You’re Not As Important As You Think You Are Jessica Deen Systems Integration Engineer SPK and Associates Blog: jessicadeen.com

Jessica Deen  Current Microsoft MVP  Awarded  Systems Integration Engineer  SPK and Associates  Former Social Media Manager  Vendor to Microsoft  Former Private Consultant

“Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” ~Apple Inc. Here’s to the crazy one’s…

Overview

Why?

Why do you work in IT or with technology in general?

Topic Overview  What does it mean to outgrow a job?  How does one recognize that he or she may have outgrown his or her current position?  Why did I pick this topic?  Where? Where would you like to see yourself, professionally, in 5 years? How about 10 years?

Agenda  Background  Trepidation  The Ego Mindset  Relevance over importance  Relief

What?  What is it that end users want from us? What is it that end users want when they hear the term “IT”?  What is the “mindset” and why / how do we get away from it?

Why? Where?  Why does one “get into” IT or systems administration?  Are you happy with your current career placement?

How? Who?  Why do we feel we are so important or integral to our clients or employers?  Where does that mindset come from?  Why do we have to know everything for every technical problem?  How did this mindset come to be?  Who told us to think this way?

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Career Advancement  How does one remap his or her career path?

You’re not as important as you think you are  When we live and work like the world depends on us, like the people in our lives can’t be successful without us, we wear ourselves out. It’s tiring trying to carry the weight of things we were never meant to carry.  As much as we tell ourselves we’re contriving meaning, affirmation and joy from the pursuit of being needed, it just ends up leaving us feeling out of breath. It’s a task we can never fully fulfill. And it is a disservice to ourselves, as well as our clients and colleagues.

The Remapping

Recognize the insignificance of being important and the substantial value of being relevant.

How do we stay relevant?  What does relevant mean?  How do you learn, grow, add value to any business or undertaking?

Risk  Learn to take risks  Do the uncomfortable  Meet new people in your field

Experiment  Try new things  Experiment with new technology  Experiment with what interests you but you never have the time to learn

Learn – Unlearn - Relearn  Be willing to learn and then unlearn what you just learned only to relearn it again  Technology and the IT sector is constantly changing. If you stay complacent, you’ll be left behind.  Grow with your field, even if it means unlearning what you were once an expert at only to become an expert at something else.

Engage  Engage with the audience  Engage with peers  Engage with colleagues  Engage with clients (employers)

Value  Value in other’s opinions  Value in other’s insight  Value in the experiences

Attitude – Abandon the Ego  It’s okay to not know the answer. Hardly anyone knows it all.  It’s okay to be wrong, everyone is (at least once)  Be open  Stay up-to-date  Read  Research  Learn from everything available

No to Negativity  The “I can’t’s” or “I shouldn’t’s” or “I wish I could but…”  Let Go – of the thinking, patterns and behaviors that keep you stuck

Time  Take time to network  Take time to relate  Take time to plan

“If you wish to achieve worthwhile things in your personal and career life, you must become a worthwhile person in your own self-development.” – Brian Tracy

Let Go of Pride

Find a mentor

Become Adaptable

Become Flexible

Become Proactive

Become Open

Become Humble

The point is that working to be important is fleeting. The point is that working to be important is fleeting.

Wrap Up  Here’s to the crazy ones…”

Q & A  