Why are we here?

So one thing that everyone seems to have in common is that none of us want to be here. "Here" being where we work, and "there" is where we want to work. Without giving too much away I think it would be safe to say that the authors of this blog work in the Technology industry but do not work for a Technology company.

This make us sort of Technology refugees, we're a bit like Israel, we can look after ourselves but let's face it no-one knows what to do with us and quite frankly everyone wishes that we just went away and stopped with the demands. But they love our oranges.

We have the ability to thrive in an environment but because we are on the outside looking in, the gatekeepers to this environment do not consider us as a good bet so therefore will not grant us safe haven.

In this case we are the refugees, albeit well paid ones with comfortable homes, cars and a multitude of wide screen flat-panel TVs to go with our running water and electricity.

The gatekeepers in this example are those in the Tech industry who are responsible for hiring talent. There seems to be a huge snobbery involved in getting into the prime positions in this industry. Ability, rarely, if ever is a factor, it is the path you have taken.

If you take the road less traveled and moreover have walked that road without an MBA you are forever doomed to a mediocre career stuck in a position going nowhere. Your life will be one of fire fighting with too small of a hose to make a difference.

Most companies require tech staff, but when they have them quite frankly they do not know what to do with them. Tech type folks thrive on change and moving from problem to problem with varying challenges. Give your Tech folk these challenges and continue to stimulate them and recognizing their skill set and feed them new and larger challenges and hey presto you have a happy employee and low turnover on your hands.

Alas just because most companies have a Technology department it does not follow that they know Jack diddly squat about what to do with it. The company that my fellow bloggers and I work for are forever reacting to the challenges of the wants and needs of the companies core business instead of working with them.

So what will we do? Very little probably, we will all strive to make it to the promised land, but few will achieve their goal and will spend the rest of our meaningless careers working on small, boring tasks waiting to be discovered...preferably by Google...where we will receive stock options....and free food!!!