Interesting jobs for analytical thinkers

By Career Advisor

Question:  I'm a software developer and have been working at an amazing
software company since graduating from college 2.5 years ago.  The job
is perfect on paper but I'm not happy.  I enjoy the "figure stuff out"
aspect of my job so much more than the "build stuff" aspect.  I love
figuring out how some obscure system works, understanding how it
should work, exploring solutions, arguing semantics.  But when it
comes time to take all of that and make decisions, then go build
something - I freak out.  It's too much pressure and I lose interest.
Are there jobs for analytical thinkers where the actual *thinking* is
valued above *doing*?  My first thought is research, but I'm motivated
by instant gratification, which you don't get from a research job as
far as I can tell.  I suspect there are interesting
"interdisciplinary" opportunities that would fit the bill, but I don't
know what they would be.  Any ideas?  I'm looking for someone who has
some outside-the-box career advice.

Answer:You're not alone in wanting instant gratification in your career (insert the common Blah Blah Blah about everything worth while takes time and effort here). Truthfully, everyone likes the figuring things out part and everyone freaks out about the responsibility of actually delivering on your thoughts. But employers tend to pay the people that not only can come up with the ideas but can also deliver.

Software Architects are the ones that figure things out and have others usually (but not always) deliver the solution. Most companies that I've found are actually looking for Architects that do the coding also. Unfortunately, the people that become Architects are the most experienced developers that have delivered solutions to their employers over many years.

You are right that there are "interdisciplinary" opportunities that would fit the bill depending on the directions that you want to go. Here are two:

1. Software quality assurancecan possibly give you that Analytical vibe on the reverse side of things. Instead of figuring things out you could figure how to break things. I've always preferred breaking things.


2. Business Analysis. With this you can work with users to gather the requirements needed to make the software. Then explain these requirements to the software coders in a way that they can understand. This can be a very creative problem solving endeavor.

Good Luck and please contact me if you have anymore questions.

Searching for a Career with an MBA

By Career Advisor

Question: I am currently working on earning my MBA, but I am unsure
about where I should look for a career change.  Do you have any advice
on where I should look, and how I should go about putting myself out
there for a job?

Answer:

"The things taught in schools and colleges are not an education, but the means of education. "-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

An MBA can open doors in many career fields. It depends on what you like to do.

MBA recruitment used to be dominated by banks. That has seen a sharp decrease due the mortgage mess. While the banks may be on more stable ground now due to the bailout, their reputation as a good career move has taken a tumble.

I see the best opportunity for MBA graduates in the near future to be Entrepreneurship. If you have a good idea, now may be the time to take a chance on your own business. I see small businesses as potentially the big winner in the Obama Administration stimulus money. It will trickle down giving the average american more money to spend which will in turn pay off for small business.

The government sector is another area you may want to look into. I just got a job with a Department of Energy Subcontrator. We are seeing increased hiring due to stimulus money.

First, look inward to find the job that you want. Take the job that you want and see if it is a career that will stand the economic realities of today's economy. You have a broad broad degree that can be applied to almost any career. That's the best thing about the MBA. The worst thing if you're trying to decide what to do.

Good luck

I.T. Career Change

By Career Advisor

Question: After years in Market Research related jobs, I would like to steer my career into the IT sector. I think the tasks involved might suit my talents and personality better (I'm detailed oriented obsessive compulsive but also a creative problem solver. I'm also looking for a better career outlook and remuneration.

I currently have good computer literacy and took some classes in things like HTML/CSS and PHP/MySQL. I have no practical programming experience.

What would be a good course of action for me to pursue this career change?

Should I get a degree and if yes what kind of degree? I already have a Masters in History. Do I need an undergraduate degree in Computer Science? Or is a certificate or Associates degree sufficient to get my foot in the door? Can you recommend any such programs? I appreciate any suggestions or recommendations here.

Or should I go for an internship somewhere? I feel like just taking a couple of classes and maybe taking tinkering with some web projects  on my own will not do it for me. I think I rather need some actual "real world" projects to gain experience.

I also learned about the field web analytics. It seems that this would be a good transitional job for me since I'used to research and data analysis. Any insights about that?

Answer: Deciding to make a career change is difficult. My experience is that individuals that do it, rarly earn equal or more money when they first make the change. The people that make more are those that are able to use their past education and experience in their new career.

I think you're looking in the right direction with your thoughts on Web Analytics. However, Web Analytics (SEO) job openings are rare if you do not live in a major city like New York or L.A. which may make it an impracticle option for most people. Maybe you should look into database development? Enterprise level Database Administration will please your obsessive compulsive side beyond belief. I suggest Oracle or M.S. SQL server database administration because employers value certifications for these positions.

While it would be best for your long term career goals to have an undergraduate degree in Computer Science, you may be able to get an entry level DBA position by a certification alone. Here is a good place to get started http://www.oracle.com/technology/dba/index.html

And

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/certification/mcdba.aspx

Good luck on your journey.