Career Freakonomics – 6 hours per week
November 4, 2009
I’m a big fan of Levitt and Dubner’s work – their NY Times blog and Freakonomics. I just finished up the new one (Super Freakonomics) and couldn’t put it down. Definitely worth a read.
The first chapter had a line that forced me to write here, though. In the middle of a discussion about how women are still underpaid in America, this quote appeared (pg. 45):
“Over the first fifteen years of their careers, women work fewer hours than men, 52 per week versus 58. Over fifteen years, that six-hour difference adds up to six months’ less experience”
These are the average working hours for MBAs that graduated from the University of Chicago. (Original Paper Here)
This is something that applies to me. Early in my career, I had no social life. I spent all of my time working on computing projects through college and the first 4 years of my career. I ported a version of Gnome to OpenBSD for fun because I wanted it to run on my laptop. I figured out how to run my home firewall with the OS unbooted. We found the first remote vuln in Windows 2000. And I worked at crazy startups non-stop. I worked 70, 80, 90 hour weeks for years.
And it gave me a huge advantage. After 3 years, I was doing what people who had been in the business for 5 were doing. After 5 years, I was doing what the 10 year people were doing.
I always felt like hard work was the biggest advantage. I’m excited to see it in an academic paper (and in Super Freakonomics.
And I realize that I’m an extreme example. But you don’t have to be so extreme. How many of your peers work 35-40 hour work-weeks? If you average a 58-hour week (like the majority of the male MBAs in the study), after 5 years, you’ll be six months ahead of them. After a decade: a full year.
While we often counsel people on their careers and give advice on resumes, interviewing, career planning, etc., I think the best advice I can give is simple:
Love what you do and work hard. The more you love it, the harder you’ll work. And the harder you work, the more successful you’ll be in the long-term.
Not quite Tim Ferriss. But definitely true.
![[del.icio.us]](http://images.del.icio.us/static/img/delicious.small.gif){kind=small}
Everyone Has A Personal Brand
June 18, 2009
Wanted to share a personal experience that has a great deal to do with the concept of “personal branding,” but has nothing to do with Information Security.
Here is some back-story. In December 2007, we bought a fifteen year old home. The previous home owner had neglected most of the maintenance for the past year. One item included in the sale was a 12 year old “hot tub” that is embedded into an outdoor deck. Needless to say, when we first attempted to turn on the hot tub, it did not work. I called the local spa company and they agreed to send a repairman.
It is now about 2 hours past the time that he was supposed to arrive, and a truck comes into my driveway. Out steps a sixty year old man named Jerry. It was clear from the greeting that he gave me, that arriving two hours late did not bother Jerry. He offered no apologies for his tardiness as we walked to the backyard. As we walked, I looked at Jerry’s wrist, as I expected, he did not wear a watch.
Soon after arriving at the hot tub, it did not take long for Jerry to convince me that he was the right man for the job!
He quickly deduced the exact model of the hot tub and told me about the manufacturer’s history of product development. He then told me that when my model came out, he regularly spoke with the lead engineer at corporate, who helped him troubleshoot and resolve specific issues with the hot tubs. Jerry even told me that he diagnosed some problems that they were unaware of, and that corporate often called him and asked him for advice.
It was no time before Jerry had his “a ha” moment. With the combination of a little elbow grease, the reattachment of some wires, and a wave of his magic elecrtical wand – the tub was working again.
I offered Jerry a cold drink and he happily accepted. I told him how impressed I was with his knowledge and efficiency. He gave me some history regarding his personal backgrund. He was a licensed electrician, who became involved fixing hot tubs by accident. He told me that he liked the work because, as he stated, “there are no real emergencies that involve a hot tub.” It was clear to me that Jerry earned a living to satisfy his lifestyle. He liked making his own hours. He was not interested in promotions or additional responsibility. He enjoyed his work.
Jerry was not going to be managed by anyone, and he did not want the headaches of running his own business. He took tremendous pride in his work product and his ability to solve the customer’s problem. You could tell he liked to be needed, and have people depend on him. He had no worries regarding his future, he knew that there would always be hot tubs to fix.
