#1 Tech companies put engineers & product on a pedestal
Whereas, non-tech companies / Domain specific companies have Business Domain experts who take the cake. This makes sense, but when non-tech companies want to be agile and add the tech suite to their portfolio, they don’t completely embrace the tech aspect. They still grapple with the relevancy and criticality of having tech & product partners in the mix.
#2 Remote companies work only if all the employees are remote
There is a difference between truly remote companies and companies that “support” remote work. Truly remote companies work as efficiently as they do is because 90% or all their employees are distributed. Some of my articles on remote work can be read here :
Companies that offer flexible work environments or that allow work from home are great, however if you term yourself as a “remote” company eg. Buffer , CircleCI, GitLab , Aha!, Basecamp etc., you need to make sure all employees or atleast the majority of employees are truly distributed so that the remote discipline and culture is inculcated throughout the company’s DNA.
#3 Networking / Build your connections outside your immediate team
Whether you’re a part of a larger company or a startup, it’s important to form some connections with the outside world — employees of other startups or employees in other teams. It helps you to stay abreast of the going-ons in the outside world, on how you can leverage these leanings in your own role/team and to future-proof your career.
#4 Great bosses make great careers
I believe Bosses can make or break your career. After having the privilege of working with two awesome bosses who became my mentors over time, I’ve become aware of the privilege of the wealth of opportunities these relations can provide. Whether it’s mentorship, career guidance, confidences over career transitions, opportunities to lead and more, amazing bosses can help you get out of your comfort zone and provide that zeal for your work life.
#5 Women still balk at negotiating and speaking up
Women, even in high power roles still balk at the thought of negotiating and revamping existing power structures.
#6 Pays to work in a company longer
It definitely pays to stick to a company over a long period of time — internal promotions, in-depth knowledge of your product/domain and optimum career growth. However moving around a few different companies, geographies or even domains can make you more resilient and adaptable in the long run.
#7 If something is not working out in your career, get out of it asap
I knew the role of a software engineer is not for me the moment I started working at my first company, however I stuck around for 3 years trying to figure out different roles and functions. Looking back, it’d have been beneficial for me to get out of the rut sooner and make my headway into something that I was really passionate about.
#8 Try to take a big risk at-least once in your career
Taking risks in your career can be daunting, but I don’t believe you’ve explored your true highest potential if you’ve stuck around the boundaries of your comfort zone. Try that leap to a new city or an entirely new country, that transition to a new function from marketing to legal, that move from tech to telecom.
#9 Big brand names might not always be your best bet
It’d be tempting to work for a big name brand right from the start, but doing some cool stuff at lesser known or unknown companies is part of the process. The learning and the hardships you face whilst working at lesser known brands can propel you in your career further down the line.
Eg. I don’t think I’d come across the world of AI, data intelligence, privacy & compliance if I had continued down the career path of an eCommerce product manager at a retail giant.
#10 Work in a startup at-least once
Working at a startup inculcates skills that are paramount for you to survive in tech — whether its adaptability of working in different domains, the flexibility to put on varied hats or the considerable low fear of failure. It allows you to take risks and grow as a tech professional. These skills will be invaluable further along your career or if you end up working for a mammoth corporate later on.
#11 Domain experts are trying to understand tech
Domain experts are no doubt important in the building of a new product or a company, however they are more and more trying to understand how technology is changing their world and how they can adapt to this momentous change.
Eg. HR, Compliance and even core Finance people in my company are trying to understand design thinking, sprint and scrum planing with the consequence of the emergence of Legal-tech and HR-tech.
Stay tuned for more insights!
