Your resume/CV• The interview• Follow upEmployer approaches…• Testing (Skill/IQ/…)• Multiple interviews• Cultural fit• The VETO (The executive dinner)

1st September, 2005

Copyright © 2005, Peter Harding

www.pha.com.au

It is not Just Skills

• Attitude

• Communication ability

• Teamwork

• Client focus and interaction

• Savvy & Street Smarts…

“Emotional Intelligence” (Daniel Goleman)

1st September, 2005

Copyright © 2005, Peter Harding

www.pha.com.au

Some Life Tools

Some things you can use to help:

• SWOT

• Mind Mapping

• Brainstorming (Think Tanks)

• Reading/Audio tapes

• Personal development programs

• Goals

1st September, 2005

Copyright © 2005, Peter Harding

www.pha.com.au

Some Areas to Consider

• Planning => PreparationKeeping up…• Continuous Training• Research• Reading & Audio programs• Conferences• Non career specific interests• Other…

1st September, 2005

Copyright © 2005, Peter Harding

www.pha.com.au

Some Quotes

• “The greatest danger (in life) is not that our aspirations are too high and we fail to reach them, rather that they are too low and we do!” [Michaelangelo]

• “Never, never, never give up” [Winston Churchill]

1st September, 2005

Copyright © 2005, Peter Harding

www.pha.com.au

More Quotes

• “The rot starts at the top”.

• “Everybody is watching” their leaders. (modeling behaviour/leadership)

• “First in… Last Out”

• “Everyone rises to the level of their incompetence” [Peter Principle]

1st September, 2005

Copyright © 2005, Peter Harding

www.pha.com.au

Perspectives on Bureaucracy

• A necessary evil?

• Empire building

• Peter Principle (rise to level of incompetence).

• Akio Morota (founder of Sony) – On blockages in organizational structures.

1st September, 2005

Copyright © 2005, Peter Harding

www.pha.com.au

Industry Perspectives (on Age)

• At 30 in IT you are over the hill…

• Skill shortage

• Sometimes dinosaurs are useful…

• Endurance improves with age (e.g. the marathon runner).

1st September, 2005

Copyright © 2005, Peter Harding

www.pha.com.au

A View on Getting Ahead

• Aim to make yourself redundant. Train your replacement!

• Be actively engaged in personal development.

• Work out what you are passionate about and throw yourself into it – (Michaelangelos’ “terribiliata”).

1st September, 2005

Copyright © 2005, Peter Harding

www.pha.com.au

Projects

Some perspectives on Project Management• Vision.• Understand who stands to benefit from your

failure.• Leadership.• Management - Planning => preparation. [Know

what you are about…]• Teamwork.• Review.

1st September, 2005

Copyright © 2005, Peter Harding

www.pha.com.au

Leadership (Styles)

• Visionary

• Coaching

• Affiliative

• Democratic

• Pacesetting

• Commanding (C&C)

1st September, 2005

Copyright © 2005, Peter Harding

www.pha.com.au

A Final View

A few thoughts to finish with:• As Winston Churchill said, “Never give up”.• See mistakes as learning opportunities.• Be pro-active.• Set, review and work on your goals.• Communicate and network.• It is an adventure…