Facing The Crossroads
Career Choices in a Changing IT World

By William Gower

A few years ago, most IT professionals viewed a job change as choosing a new full-time employer. Contracting was an option considered only by a select few, who either possessed unique technical skills or had the self-confidence to surmount the “risks” of contract work.

Today it is very common for IT professionals to question their career options. At MATRIX, we ask new job seekers to indicate whether they desire full-time employment or contract engagements, or will consider both at the time of the initial interview. Over 50 percent of the job seekers now say they would like to explore both. And this statistic is on the rise.

The process of making a career change can be fraught with confusion. No single answer provides a panacea, because we all have unique circumstances and changing personal parameters that we bring to this important career decision.

Crossroads Case Studies

Mary, a mid-level applications manager, recently found that her role with a retail company’s distribution and inventory system was moving toward a management position. She feared her valuable technical skills might become outdated. At the same time, she had to work lots of overtime without additional compensation, and she wanted to spend more time with her children.

Mary was able to leverage her skills to find a contract position working with similar technology. She has increased her pay from $50,000 to $76,000, and she is compensated for each hour of overtime beyond her regular 40-hour work week. Mary also has the flexibility of starting and leaving work early each day and no longer has to deal with the politics of being a manager.

Don, a programmer/analyst, has proactively managed his career by switching back and forth from permanent to contract employment in response to changes in his personal situation and shifting market conditions. In the early 1990s, Don switched to a contract position to take advantage of his “superstar skills.” A few years later, when children came along and his wife quit working, he went back to full-time work.

Don enjoys serving as part of his company’s core group, helping to set the strategy and vision of the company. His company-paid vacation and holidays allow him to plan special trips with his family without worrying about losing pay.

Don and Mary’s situations illustrate that there are advantages to being a permanent employee and to being a contract consultant. The chart on page 4 details some of the benefits of each option.

With balanced options like these, how do we decide which career direction is right for us?

Do we update the resume, call a recruiter, peruse the Sunday ads, or begin surfing Internet career sites just to see what’s out there? No. The best way to sidestep the confusion and uncertainty in making career decisions is to construct a career model that outlines your likes, dislikes, needs, and desires.

STEP 1. Construct a current profile of personal strengths and weaknesses.

The selection process begins with defining yourself. This means finding out about your relative abilities, personality, aptitude, willingness to deal with risks, devotion to security and the importance of compensation. Professional counseling, aptitude tests and personality tests can provide excellent insight. Regardless of which option you choose, attempt to construct your personal profile by addressing the following issues:

• Define technical and personal strengths and weaknesses.
• Review financial needs and the importance of benefits.
• Assess commute, schedule flexibility, location of job, willingness to travel.
• Rate work content and its importance.
• Determine the value to you of being deeply involved in a company’s culture.
• Determine the value belonging to a team versus being independent in the workplace.
• Rate the importance of being able to forecast from day to day what will happen next on the job

Your answers to these personal issues will shape a model of current values and needs as they relate to you and your career.

STEP 2. Translate strengths and weaknesses into personal objectives.

Next, translate these thoughts to a blank sheet in the form of personal objectives. Be demanding of yourself, and avoid being nebulous. For example, you might state that “Twenty-five percent travel is acceptable,” as opposed to, “Minimum travel is acceptable.”

STEP 3. Categorize objectives by “absolute requirements” and “desirable attributes.”

Now, rank your objectives in relation to their importance to you, using two categories: “absolute requirements” and “desirable attributes.” For example, if one of your personal objectives is, “Minimum of $62,000 in compensation,” then determine whether you would reject an offer of $61,500. If so, then $62,000 in compensation is an “absolute requirement.” 

If working flex hours is very important to you, and you would accept a slightly lower compensation in return for flexible hours, then $62,000 is a “desirable attribute.” At the conclusion of this exercise, you will have two groupings of objectives: your absolute requirements and your desirable attributes.

STEP 4. Define the available alternative career paths.

For any one group of absolute requirements and desirable attributes, there may be several paths you can take to achieve them. Examples include full-time employment, contract consulting, staying with your current employer, moving from management to a hands-on technical position, leaving the IT industry, or moving away from a technical role into management or sales. For this step, brainstorm your alternative paths.

STEP 5. Construct a table that includes your absolute requirements and desirable attributes, as well as the paths you might take to achieve them.

This is a table of “requirements and desires” (rows), and potential “alternative career paths” (columns). Determine which absolute requirement works by path alternative and which desirable attribute deserves high (H), medium (M) or low (L) fit by career alternative.

Step 5: Absolute Requirements, Desirable Attributes and Paths Table
	PATH 1 Contract Consulting	PATH 2 Permanent Placement	PATH 3 Vendor Support
ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENT Perform database design/development Minimum $62,000 compensation
DESIRABLE ELEMENTS Lean new LAN/WAN development Maximum 20-30 minutes commute Maximum 20 percent travel	L L H	M H H	L M L

FINISH. Your optimum career model!

By the end of the process, you will have identified your optimum career path in a very analytical and informed manner. Your choice will be based on the things that are most important to you, both personally and professionally. And, because you have evaluated your future based on what you deem most important, you stand the greatest likelihood of achieving personal happiness and success.

Your work doesn’t end with the first rendition of this model, however. You should complete a career assessment yearly, just as you would get a physical examination with your doctor to maintain optimum health. You may find peace of mind knowing that your career is on the right track. You may also find yourself at a crossroads as a result of changes in your life or workplace. In either case, you will have a process in place to help you make an informed career decision.

Pay careful attention and respond accordingly to the results. After all, what could be more important to you than personal happiness and self-satisfaction?

About the Author 
With more than 30 years’ experience in information systems and technology, William “Bill” Gower is a partner of Atlanta-based MATRIX Resources Inc., a premier placement and staffing firm for information technology (IT) workers. He also serves as president of the Georgia chapter of the National Association of Computer Consultant Businesses.

Do you have questions about your Career Model? Would you like to know how MATRIX can help you put your model into action? Call your MATRIX Associate at the office nearest you to find out more.