Whether you are a new computer science graduate or taking the next step in your career, the process of deciding between different job offers can be tough. Many people base their decision primarily on salary, while others consider all their options including the technology they will be using. Before you say “Yes” to that offer, here are a couple of things you should consider.
Development philosophy
What is the core philosophy of how the company executes technology projects? Do they pass a detailed “Requirements” document from a “Business Analyst” to technology people to implement? Or is the technical team at the table with the business and able to directly interact with the end customer during development?
The interactions you have as a technology person will determine if the job is more task driven or value driven. A value driven job means your work will transcend just the technology work. You will understand the details of how the business works. You can then ask questions and make suggestions that could be process changes that could have even a bigger impact on the business then the technology work. A task driven job simply means you implement someone else’s vision.
How can you discover the core philosophy of a potential company? I would ask probing questions. A good place to start in forming your questions is the Manifesto for Agile Software Development and their Twelve Principles of Agile Software. Understanding how Agile-focused the company is will help you see if technology people are really valued at the company.
Revenue driver or efficiency driver?
If the job is working on a product the company sells, then it is a revenue driving job. If the job is working on systems that support internal groups, then it is an efficiency driving job. While both areas are important and necessary to a company, the most important is the revenue driver. In this role, the work you do will directly relate to the company’s top line. Where do you think a company is going to place more of its resources and creativity, on revenue drivers or efficiency drivers? When the CEO of the company is talking about how the company is innovating in their industry it will be the revenue driving innovations that are at the top of the list.
Below is my quick list of things to consider, in order of importance, to help you decide on your next great job.
- Development philosophy - determines your perception at the company and the experience you will gain.
- Revenue driver - the best and most exciting jobs are directly related to driving revenue.
- Technology - nobody wants to do Cobol anymore.
- Salary - everybody needs to eat!
photo by L_K_M
Tags: IT Career Plan, Job Offer
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Eric Presley
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[...] You a Revenue Driver or an Efficiency Driver? IT Hire Wire’s Eric Presley offers an insightful way to look at your job and determine how valuable it is to your organization, an increasingly important exercise as CIOs [...]
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