All of these items defined Jerry’s personal brand. The characteristics that comprised his skill set included deep knowledge and expertise, a commitment to customer service, and professional pride. If Jerry was also punctual, he would clearly have his place in the “Hall of Fame.”
Recently, we had another hot tub issue. I called the store, and asked for Jerry, and only Jerry. They told me that it would take a week longer and that Jerry would be by on Sunday morning. I said, “No problem.”
His car pulled up this Sunday at 3:00PM in the afternoon.
Just as I expected.
There is No Joy in Greenville
June 8, 2009
It turns out that I will not be heading to Omaha this week. My ECU Pirates were dominated by North Carolina this week, losing two games by the lopsided scores of 10 – 1 and 9-3. Great pitching will always beat great hitting, and this weekend was no exception.
Congratulations to the ECU Pirates on a wonderful season. There is always next year!
Listing Personal Interests on a Resume
June 5, 2009
The experiences that I had as a student-athlete really helped shape my character and had a positive effect on my life as a professional. To this day, I can think of many times in my business career, where I referenced past experiences on a baseball diamond to help me solve problems in the work place. To this day, I remain a fan of college baseball, and more specifically my alma mater East Carolina University.
This upcoming weekend is special to me. East Carolina University is playing their arch rival, University of North Carolina in the NCAA Super Regional Baseball tournament. The winner will advance to the College World Series. I will be glued to the TV set, and if ECU emerges victorious I will be off to Omaha, Nebraska next weekend for the College World Series. ECU is a big underdog, but stranger things have happened in the history of sports.
It led me to think, which of my personal interests would I list on my resume and what value would they have to me in the job search process. I began to ask myself the following questions. Would it make sense for me to state that I am a big fan of college baseball? What would be the best way to express my experiences as a student-athlete? Could any of this help me get noticed by an employer? Maybe it would be better for me to leave this off entirely?
As I read many resumes, I often see people list their personal interests somewhere down at the bottom. I am amazed by some of the things that I learn about people from this information. Some of it is fascinating. I have had ball room dance champions, auctioneers, race car drivers, professional wrestlers and hypnotists. I have also seen the mundane. People have listed that they enjoy leisure travel (who does not like a vacation), reading (should that go without saying), and fine dining (watch out corporate Amex).
Remember, that anything that you put down on paper will be dissected and scrutinized by many different reviewers. It is just as easy to inspire a negative reaction as it is to evoke a positive response.
Regarding my example, it is quite possible that the interviewer could have a negative opinion of “jocks,” may not like baseball, or be a fan of a rival school. These items could negatively impact their opinion of me. On the other hand, the interviewer could have a strong respect for athletics and the commitment necessary to achieve and compete at a high level. They may also draw the correlation that involvement in team sports would translate well to their corporate environment. At the simplest level, they may be a baseball fan or even better an ex-ballplayer themselves. All of the above could lead to an inspired discussion, that could transcend the actual interview itself.
Unfortunately, you may never know the reaction until you have a chance to observe it in person, it is a calculated risk. I believe that you can use these guidelines to help you make a good decision:
1-Anything that you list should not be too polarizing. Whatever you list, should not ilicit an emotional response from the reviewer. In my example, baseball is relatively harmless, it is still considered the National Pastime. Listing my political beliefs would alienate approximately 50% of the population.
2- List items that enforce the qualities necessary for success. Anything that you list, should be able to help you demonstrate a skill or skills that can translate well in the position. For example, if one of your hobbies were chess, and you had a high ranking, I would list it. I believe that would convey traits that include dedication, strategic thinking, concentration and intelligence.
3-Make sure your items do not carry a negative connotation. For example, one could argue that a skilled poker player would have the same characteristics of a chess player. However, when people think of poker, they immediately think of gambling. It is possible that this could be an activity that would turn someone off.
4- List a skill or interest that is easy for others to relate to. A good example of this would be the ability to play a musicalinstrument. Everyone can relate to music. There is a natural correlation between music al proficiency and an aptitude for technology. Just make sure that if they ask you to play something at the holiday party, you are able to do so!
