Welcome to episode 22 of the Nerd Journey Podcast [@NerdJourney]! We’re John White (@vJourneyman) and Nick Korte (@NetworkNerd_), two VMware Solution Engineers who are hoping to bring you the IT career advice that we wish we’d been given earlier in our careers. In today’s episode, we discuss Nick’s 1 Year Check-in at VMware, Part 2.
Original Recording Date: 2019-1-19
Topics – Nick’s 1 Year Check-in at VMware, Part 2, John’s Questions
4:04 Extracurricular activities

* How has the new role affected the frequency of and type of engagement in community groups?

* Nick is still the co-leader of the DFW SpiceCorps, a group that has no affiliation with VMware.
* Attending VMUGs when possible

* Presented on vSAN in October 2018 in Dallas (video is here)

* Posting in Spiceworks and MangoLassi when possible

6:55 Transitioning from IT operations to Sales

* Nick was nervous about losing technical skills coming into the role.
* There are some aspects of IT operations he misses.
* Meeting with and learning from customers is fun!
* Are you technical enough? It depends.
* Tailoring the technical level of the conversation to the audience is very important.
* How has carrying a quota affected Nick’s honest opinion? You decide.

13:44 Company culture check

* In past roles…

* Most folks in same department in same office
* Worked with folks in other offices and saw them now and then

* Current Role

* First conversations with people (everyone but manager) were via phone / e-mail / chat
* Face-to-face interaction creates a deeper rapport with co-workers
* John’s aside on Matrix organizations
* Frequent communication is important when working with remote peers
* Some people may work better when in a face-to-face environment

18:19 Training Pace

* Nick’s previous employer had a learning platform Lesson.ly, but it was not as regimented as the quarterly training plans.
* Some of the training must be done on your own to ensure effectiveness.
* Online communities can help you stay relevant as can learning from other customers.

20:44 Management

* Nick wasn’t sure what to expect here and had to get past the “walking into the principal’s office” feeling when a manager calls unexpectedly.
* The management style is different than it was when Nick was in an operations role.

* It’s been more like having a coach.
* Listen to our episode on effective 1-1s with your manager

* Managers can give feedback on things you don’t notice.
* John describes a manager as someone to guide you on your journey.
* This was Nick’s first time to work for a manager in a different city. Consistent 1-1s are key.
* Still adjusting to the flexibility

25:02 Skills Nick Wishes He Had Coming into the Role