The hardest of all questions dealing with my future has to do with what I actually want to work with. I see two aspects to this question that I have to straighten out before I can fully invest in my plans for the future. One deals with the kind of work I want to do (alternatives revolving around R&D or management or consulancy), and the second deals with what kind of organization I want to work for. While I haven’t figured out much on the first aspect, I have identified 4 different kinds of organizations that I truly can see myself working for.
A consulting firm
Being currently employed as a consultant, I really do like my work. I certainly would not mind to further pursue a career in this field, with my main objectives being to effectively gain experience of many segments of the market and it’s players (because no, you don’t work nine-to-five as a consultant). I believe it would be the perfect starting-point for possible future start-ups of my own, with a good contact’s network to aid me.
Despite Software Engineering being my major right now, I’m quite interested in the management consulting field. Through my work I’ve met many Accenture people, I know a few people working for McKinsey and Triathlon (based in Gothenburg) are quite cool indeed. But one doubt remains – what do consultants actually know, despite PowerPoint skills and business-speak?
A large but awesome company
I have allergy against large corporations. As Tom Peters puts it: “big stinks (mostly)”. I’m afraid the caricature picture I have, containing fancy nonsense titles, complete incompetence and yesterday’s ideas, is mostly true.
But! There are a few truly awesome companies that could be regarded as large, but still cool. I would take a job at any of these, hands down, if only to have the opportunity to work with the fantastic people there that create the magic: Pixar, Apple and Google. Seriously, I could be their janitor.
A smaller and hyper-creative company
This category contains all those mostly unknown but technology-intensive companies. I discover one every day, and their key characteristics are re-thinking of what a company should be like, mixed with an overdose of creativity. It’s basically the large and awesome companies mentioned above, but in their cradle. It’s everything from start-ups writing business plans, to 5 year old underdogs.
My own company
This is by far the most attractive alternative right now. What greater pride than owning, running and making your money all on your own? While contributing to society with something new, useful and beautiful? This kind of organization is by far the most challenging, and central to it is a brilliant idea. I don’t have this idea yet. But once I have it, World Domination Inc. will soon be well known.
I have considered starting Yet Another Software Company, but unless I figure out how to give it a unique characteristic I won’t do it. Mediocrity is not enough. There are enough firms doing websites and CMSs. I want to build something new – take an idea and shape it into a product. Note that building something not new but radically better, also falls under this category. That “radically better”-part is what’s “new”, think cellphone-to-iPhone.
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All 4 alternatives are quite hard to achieve, and that’s completely the purpose. The beauty of the career game is that I control myself. If I don’t get hired by (for example) Pixar, no one else than myself can be blamed. Aiming and trying is a victory. And that’s what makes it all the more fun – to see how far I can go.
July 24th, 2009
by Ehsan
Why you polish that brilliant idea which will pave the way for World Domination Inc. a good starter would be to find a job you like and start working with that. The positive aspect of this is that as a newbie you will meet many people with loads of experience which will help you develop.
At the same time you can work on your own company and once the idea has been popped you can slowly move over and start making a living out of it.
Keep in mind that this is very time consuming and mentally exhausting! :)
July 24th, 2009
by Emanuel
Yes, that’s probably what will happen :)