Welcome to episode 138 of the Nerd Journey Podcast [@NerdJourney]! We’re John White (@vJourneyman) and Nick Korte (@NetworkNerd_), two Pre-Sales Technical 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 share part 2 of the interview with Don Jones. We’ll discuss the difference between job and career, developing people and owning your career, apprenticeship, and thoughts on time boxing.
Original Recording Date: 07-14-2021
Don Jones (find him on LinkedIn and Twitter) started in the tech industry in the 1990s, has authored around 60 technical books, and is currently Head of Developer Skills for Pluralsight. Catch part 1 of our interview with Don in Episode 137.
Topics – Owning Your Tech Career, Job vs. Career and Developing People, Thoughts on Apprenticeship, Ampere Club, Time Boxing and Parting Thoughts
4:03 – Owning Your Tech Career

* In the first chapter of Don’s book, he suggests defining what success looks like in your life (the kind of life you want to live outside of work, the type of job that offers this, etc.) and then charting a path to the success.

* Re-evaluate as your life changes (get married, have a family, etc.).
* Be ruthless about chasing the success, but once you get there stop. Stop and enjoy it.
* Most people don’t think about an endpoint (get on staircase and never stop climbing).

* Companies love to hire good individual contributors and turn them into managers because of the institutional knowledge those already on the inside have.

* Understanding what is happening can help you figure out the best decision for you.
* John mentions network is also a part of this.

8:43 – Job vs. Career and Developing People

* Don believes in the difference between job and career. Your employer owns your job and needs to give you tools needed to do it.
* You own your career. It is the thing that will get you the next job. You are in charge of its care and feeding.

* Maybe you need to go take a class that has nothing to do with your job.
* If your current company does not have a path for you to get promoted, get your career in shape to go to a company that does have that step. This is all your responsibility.
* Acquiring new talent is challenging for companies.
* Don tells his people that if they outgrow the company, he will write the letter of recommendation for the next employer, wanting more for the person to achieve their own success.

* "Focus on it, chase it, and let me know how I can help get you there…even if it means you need to leave." – Don Jones
* This is leadership. Not management

* Not every organization has the natural next progression for you.
* Bigger organizations have more rungs.

* What if someone has a conversation with the boss about reaching a level and the boss says that level is not available here?

* If you let Don know you need to grow and what success looks like, he is still looking at the people behind you that are more junior.