5-Show leadership. Leaders traditionally can not help leading – even in their non work activities. If you are listing a group or organization, show that you are not afraid to gravitate toward responsibility. This could be something as simple as being a Troop Leader for Boy/Girl Scouts, or the Secretary of a Community Organization.
6-Avoid average interests. An interest should make you appear to be more interesting and different. It should help set you apart from the others. Listing that you enjoy concerts, movies and sporting events -is great for a dating site – but lousy for the purpose of getting a job.
7-You can almost never go wrong with charitable causes. Avoid listing charitable causes that can also be construed as political.
8-Make sure that your interest is not too time consuming. Your employer should not be able to even remotely infer that your interest will interfere with your work responsibilities.
In closing, listing a personal interest can break down barriers during an interview process and create a more relaxed environment for discussion. It can help create a common bond between interviewer and interviewee in an accelerated time period. In the extreme, it could also be the ”tie-breaker” in comparing two similar candidates for a position.
Use your best judgement when deciding on what interests to list, and how to list them. When in doubt, choosing not to list anything is also a suitable option.
For the record, I chose not to list my interest in college baseball, but have chose to disclose my experience as a Student-Athlete. I have placed this under my education activities on my LinkedIN profile, as follows: Varsity Baseball, Scholarship Athlete, Academic All-America.
Career Advice – Wanting A Job Too Much
May 19, 2009
Recently, I have been working with a number of talented information security professionals that are currently in between positions. This recent change in their employment is most caused by external factors, mostly focused on broader economic environment, then their individual performance. These professionals find themselves in an unfamiliar position, and under a good amount of stress. From my perspective, the stress comes in two different categories, financial and personal.
The financial stress is quite easy to figure out. Severances are running out, savings are depleting, and resposnibilites remain. The personal stress traditional begins with a deflation of one’s self -esteem. People question their value, their roie in their profession, and their overall usefulness. The idle time does not help.
The idle time is mostly spent worrying about the future. It illustrates how liitle control that you currently have over your present situation. The silence and lack of feedback becomes deafening. You become consumed with questions /statements that include- “Why have I not heard back from that company”, “Is my resume correct?”, “When is the right time to follow-up?”, “Am I being a pest?”, “Have they decided to go another direction?” etc.
When people start asking these questions to themselves, they begin to create a feeling of anxiety. When these feelings begin to creep up on you, many times it clouds your judgement, and produces a feeling of desperation. When you begin to have these feelings internally, it is almost impossible for them to not come out in conversations with perspective employers and during interviews. Many times, without realizing it, candidates will share some of their personal hardships during these discussions and it creates an uncomfortable mood. It also creates the feeling of desperation. This causes these potential employers to believe that you are searching for “any position” as opposed to “their position”.
So, how do you avoid “Wanting a Job Too Much?” Here are some things that you might want to consider:
1) Remember that you have talent, and know what that talent is. Talent is the key to any professional,s career. Chances are if you have built a career in the Information Security profession, you have built it on a foundation of skills. Knowing those skills, and how to apply them to the role that you are searching for is key.
2) Think back to the time when you were “over recruited.” You all remember those times when you were gainfully employed and you had multiple employment offers from competing companies. You remember how it felt to be wanted and to be in demand. That was a good feeling to have. Those people who came looking for you in the past, will come looking for you again. It just may take a little longer to find you. Carry that attitude into any interview situation. Exhibit confidence, without being “cocky”.
3) Take your mind off the job search. Regardless of how much stress that you are under at home or financially, you have to take your mind off that for a period of time each day. Use that time to do something that makes you happy or that you have neglected due to your work schedule. Maybe this will remind you why you do work, and give you more incentive to balance your career and your life. It might also provide you with some clarity as to what type of position that you are searching for.
The three items above are geared to help you more mentally then financially. However, if you take care of the mental aspects of a job search, you should find yourself with the abillity to think clearly, be exposed to more opportunites and leave yourself with better options.
In closing, I think that everyone should look around what is happening to themselves or to their peers. This can happen to anyone. Plan accordingly. The better you plan, the less stress you will have.
