The document discusses the evolution of career paths and the importance of innovation and leadership in shaping one's future. Jim Isaak emphasizes networking, lifelong learning, and adapting to change in an ever-evolving job market, highlighting the significance of social capital and professional relationships. It also explores emerging technologies and the impact of countries like China on the global economy, underscoring the need for individuals to proactively create their desired future.

1. Innovation and Leadership -Innovation and Leadership -
Taking Control of your FutureTaking Control of your Future
Carpe Cras – seize the futureCarpe Cras – seize the future
Jim Isaak
New Hampshire
April 13, 2015
www.JimIsaak.com

2. Who is Jim?Who is Jim?
 2015VP Society on Social Implications of Technology
◦ 2010 IEEE Computer Society President
◦ past member IEEE Board of Directors
◦ NH Computer Society Chapter Chair
30Years in industry
◦ Digital, Data General, Intel, IBM and 2 startups
◦ 6 year in the academic community
◦ 10 Job transitions, 3 career transitions
All but first were “network” connections:
Colleagues from one job connecting to next
Colleagues from IEEE activities connecting to next
2011 Mar 8 2Jim Isaak

3. The Hero in your life storyThe Hero in your life story
You have life time earnings power between $5
million and $50 million
(software developer at $60K in 2014, 3% annual compound, 50 years
no expenses, no investment.)
Most of that time you will be doing a job that
does not exist today –
one you could just love,
IFYOU make it happen.
Other options exist,
your mileage may vary
2011 Mar 8 3Jim Isaak

4. A DifferentWay to SeeYourselfA DifferentWay to SeeYourself
The Unincorporated Man, by the Kollin brothers:
Sell shares of yourself (lifelong income)
Avoid being a “penny stock”
(parents own 20%, employers fund education in
return for shares…)
What is your “Stock” worth? And Why?
(and is “income” the real ROI*?)
ROI: Return on investment
2011 Mar 8 4Jim Isaak

5. “This is an interesting statistic...
The most common study of CEO’s is
not business,
it’s not finance,
it’s not economics –
it’s actually engineering.
It’s engineering.”
President Obama – Oct 15, 2010
White House Science Fair
2011 Mar 8 5Jim Isaak

6. The Basic EquationThe Basic Equation
Capital, wealth and value are created by:
skilled creations, and innovative creations
Engineers & technologists invent the devices,
and identify the solutions to tomorrows
problems and opportunities
This is where real economic
growth happens
(and some of our ‘leaders’ get it)
2011 Mar 8 6Jim Isaak

7. Expect (massive) changeExpect (massive) change
1969 (42 yrs ago) – Internet is “born” via US army funding,
UCLA, NSF and Stanford – early “open source”
 1978/9 (33 ya) – Altair produces first “personal” computer;
Bill Gates leaves Harvard to write tinyBASIC for it.
Franklin/Bricklan (Harvard/MIT) invent spreadsheet (do not patent idea)
First Cell phones tested
 1989 (22 ya) –Tim Berners Lee starts HTML (& ergo the web)
 1993 (18 ya) – first smart phone (Simon from IBM)
 1995 (16 ya) – Digital creates Altavista (first search engine)
Hasn’t got a clue how to make money on it. (Google: 1998)
 2001 (10 ya) Jimmy Wales starts Wikipedia
 2003 Philip Rosedale starts Second Life
 2004 Mark Zuckerberg starts Facebook
 2006 Dorsey does first tweet
 Note: Mean time to high impact inventions
is shrinking exponentially (tied to Moore's Law, etc.)
2011 Mar 8 7Jim Isaak

8. Your Future???Your Future???
You will change careers (not just jobs) a few times
The job you hold in 10 years probably
does not exist today
In a world overwhelmed by exabytes of data
A few possible predictions – circa 2050
◦ Machine Intelligence – viable for “passing” as human (consciousness?)
◦ Death by natural causes declining
◦ Augmented reality the norm of daily living
◦ Quantum Computing
◦ Motes (sensors + Rflinks + simple processors as “dust”)
2011 Mar 8 8Jim Isaak

9. Add a touch of ChinaAdd a touch of China
China will have the largest economy by 2020 and the
largest per capita GNP by 2050
◦ see: www.ted.com presentations by:
 Joseph Nye on Global Power shifts
 Martin Jacques on Understanding China
13 million geniuses, and more engineering graduates
than the US (see “Shift Happens”)
China owns 7.2% of US debit
(1.3 Trillion $)
Can you speak Mandarin?
India is not asleep either
2011 Mar 8 9Jim Isaak

10. 2011 Mar 8 10Jim Isaak
Source:
IEEE Spectrum
Feb. 2011
93 – Japan 235 GF
96 – Japan 614 GF
97-2000 Sandia Labs 1830-12,288 GF
02 – Japan 41,000 GF
2004-2007
Oak Ridge
IBM Blue Gene/L
367k -600k GF
2008 – Los Alamos, Roadrunner, 1,456k
GF
2009 – Oak Ridge, Jaguar 2,331k GF
2010 Tianhe-1A
China
4,701k GF

11. So what?So what?
Get a life! – I suggest it be your own
◦ Include life long learning
◦ Identify you passion – and related employment
If you don’t care, why are you there?
◦ The big growth areas in US Employment
 Health care (taking care of old fogies like me)
 Information Technology
◦ Be a catalyst to creating the
future you want
2011 Mar 8 11Jim Isaak

