Emetrics Summit Washington, DC October 16, 2007 June Dershewitz VP Analytics, Semphonic James Gardner VP Marketing, Aquent Successful Career Management Strategies for Web Analytics Professionals

Labor markets correct themselves Steady paycheck vs. personal fulfillment Options, planning = confidence, motivation Our professional skills are HOT … … but that doesn’t make career choices easier.

Labor markets correct themselves

Steady paycheck vs. personal fulfillment

Options, planning = confidence, motivation

June’s path to Emetrics Shattering some myths Job-hopping, Freelance consulting, Swiss Army knife Managing your career Self-responsibility, Knowing yourself, Goals & dreams, Confronting gaps, Living your plan Discussion Points

June’s path to Emetrics

Shattering some myths

Job-hopping, Freelance consulting, Swiss Army knife

Managing your career

Self-responsibility, Knowing yourself, Goals & dreams, Confronting gaps, Living your plan

BA in math, then more math 1999: First web analyst job 2001-2003: Web analytics vendor, then DBA 2004-2007: Web analytics contract work for Wells Fargo, Oracle, CNET, Blue Shield, etc. August 2007: Semphonic June’s Path to Emetrics

BA in math, then more math

1999: First web analyst job

2001-2003: Web analytics vendor, then DBA

2004-2007: Web analytics contract work for Wells Fargo, Oracle, CNET, Blue Shield, etc.

August 2007: Semphonic

Only a stigma if you let it become one Find and maintain career focus Prepare to explain your reasons for moving …you will be explaining for years Whatever you do, don’t burn bridges . Shattered Myth #1: Job-Hopping

Only a stigma if you let it become one

Find and maintain career focus

Prepare to explain your reasons for moving …you will be explaining for years

Whatever you do, don’t burn bridges .

Not right for everyone, but perfect for some Shattered Myth #2: Freelance Consulting PRO CON Learn fast -- tough projects, varied challenges, demanding clients “ Get in, get out” mindset -- less politics Work/life flexibility Potential financial upside Earnings volatility Imposed self-sufficiency Always job-hunting Taxes, healthcare, 401k Skill development Can be lonely Long-term impact hard to gauge

Learn fast -- tough projects, varied challenges, demanding clients

“ Get in, get out” mindset -- less politics

Work/life flexibility

Potential financial upside

Earnings volatility

Imposed self-sufficiency

Always job-hunting

Taxes, healthcare, 401k

Skill development

Can be lonely

Long-term impact hard to gauge

Knowing “a little about a lot” helps Shattered Myth #3: Swiss Army Knife Technical HTML, Javascript, web analytics tools Analytical Quantitative, fact-based Business ROI, $ People Persuasive, results-oriented

Technical

HTML, Javascript, web analytics tools

Analytical

Quantitative, fact-based

Business

ROI, $

People

Persuasive, results-oriented

Managing Your Career 2 How well do you really know yourself -- your strengths, passions, and successes (and vice-versa)? Knowing yourself 3 What are your short-term career goals and longer-term life dreams? Goals & dreams 5 What are you doing this week/month to get closer to your goals & dreams? Living your plan 1 Who else cares as much about you and your career as you do? Self-responsibility 4 What are the barriers between today’s reality and your goals & dreams? How real are they? How can they be addressed? Confronting gaps

“ The cold, hard, truth is that you’ve got to look after yourself.” - David Maister #1 Maister on Self-Responsibility: (Thanks: http://about.davidmaister.com/bio/)

“ The cold, hard, truth is that you’ve got to look after yourself.”

- David Maister

#2 Knowing Yourself Yesterday: When have you been happiest and most successful in your career? What did you used to dream about doing? What have past personality or aptitude tests revealed about you? Today: Do you like your current career trajectory? Are you satisfied in your present job? What does your future look like in the company you work for now? What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the job you have now? Tomorrow: What skills and knowledge would you like to use more often? What skills and knowledge would you like to learn? What professional goals do you hope to accomplish in the next two years? Five years? What would you do if you didn’t have to work for a living? After every question, ask: “why?” (and then “why” again)

Yesterday:

When have you been happiest and most successful in your career?

What did you used to dream about doing?

What have past personality or aptitude tests revealed about you?

Today:

Do you like your current career trajectory? Are you satisfied in your present job?

What does your future look like in the company you work for now?

What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the job you have now?

Tomorrow:

What skills and knowledge would you like to use more often? What skills and knowledge would you like to learn?

What professional goals do you hope to accomplish in the next two years? Five years?

What would you do if you didn’t have to work for a living?

Know (and start making known) your immediate and <12 month goals Don’t lose sight of your dreams (or your non-professional priorities) #3 Goals & Dreams

Know (and start making known) your immediate and <12 month goals

Don’t lose sight of your dreams (or your non-professional priorities)

#4 Confronting Gaps

Confronting Gaps What’s really between you and your future? Develop your own list -- specific, actionable Consult your manager (but trust seasoned friends, mentors, colleagues) Separate the real from your self-created life baggage (hint: this is quite hard!) Create your to-do plan for the quarter, year Should you revisit your goals and dreams? Be honest!

What’s really between you and your future?

Develop your own list -- specific, actionable

Consult your manager (but trust seasoned friends, mentors, colleagues)

Separate the real from your self-created life baggage (hint: this is quite hard!)

Create your to-do plan for the quarter, year

Should you revisit your goals and dreams? Be honest!

