Career advice
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So the past few days I've done a lot of thinking about my career path. After talking to my friends and former coworkers, I feel that I might focus on positions that are not just programming. I would still like to development, but would also like to use my speaking skills/need for attention. A position that I have researched is a Sales Engineer. Does anyone do this? Does anyone have advice for making the small jump from developer to something more social? 2 more points, I don't want to do support and I am a little leery of the sales engineer position because I don't want to travel out of town more than 10-15% of the time.
"I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. " — Hunter S. Thompson My comedy.
wizardzz wrote:
travel out of town more than 10-15% of the time
...then sales engineer is not for you... I've had to do a lot of simultaneous roles, as a sales support engineer, you'll have to do a lot of traveling... its very time consuming too, so assuming you'll be able to do that and be productive with other tasks is not the best assumption.
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So the past few days I've done a lot of thinking about my career path. After talking to my friends and former coworkers, I feel that I might focus on positions that are not just programming. I would still like to development, but would also like to use my speaking skills/need for attention. A position that I have researched is a Sales Engineer. Does anyone do this? Does anyone have advice for making the small jump from developer to something more social? 2 more points, I don't want to do support and I am a little leery of the sales engineer position because I don't want to travel out of town more than 10-15% of the time.
"I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. " — Hunter S. Thompson My comedy.
well, this wont solve your issue but as an example. I went to school for programming, graduated this past December. Struggled to get started with a new career etc... In my second job as an official programmer, within two months of being here the IT director quit. I have been doing his job as well as mine for the last 3 months and it looks to be official that I will stay on as the new IT director. Now, I love programming, I love the challenge, but I have found that the challenges of running the IT department, development, user support, the works, steps it up even more. Point being, after going to school and trying my damnedest to become a hardcore developer/programmer it actually looks as if my career has taken a turn to network admin/ management as much as anything else. Go with the flow and take opportunities that come your way. Don't be close minded to one simply because it is not exactly what you were planning for the next 20 years.
Let's face it, after Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF! Be careful which toes you step on today, they might be connected to the foot that kicks your butt tomorrow. You can't scare me, I have children.
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wizardzz wrote:
travel out of town more than 10-15% of the time
...then sales engineer is not for you... I've had to do a lot of simultaneous roles, as a sales support engineer, you'll have to do a lot of traveling... its very time consuming too, so assuming you'll be able to do that and be productive with other tasks is not the best assumption.
My concern with traveling is spending time away from my fiancee. She is hot and I prefer to sleep next to her.
"I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. " — Hunter S. Thompson My comedy.
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I prefer to think of it this way: don't quit your day job. :)
Somebody in an online forum wrote:
INTJs never really joke. They make a point. The joke is just a gift wrapper.
Sometimes your day job quits you.
"I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. " — Hunter S. Thompson My comedy.
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So the past few days I've done a lot of thinking about my career path. After talking to my friends and former coworkers, I feel that I might focus on positions that are not just programming. I would still like to development, but would also like to use my speaking skills/need for attention. A position that I have researched is a Sales Engineer. Does anyone do this? Does anyone have advice for making the small jump from developer to something more social? 2 more points, I don't want to do support and I am a little leery of the sales engineer position because I don't want to travel out of town more than 10-15% of the time.
"I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. " — Hunter S. Thompson My comedy.
I travel less than sales people, and I estimate that I can be away up to 60% of the time. If this isn't for you, then don't move into Sales. Also, remember that sales involves having to take a bucket load of crap from ALL sides. It's not an easy job, and I admire those who can do it for a living.
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
"Mind bleach! Send me mind bleach!" - Nagy Vilmos
My blog | My articles | MoXAML PowerToys | Mole 2010 - debugging made easier - my favourite utility
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My concern with traveling is spending time away from my fiancee. She is hot and I prefer to sleep next to her.
"I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. " — Hunter S. Thompson My comedy.
Usually you do have to do quite a bit of traveling... and you'll find sales people and customers are a very needy group... X|
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So the past few days I've done a lot of thinking about my career path. After talking to my friends and former coworkers, I feel that I might focus on positions that are not just programming. I would still like to development, but would also like to use my speaking skills/need for attention. A position that I have researched is a Sales Engineer. Does anyone do this? Does anyone have advice for making the small jump from developer to something more social? 2 more points, I don't want to do support and I am a little leery of the sales engineer position because I don't want to travel out of town more than 10-15% of the time.
"I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. " — Hunter S. Thompson My comedy.
Have you considered teaching, not just in a school but more along the lines of a presenter or speaker for a local company. God knows how many seminars I’ve been to that were essentially some monotone dope reading a manual to you. The ones that I actually get something out of, or at least enjoy, are the ones where the speaker has a great sense of humor, keeping the attention of the audience and the ability to field questions and answer them. It would be nice to have someone like you at a seminar to deflect the inevitable “watch me stump the teacher while I show off my knowledge” audience member in the same way you would handle a heckler.
It was broke, so I fixed it.
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I travel less than sales people, and I estimate that I can be away up to 60% of the time. If this isn't for you, then don't move into Sales. Also, remember that sales involves having to take a bucket load of crap from ALL sides. It's not an easy job, and I admire those who can do it for a living.
