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The Heroic Techie

A Worker's Testimony

The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by
the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men.
Quentin Tarantino

Chris Taylor has created a document containing all of the career wisdom he has accumulated so far.

This is something he might want to pass on to his children if, God forbid, he has to leave them when they are young (and he thinks they'll go into IT).

I found it stark and impressive so I've produced an abbreviated, paraphrased version below. He's got a little of the old Rambo in him, don't you think?

Professionalism

We all work with people we don't like. So what?

I may want to knock you on your ass if I see you in the parking lot, but if I see you in the office, I will laugh, joke and share a coffee with you.

This is what duty demands.

Gender Relations

There are very few women in IT. Why? Ask Lawrence Summers.

Just don't expect an IT job to be good for your love life unless you're looking forward to a same sex marriage.

Actually, don't go out with anyone from your company under any circumstances.

Because when you split up, it's going to get ugly.

Moral Fibre of The Rulers

My credo is simple:

Serve those above.
Rule those below.

Move heaven and earth

                   to see mission accomplished.

But, I can't work for some idiot I do not respect.

I want my bosses (all the way to the top) to demonstrate honesty, integrity, courage, competence, humility and loyalty to the troops they command.

If they don't have those qualities, I will leave the job.

This is the single most important factor in determining the length of my stay.

The Interview

The problem with an interview is you can't tell a good leader from a bad one until you work alongside him.

And you won't really know him until a crisis comes and you see if he helps you or leaves you holding the bag. For,

There are no interview questions that let us
peer that deeply into the heart of a man.

Every potential boss will promise to support you to the hilt when crunch time comes. But not everyone will.

And being able to work with those who do is more important than any perks or pay.

The Story of A Crunch

I once had a CEO who was an ex-IBM senior exec.

When one project was seriously behind schedule he came down to the shop floor and yelled at the manager, calling her several variants of the F-word in front of the entire technical staff.

I wrote to the CIO about it. He dodged the issue, sending back an insipid "Very interesting." as a reply.

It was sickening.

The Future of IT

The IT sector is OK now but as Karl Marx George Harrison said , "All things must pass."

When computers get so simple the average bozo user can handle them, people like me will be cast aside.

There is nothing sad in this. That's how life is. But just remember, friend, if you're in IT, you must look ahead.

Source: Taylor, TextAmerica