Talent Evaluation and the NFL Draft
May 6, 2009
Those that know me wouldn’t call me a “sports fan”. I don’t run around chasing the Sharks like Mediaphyter and I don’t play any of the major sports. I didn’t go to college in the US, so college basketball and football have no real pull for me.
But there’s one day of the year that I reserve to sit down on the couch and watch sports. It’s the day of the first few rounds of the NFL Draft.
I’m a total geek about it. I read all the stories. I watch all the pre-draft shows. I know who ran what 40-yard time at the combine. This year, I even followed Peter King on Twitter.
It’s because I’m a sucker for talent evaluation. I could care less about the result of any given football game over the course of the year (Super Bowl included). What I love about football is the idea that talent evaluation at this level determines success. I’m a total geek for what differentiates a successful organization (and person) from an unsuccessful one. It’s what has led me to study communication technologies, organizational design, and watch successful people incredibly closely over the years.
What is so amazing to me is that sports (and especially the draft) are is one of the few places in the world that we get to observe the direct relationship between talent and success. A team like the Detroit Lions can be the absolute worst organization in the world in their space, and with proper talent acquisition (and management/leadership), they can change their path radically. (Note: I talked about the leadership/management opportunity here).
Celebrating My RSA Bar-Mitvah
April 29, 2009
Thirteen years. A lot has happened to me in the past thirteen years. I changed careers (used to work for the LA Dodgers), started a business, went through the dot-com bubble (ear to ear smile), went through the dot-crash (big time frown), got married (twice), stayed married (once), and have a wonderful son (Brodie).
The one constant during that time for me, is the RSA Conference. I remember one of my first conferences, when it was located on Knob Hill, and it rained the entire time. I thought to myself, that whomever sponsored the umbrellas must have made a Faustian deal with the weatherman. I have been to San Jose a number of times, as well as both sides of the Moscone center. I have never been to one Cryptographers Ball. (But have heard good things).
I was there to remember the Year of PKI. When companies like Verisign, Entrust, Baltimore an the others were flying high. I remember when PKI was reinvented as Identity and Access Management – and companies like Netegrity, Oblix, and Waveset stole the show. I remember the growth of the pure play consultancies – the Guardents, the @Stakes, the Foundstones and such. The birth of managed servcies was a fun time as well – Counterpane, RipTech, Telenesus, Luhrq, etc The good old days, when Symantec was a pure security play. Even when RSA was still a company.
I remember when the CFP was easy to fill out. One page, fifteen minues. This year, the submission process, included posting a video on YouTube. I remember being surprised when my talks were accepted. This year, I was quite disappointed when theywere rejected. Perspective.
Some memorable experiences have happened to me during the show. In 2006, as I was walking onto the show floor, I received a call that my mother was rushed to the hospital and boarded a plane to Memphis, not sure if she was going to make it or not. Most scared I have ever been in my life. Thankfully, she was/is fine. I spent the next two weeks watching all the events of the Torino Winter Olympics. I have a new appreication for the biathalon!
The most important moment for happened at my first RSA, actually coming home from it. As luck would have it, I wound up sitting from my next to Nicole Schmidt, an industry research analsyst at CIBC Openheimer. From those six hours on the plane, we built a long lasting friendship. In 2004, at a lunch meeting, Nicole made the suggestion that I meet her best friend from childhood. Michele and I were married in September of 2007.
People like to downplay the relevance of RSA. They growing sentiment is that it is a marketing party and not a platform for the latest technical advances in our profession. I look at the event for what it is and what it has become. It is THE mainstream Information Security event. It is a place where people gather and share their experiences. It is where business development deals are forged, faces are put to names, a coming out party for some, and a swan song for others.
Since returning I have heard it all both negative and positive. “I can not belive _____ did not show up”, “The speeches were lousy”, and “It cost too much”. I also heard, “I got to spend time with my friends”, “It was great to catch up with people I have lost touch with”, and ”The “party was fantastic but he music was a bit too loud”
Sounds a lot like a BarMitzvah.
L’chaim RSA!!