Every 3 months, audit yourself: Am I making progress at increasing my value in the market? Am I bringing the right value to my employer? Am I being fairly compensated for my contributions? Am I mind/body/soul happy? If not -- seek enrichment , education , and/or community (and, after much thought, seek change ) (Thanks: Stephane Hamel, blog.immeria.net) #5 Living Your Plan

Every 3 months, audit yourself:

Am I making progress at increasing my value in the market?

Am I bringing the right value to my employer?

Am I being fairly compensated for my contributions?

Am I mind/body/soul happy?

If not -- seek enrichment , education , and/or community (and, after much thought, seek change )

Managing Your Career 2 How well do you really know yourself -- your strengths, passions, and successes (and vice-versa)? Knowing yourself 3 What are your short-term career goals and longer-term life dreams? Goals & dreams 5 What are you doing this week/month to get closer to your goals & dreams? Living your plan 1 Who else cares as much about you and your career as you do? Self-responsibility 4 What are the barriers between today’s reality and your goals & dreams? How real are they? How can they be addressed? Confronting gaps

Unplanned, unmanaged careers rarely lead to professional happiness You can’t delegate: nobody cares about your career as much as you do Getting started is the hardest part of the journey (and it’s not that hard!) Get Started!

Unplanned, unmanaged careers rarely lead to professional happiness

You can’t delegate: nobody cares about your career as much as you do

Getting started is the hardest part of the journey (and it’s not that hard!)

June Dershewitz [email_address] blog: june.typepad.com www.semphonic.com James Gardner [email_address] linkedin.com/in/gardner www.aquent.com Thank You! Email June for more career perspectives and James for Aquent career management resources (including copies of these slides)

June Dershewitz

[email_address]

blog: june.typepad.com

www.semphonic.com

Emetrics Summit Washington, DC October 16, 2007 June Dershewitz VP Analytics, Semphonic James Gardner VP Marketing, Aquent Successful Career Management Strategies for Web Analytics Professionals

The cold, hard, truth is that you’ve got to look after yourself. You can’t assume that anyone is really looking out for your best interests (in spite of what they may say.) There may be a human resources department in your firm, managers, coaches and a mentoring system. But don’t get fooled. Your career is up to you and you alone. No one will tell you what experience you should be obtaining, let alone help you get it. If you want a specific experience, ask for it. Better yet, just go grab it. Do not expect that you will be promoted because you deserve it - it is unlikely that anyone is really keeping track. If you want to be promoted, ask to be promoted. Generally, things do not come to those who do not ask for them. None of this means you should be rude, disrespectful to others, or fail to be a team player. It just means don’t be naïve. In spite of what they may say, it’s up to you. You’re on your own, kid. Manage your own career. No one else will. Maister on Self-Responsibility: (http://about.davidmaister.com/bio/)

The cold, hard, truth is that you’ve got to look after yourself.

You can’t assume that anyone is really looking out for your best interests (in spite of what they may say.)

There may be a human resources department in your firm, managers, coaches and a mentoring system. But don’t get fooled. Your career is up to you and you alone.

No one will tell you what experience you should be obtaining, let alone help you get it.

If you want a specific experience, ask for it.

Better yet, just go grab it.

Do not expect that you will be promoted because you deserve it - it is unlikely that anyone is really keeping track.

If you want to be promoted, ask to be promoted.

Generally, things do not come to those who do not ask for them.

None of this means you should be rude, disrespectful to others, or fail to be a team player. It just means don’t be naïve.

In spite of what they may say, it’s up to you. You’re on your own, kid.

Manage your own career. No one else will.

Knowing Yourself Yesterday: What have you liked most about jobs you've had in the past? Why? What are the most and least appealing aspects of the companies you've worked for? What are the reasons you've left past jobs? What technical skills or industry-specific knowledge have you gained? Which of your personality traits or soft skills have employers liked? Why? Today: Do you like your current career trajectory? Are you satisfied in your present job? Why? Do you like the company you work for now and the goals it is trying to accomplish? What does your future look like in the company you work for now? What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the job you have now? Why? Do you belong to any professional associations or participate in any career-related activities outside your job (volunteering, mentoring, training, etc.)? Tomorrow: Are there other careers you have a strong interest in exploring? Are there other companies you'd like to work for? Why? Are there other jobs or departments in your current company that interest you? What skills and knowledge would you like to use more often? What skills and knowledge would you like to learn? What professional goals do you hope to accomplish in the next two years? Five years? What would you do if you didn’t have to work for a living? Why aren’t you doing that?

Yesterday:

What have you liked most about jobs you've had in the past? Why?

What are the most and least appealing aspects of the companies you've worked for?

What are the reasons you've left past jobs?

What technical skills or industry-specific knowledge have you gained?

Which of your personality traits or soft skills have employers liked? Why?

Today:

Do you like your current career trajectory? Are you satisfied in your present job? Why?

Do you like the company you work for now and the goals it is trying to accomplish?

What does your future look like in the company you work for now?

What are your favorite and least favorite parts of the job you have now? Why?

Do you belong to any professional associations or participate in any career-related activities outside your job (volunteering, mentoring, training, etc.)?

Tomorrow:

Are there other careers you have a strong interest in exploring?

Are there other companies you'd like to work for? Why?

Are there other jobs or departments in your current company that interest you?

What skills and knowledge would you like to use more often? What skills and knowledge would you like to learn?

What professional goals do you hope to accomplish in the next two years? Five years?

What would you do if you didn’t have to work for a living? Why aren’t you doing that?