Reply to: The best article I've read on how to get paid more

[oscarose]

Good little read thanks. It's true the little things can be the most appreciated and not the things you are contracted for, e.g. 5 minutes sorting out a few pivot tables/charts in Excel for a user can make you look like a genius (and the word spreads)!

[escapeUK]

The key is come with the result don't tell people you did it. Just get it sorted and report the
success.

I think the key is to change jobs often and dont get stuck in a role that you are too good at to promote.

[quackhandle]

"Excel may not be hardcore but it can make you look good. Do not completely fix anything. An IT pro fixes things the best he can, with success defined as never having to fix it again. Take the model of government IT projects as the perfection of what you should be doing instead: you need to fix enough that you are seen to succeed, but not enough that it won’t need fixing again."

M$ work like this as well. My very first contract was for 6 months to push a button twice a day for a cockup caused by themselves (patch install).

qh

[bobspud]

Absolutely.

It's important to do both. It's no good being technically brilliant if your boss doesn't know about it. Knowledge brings extensions.

In his case the UK Managing director knew how good he was. He came in as the IT Manager to build the team. The trouble was everyone knew he was so good at making things happen (even down to doing stuff himself). The company took the stance that they would be mad to take him out of his job to be the Director of IT so he got stuck in a non job while various interim directors and wannabes took the top job.

The key is come with the result don't tell people you did it. Just get it sorted and report the success.

[NotAllThere]

Absolutely true and how I play the game.

...Besides, if you're technically good enough then you will be recognised and sold well by your IT management.

Ah, the naivity of youth.

[d000hg]

Not a bad article I suppose but reading it sounds like something written by a sleazy recruitment consultant

That's the point. It's hugely cynical but that doesn't mean it's not true.

[cojak]

Not true.

I have a good friend who was at the ground level (first hire into the IT department) of a huge project. He was technically great and worked his nuts off. He should have been the IT director given his knowledge. The trouble was, that he was so good at achieving stuff and making things happen, the managers that recognised his worth brought in an endless list of IT directors over the top of him because the business would not let him do his real job (IT Manager). In the end he got made redundant last year because the latest one didn't know his history and the previous one had moved him out to the right hand side of the org chart on his own stem, and pulled their mates in to the rest of the department. He's not doing too bad because someone actually paid him a favour back and he got hunted into a 6 figure Enterprise Architecture role, however if he hadn't got the boot. He would still be fixing blackberry devices for ungrateful americans because the IT management new he could get the little but important stuff done.

Absolutely.

It's important to do both. It's no good being technically brilliant if your boss doesn't know about it. Knowledge brings extensions.

[bobspud]

Not a bad article I suppose but reading it sounds like something written by a sleazy recruitment consultant.

Besides, if you're technically good enough then you will be recognised and sold well by your IT management.

Not true.

I have a good friend who was at the ground level (first hire into the IT department) of a huge project. He was technically great and worked his nuts off. He should have been the IT director given his knowledge. The trouble was, that he was so good at achieving stuff and making things happen, the managers that recognised his worth brought in an endless list of IT directors over the top of him because the business would not let him do his real job (IT Manager). In the end he got made redundant last year because the latest one didn't know his history and the previous one had moved him out to the right hand side of the org chart on his own stem, and pulled their mates in to the rest of the department. He's not doing too bad because someone actually paid him a favour back and he got hunted into a 6 figure Enterprise Architecture role, however if he hadn't got the boot. He would still be fixing blackberry devices for ungrateful americans because the IT management new he could get the little but important stuff done.

[Antman]

The CVP concept is what any contractor should be doing anyway though. At least in the first couple of weeks I reckon.

[Friday Blue]

it's indeed very good, but i think it may have dropped pennies for too many people (as selfish as this may sound).

[ChimpMaster]

Not a bad article I suppose but reading it sounds like something written by a sleazy recruitment consultant.

Besides, if you're technically good enough then you will be recognised and sold well by your IT management.

[cojak]

And the best software to make your boss look good? Omnigraffle without a doubt...

[escapeUK]

I really liked it and this bit made me laugh!

At one bank where I was managing a project, a member of the board decided to sit in on a meeting as it was really important. He had no experience of IT people and so took me aside afterwards because he was worried that two of the developers would "self-harm".

[Optimus Prime]

Brilliant stuff!

[petergriffin]

Well there must be somebody who says that this article is a piece of crap and that's me. Good night!