261: Manage Your Manager and Learn to Interview and Network Well with David Bishop

<p>Phil’s guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is David Bishop. He is a technologist, consultant, researcher, entrepreneur, and instructor with experience across telecommunications, transportation, government and utilities.  He is an author of numerous books and articles as well as a frequent contributor to the IEEE’s Engineering Management Review.</p> <p> </p> <p>David is also founding chair for the Atlanta chapter of the IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society.</p> <p> </p> <p>In this episode, Phil and David Bishop discuss how to manage your manager to improve your career opportunities. They talk about the importance of focusing on the business and what it does rather than just the tech.</p> <p> </p> <p>David also talks about the challenge of selling your skills and how to do it well. As well as explaining why being happy to take risks is a good idea in the IT industry. David also briefly covers solving business problems using his Metagility approach to Managing Agile Development.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p><strong>KEY TAKEAWAYS:</strong></p> <p><strong>(5.30) TOP CAREER TIP</strong></p> <p>Manage your manager. They are your gatekeeper. It is your manager who determines what your goals are, which opportunities you are given. As well as, to a certain extent, how you are perceived by others within the business.</p> <p> </p> <p>In the podcast, David shares several ways to do that.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>(7.54) WORST CAREER MOMENT</strong></p> <p>In his 30s, David was set to become the chief of staff for the CIO of a big telecommunications company. He sailed through the interview stages.</p> <p> </p> <p>But, when he sat down to talk directly with the CIO, David spoke mostly about the tech, instead of focusing on what the business was all about. That switched the CIO off and he did not get the job. That experience taught him that at the end of the day everything you do at work has to be about what the business needs. The tech is just a means to an end.</p> <p> </p> <p><strong>(11.43) CA