Forgive your enemies - it messes with their heads
"Mind bleach! Send me mind bleach!" - Nagy Vilmos
My blog | My articles | MoXAML PowerToys | Mole 2010 - debugging made easier - my favourite utility
I agree, sales is a crap shoot... :laugh: ...a lot of companies do have a "sales engineer" who typically isn't held accountable for sales goals and expectations, they're the technical right hand man/woman for the sales people... although you still end up doing just about as much traveling.
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My concern with traveling is spending time away from my fiancee. She is hot and I prefer to sleep next to her.
"I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. " — Hunter S. Thompson My comedy.
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My concern with traveling is spending time away from my fiancee. She is hot and I prefer to sleep next to her.
"I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. " — Hunter S. Thompson My comedy.
wizardzz wrote:
She is hot and I prefer to sleep next to her.
Saving from the gas bills, eh? What about the summer? You could travel during the summer?
There is only one Vera Farmiga and Salma Hayek is her prophet! Advertise here – minimum three posts per day are guaranteed.
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Have you considered teaching, not just in a school but more along the lines of a presenter or speaker for a local company. God knows how many seminars I’ve been to that were essentially some monotone dope reading a manual to you. The ones that I actually get something out of, or at least enjoy, are the ones where the speaker has a great sense of humor, keeping the attention of the audience and the ability to field questions and answer them. It would be nice to have someone like you at a seminar to deflect the inevitable “watch me stump the teacher while I show off my knowledge” audience member in the same way you would handle a heckler.
It was broke, so I fixed it.
Actually, that would be awesome. I could probably deal with the travel involved. I'll include that in my search and might start a video training blog in the meantime.
"I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. " — Hunter S. Thompson My comedy.
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I agree, sales is a crap shoot... :laugh: ...a lot of companies do have a "sales engineer" who typically isn't held accountable for sales goals and expectations, they're the technical right hand man/woman for the sales people... although you still end up doing just about as much traveling.
Yeah, I guess I'm looking for an inhouse remote sales engineer position. I did actually do this as my internship 5 or 6 years ago.
"I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. " — Hunter S. Thompson My comedy.
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Actually, that would be awesome. I could probably deal with the travel involved. I'll include that in my search and might start a video training blog in the meantime.
"I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. " — Hunter S. Thompson My comedy.
wizardzz wrote:
a video training blog
Excellent idea!:thumbsup:
It was broke, so I fixed it.
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So the past few days I've done a lot of thinking about my career path. After talking to my friends and former coworkers, I feel that I might focus on positions that are not just programming. I would still like to development, but would also like to use my speaking skills/need for attention. A position that I have researched is a Sales Engineer. Does anyone do this? Does anyone have advice for making the small jump from developer to something more social? 2 more points, I don't want to do support and I am a little leery of the sales engineer position because I don't want to travel out of town more than 10-15% of the time.
"I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. " — Hunter S. Thompson My comedy.
Good thing about a Sales Engineer you'll be receiving a commision based salary if you can yank the sales in. Go for it, if you're knowledgeable about tech and have the gift of the gab, you should feel easy talking, doing presentation and bring in the dough.
Software Kinetics Wear a hard hat it's under construction
Metro RSS -
So the past few days I've done a lot of thinking about my career path. After talking to my friends and former coworkers, I feel that I might focus on positions that are not just programming. I would still like to development, but would also like to use my speaking skills/need for attention. A position that I have researched is a Sales Engineer. Does anyone do this? Does anyone have advice for making the small jump from developer to something more social? 2 more points, I don't want to do support and I am a little leery of the sales engineer position because I don't want to travel out of town more than 10-15% of the time.
"I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. " — Hunter S. Thompson My comedy.
My current employer has a couple of technical evangelist jobs. We are working on getting nationwide adoption of a data standard for high school student data. There are other jobs out there that straddle that divide, like others have mentioned, instructor/trainer is another.
Curvature of the Mind now with 3D
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So the past few days I've done a lot of thinking about my career path. After talking to my friends and former coworkers, I feel that I might focus on positions that are not just programming. I would still like to development, but would also like to use my speaking skills/need for attention. A position that I have researched is a Sales Engineer. Does anyone do this? Does anyone have advice for making the small jump from developer to something more social? 2 more points, I don't want to do support and I am a little leery of the sales engineer position because I don't want to travel out of town more than 10-15% of the time.
"I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. " — Hunter S. Thompson My comedy.
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So the past few days I've done a lot of thinking about my career path. After talking to my friends and former coworkers, I feel that I might focus on positions that are not just programming. I would still like to development, but would also like to use my speaking skills/need for attention. A position that I have researched is a Sales Engineer. Does anyone do this? Does anyone have advice for making the small jump from developer to something more social? 2 more points, I don't want to do support and I am a little leery of the sales engineer position because I don't want to travel out of town more than 10-15% of the time.
"I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours. " — Hunter S. Thompson My comedy.
Sales engineer sounds like an oxymoron. One word is about trying to even sell ice to Escamoes and the other is to build things people can use to solve problems or improve their way of life. I will always want the later. Just me.
Well, who doesn't release stuff like that ? Microsoft software is just as bad. Christian Graus That's called seagull management (or sometimes pigeon management)... Fly in, flap your arms and squawk a lot, crap all over everything and fly out again... by _Damian S_