A discussion about the software industry and their coders

Here are 5 useful tips for techies -- especially those who have less than 5/6 years of experience in the IT industry. These tips are based on my conversations with several IT industry colleagues over the years; and some observations about Indian techies.

Tip 1: Don't join a company for the brand name alone; go for the job content.

"I want to join your company because its such a huge brand," is one of the silliest answers I have heard in several phone screens. Usually after this statement there is a long pause and the candidate has no more reasons. I think this answer is more during campus interviews for fresh engineers. Infosys, Wipro, Oracle, Microsoft, Yahoo!, Google -- all have big brand names so why should you join one and not the other? What is your career goal that makes you a good fit in one of these companies?

While it is fine to convey that the good brand name of the copmany is something you respect; the reason should be that the company earned this brand name be serving customers better with good/innovative technologies that you are interested to learn about.   

Tip 2: Given two equivalent offers go for the company with the better brand name or the company that will give you more learning opportunities. This tip is a Corollary of tip 1.

A company with a better brand name has mostly worked for it -- by better serving customers, by rewarding and recognizing its talented employees, and by creating an enviornment for career learning and growth. So in case you are in the good position of having multiple offers -- and even if the better brand name company is paying you marginally less for an equivalent role go for this company.

Chances are that as soon as you prove your caliber in the company you will more than make for the small salary differential. In the long term the learnings earned at the better company could help you get a new job elsewhere or a new role in the same company.

The other way to look at things is to find out what new opportunities you can get at a company after working for a year. Choose the company that will give you a chance to do and learn more. 

Tip 3: Changing jobs merely for a marginally higher salary is stupid and dangerous

As soon as your CV has a string of less than 1 year stints, hiring managers look at your CV suspiciously for serious team leadership roles. Several good companies may not even consider you. Everyone has had a bad job -- when the manager was painful, or there was a misunderstanding on role expectations etc. So a short stint once in your career can be explained.

But the more job jumps you make, the more you will appear as a "I work for money only" candidate. Such candidates have not built a strong sense of ownership for their career growth and work performance. Also they come across as people who cannot be trusted with serious responsibilities because they will jump for the next high offer that comes their way -- instead of out-performing in their current role and "earning" the salary jump in their current workplace.

Tip 4: If you don't believe in loyalty to the company, demonstrate loyalty to your profession

Yes, the era during which working life-time for a single company isn't there anymore. Several companies in the Internet/IT industry don't even last for 4-5 years. Today, companies either disappear in an acquisition or die due to intense competition or due to a series of management mistakes. The IT industry is very dynamic and some companies may not work on all the technologies you might wish to learn. However, being a Professional is still expected.

Being professional means being accountable for your role, for bringing high performance to your workplace, for showing good team skills and for responsibly making transitions -- whenever that time comes.

Your ex-colleagues and managers will remember you positively if you responsibly hand-over your work during a job change. In case later you wish to come back to the same company or need a reference they will remember your professional behaviour.

Tip 5: Dress professionally when going for an interview

Ok, so you have got an interview call. It is never old fashioned to wear well ironed shirt & trousers and turn up in well polished shoes. Good personal grooming is never old fashioned. It is also not "un-techie" to shave cleanly and show-up for the interview after a proper hair cut. Personal hygiene and good manners are always appreciated. I have seen some younger engineers turning up in jeans, t-shirt, sandals and unkempt hair -- perhaps trying to convey the spirit of a lost genius. Intelligence comes off easily during a conversation -- you dont have to dress casually for that. Also, although bad grooming it is not necessarily a turn-off -- it does convey that you are treating the interview as casually as going to a weekend party.

Companies and Interviewers spend serious time, energy, and money while engaging with candidates. Dressing formally and nicely is a positive signal you send to interviewers. It means that (even if you are joining a junior position), you can be trusted to suddenly meet a customer or represent the company in a formal situation. You have developed the good sense to understand the difference between attending a business situation and a weekend party.

Also of Interest: The Real Reason behind New Hire "No Show" in Indian IT Industry

Indian Tech grads -- Microsoft, Google, Yahoo!, IBM, Oracle -- Top 5 preferred employers