Professional Success

When was the last time you reflected on what you want to do in your professional life? Is what you visualize in line with what you are currently doing? Over the years I have listened to Jim Rohn, Steve Jobs, Brian Tracy, Les Brown, Richard Branson, Tony Robbins, Napoleon Hill and many other successful professionals who all say the same thing: To be successful in our professional lives we must visualize who we want to be, have a burning desire to achieve it, and make a plan to get there.

When you visualize what you want to be in your professional life it helps you gain focus on where you are headed. It gives you meaning and direction. Warren Buffet says “find your passion”. You need to know what you’re passionate about and then make that passion the target of where you want to be. Once you have your target then all you need to do is to take the steps that will get you to that target. Maybe it’s a degree, maybe it’s a certification or a technical skill that you must learn. Whatever those steps are you need to write them down and check them off your list as you achieve each of them.

Tuesday, March 8 2016 Technology Leaders will meet for lunch. We will discuss the formula for professional success.

Join our next Technology Leaders Meetup: www.meetup.com/technology-leaders/


Author: Dr. Eduardo Diaz, helping you exceed expectations.

Plan, Do, Review vs SDLC

Last week I was speaking with a Project Manager about the methodology that he currently applies when working with his technology teams. He explained that the current approach that he applies is Agile. He continued to add that Agile is currently the perceived latest and greatest whereas Waterfall was the best thing that ever happened to technology development only a few years back.

Then I was speaking with another Project Manager who explained that Agile and Waterfall are more about reducing costs. According to his point of view Waterfall methodology is more expensive because you build and build until you complete the project, then you go back and fix things that need to be fixed, whereas with Agile you build and fix along the way, ultimately reducing costs in the long run.

This got me to thinking about the Software Development Life-cycle versus a Plan, Do, Review process. Managing the development life-cycle of software is about having a plan for creating, reviewing and implementing, but isn’t that the same thing as having a plan to run a business, construct a home or take on almost any project? Isn’t the SDLC a Plan, Do and Review process? It’s interesting to hear the variations of project managers who have been in the industry for several decades and comparing their perspective to others. The vocabulary and descriptions of the SDLC are different, but the end goal is the same (Make a Plan, Execute the Plan, Review the Outcome of the Plan).

So when did project management change? Is it just the evolution of marketing and a play on words, or did the psychology of management and styles change to keep up with changes in technology? Did the Plan, Do, Review change to SDLC in the same way that we change the plates on a table to match the holiday spirit?

Join our next Technology Leaders Meetup: www.meetup.com/technology-leaders/


Author: Dr. Eduardo Diaz, helping you exceed expectations.

When it rains, it pours

The past two weeks have been incredible as the job requisitions continue to come in. Project after project my colleagues and I are responding to the demand. What’s amazing is that over 80% of the candidates being considered were already in our database! It was a process that we’ve been developing over the last 9 months as we executed our future workforce plan of action. Every month we searched for candidates, held quarterly events, attended job fairs, and went to meetups in order to meet new talent that would be considered for future job opportunities. Now that the day has arrived and the job requisitions are pouring in, we just connect the dots by scheduling interviews and sending qualified candidates on to the hiring managers.

Now the real work begins as we continue to develop the future workforce plan of action while at the same time we are sending candidates to their next project.

Thank you to all of the candidates who keep us updated and current with your resumes and project transitions. You are the reason we are here.

Please join our Meetup: www.meetup.com/technology-leaders/


Author: Dr. Eduardo Diaz, helping you exceed expectations.

What is your Plan?

If you could recommend one thing that is important to making a plan, what would it be?

I met a candidate a few months back who expressed a clear desire to get a career in tech. He was working on the idea that because he finished his schooling he could get a job in the field of his dreams. However, when I presented him with an opportunity to get started as an intern with a well-known company he asked for a rate of pay that senior engineers would earn.

It’s important to understand that having a degree is important for some careers, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. You need to have a plan on getting where you want to be. You need to clearly understand how you will get there. You need to take steps to build toward your dream.

Brian Tracy once said that to be successful you need to

• Show up on time
• Show up with a plan
• Put that plan into action

If you’re able to deliver on these three simple rules every day, then your chances of success are very high.

You also need to be realistic. It’s great to have a degree and dreams of being part of an organization that is doing great things. It’s unrealistic to expect that organizations will pay you top dollar when you show up with little to no experience. Yes, you can be passionate and driven to do whatever it takes to get the job done, but you need to add value to the organization. If that value isn’t visible, how can you expect a hiring manager to bring you on board?

I was interviewing another candidate who just recently graduated with a Master’s degree. He was at the beginning of his career in tech development. During the interview I asked him, what are your salary expectations? He said that wage is not important, he just wants to work. Now, he didn’t mean that wage was not necessary for his survival, he simply did not give a lot of emphasis on wage. He also didn’t give a lot of thought to how much he needed to make in order to pay his bills. He was focused on his dream of being a developer and not the financial reward.

It’s important to understand that wage is important. It might not be where you place your energy, but it needs to be known how much you’re willing to accept in exchange for your time. It also has to be realistic. You can’t expect a large hourly wage if what you give to an organization will not produce a return on their investment. This means that you need to understand what the pay scale is for the career that you’re applying. You also need to know what the expectations are at each level of the pay scale and if you can deliver that level of service. At what point do you make top dollar? How long will it take you to get there? What skills and additional education will you need to get it? What can you offer in exchange for the pay that you desire?

If you could recommend one thing that is important to making a plan, what would it be?

Author: Dr. Eduardo Diaz, helping you exceed expectations.