12. That’s nice – so how to do it?That’s nice – so how to do it?
Be connected ---
◦ Online is nice, social media is critical
 LinkedIn; Facebook; Blog – “show capabilities”
 What is ‘above the fold’ for your name on Google?
◦ But In person is also critical
 Professional societies
(IEEE, CS, what ever)
Have business cards!– email, website…
Vistaprint.com for about $10
2011 Mar 8 12Jim Isaak

13. Selling your self --Selling your self --
You have to do it “all of the time”
interview, presentations, customers
Look right, in person and on the web
(yes, first impressions count – 15 seconds?)
Think Positive – know your passion
1 minute “elevator pitch” – distinguish your
self (authentic narrative)
Ask for the order (action desired)
2011 Mar 8 13Jim Isaak

14. Ask and Answer QuestionsAsk and Answer Questions
The way to become ‘visible’ in a community
(online, in class, at meetings, etc.)
Is to ask a relevant question, or provide useful
feedback – people will judge you by what you
say, so be mindful of this.
2011 Mar 8 14Jim Isaak

15. Keep on top of thingsKeep on top of things
TED.com is “required reading” …
(youtube for grown ups?)
Expect it to show up in interviews
Attend relevant seminars, etc.
Many are “free”
(NH IEEE and chapters for example)
[Learn, network – build path to your future]
Many university courses are online videos
(MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, etc.)
2011 Mar 8 15Jim Isaak

16. Making things “Click”Making things “Click”
Innovation rarely occurs in your “cave”
◦ Interaction with others is critical
◦ Expose your self to new ideas
◦ Find “like minded folks” – But not just “clones”
◦ Ask for help, favors – it tells folks you value what
they have to offer – and often it is the shortest
path to problem solutions.
Be aware of IPR obligations/risks
(Patents, copyright…)
2011 Mar 8 16Jim Isaak

17. LeadershipLeadership
Volunteer to help
◦ Easier in the professional organizations
◦ Make things happen – get a REP (utation)
◦ Get experience –
◦ Find mentors … help out … absorb
It is part of being visible
Be willing to “lead from the side” .. It is not an
ego thing, it is a team-success thing
2011 Mar 8 17Jim Isaak

18. Social CapitalSocial Capital
All of these things help you
build social capital
Trusting relationships that you can leverage in
future situations
(and they can leverage you)
◦ Can be via sports teams, church groups,
◦ “The old school tie” (it is not apparel)
(The old boys club, etc.)
2011 Mar 8 18Jim Isaak

19. It is not what you know,It is not what you know,
it is who you know!it is who you know!
(Not music to the techie ear)(Not music to the techie ear)
(Ignorance however doesn’t hack(Ignorance however doesn’t hack
it –at least in our fields)it –at least in our fields)
2011 Mar 8 19Jim Isaak

20. The CounterexampleThe Counterexample
Dr. Douglas Prasher, biochemist
Isolated/cloned gene for GDP
(green fluorescent protein)
Failing to get grants for his work, he left bio-tech
and went into “business’ (for a while)
“If he had only networked with other scientists and
institutions …he might of stayed in the field of
bioluminescence”
(Discover Mag.April 2011) also see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Douglas_Prasher
His colleagues received the 2008 Nobel prize
2011 Mar 8 20Jim Isaak

21. What to employers want?What to employers want?
The IBM “T” –
◦ Vertical reflects depth of knowledge/experience
◦ The cross bar are the essential skills
 Communication
 Teamwork
 Critical Thinking
 Marketing awareness
 Customer focus
2011 Mar 8 21Jim Isaak

22. Professional Society ResourcesProfessional Society Resources
IEEE Societies, IEEE Collaboratec
 Local seminars/chapter meetings
 Publications (Magazines,Transactions)
 Conferences, workshops, etc.
 Standards activities
 Curriculum development/Accreditation
 Certification (CSDP/CSDA), SE licensing roles
 Online courses, eBooks
Engagement – non-career limiting chance
◦ Teamwork, leadership, communications
2011 Mar 8 22Jim Isaak

23. StartWritingYour StoryStartWritingYour Story
Well … actually your resume/CV
Note that roles like
IEEE Student Branch Chapter Chair
start to become differential advantages
I noticed that many Sr. IEEE leaders are past
Eagle Scouts, and many women CEO’s are past
Girl Scouts
Show your secular affiliations –
connect with employers
75% of jobs filled via networking
2011 Mar 8 23Jim Isaak

24. What do you want?What do you want?
Money?
◦ Not according to Dan Pink (Drive) and other’s
◦ Autonomy, Mastery and Purpose
are key motivators
Check out Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture –
pursue your passion, what are your childhood
dreams?
2011 Mar 8 24Jim Isaak

25. Other resourcesOther resources
 Time Smart, Bill Chou in IT Professional, Nov/Dec 2010
 Motivation – it’s not all about money
Dan Pink’s book “Drive” and short RSA Animation video
 Overwhelming data – see
“The Forth Paradigm” edited by Tony Hey
 Motivation theory:Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
 IEEE Computer Society: Build your Career site
 Jim’s blog, website, etc.
http://IEEESSIT.org SSIT Blog
http://www.JimIsaak.com (copy of this posted here)
2011 Mar 8 25Jim Isaak

26. Questions, thoughts…Questions, thoughts…
2011 Mar 8 26Jim Isaak