How was your University time?
I didn’t go to university. I finished college and was offered a job at a local company. I didn’t know at the time but it was the start of a career in the telecoms industry. University is great for career paths that require extensive, specialist studying but I haven’t found any need for a degree so far in life. When recruiting for someone in any of my teams, this is not a requirement.
Why did you Seek a career in technology consulting?
My first full time job found me because I was local. I had my CV on Reed and they were doing a recruitment drive. Once I had understood the job and become competent, I enjoyed the environment and technology I was using. The field has evolved over time from telephones and broadband to business improving technology. Being of the generation I am, technology very much appeals.
What was your first job or nuggets from jobs you had that helped you to get to where you are today?
My first part-time job was in a department store selling TVs and laptops. I can’t say this helped at any point during my career but maybe the company I was out were a bad example – they are out of business now! I think people management is crucial. When you’re first getting started in a company, you need to stand out, but you also need to be aware of how managers, directors and colleagues behave. It’s one thing to make an impression but you don’t want to annoy someone for having too many great ideas. Expressing them in the right channels is key. People don’t like it when they think their job is under threat. It’s also really important to listen. It might sound simple but when someone is addressing a room, it’s easy to switch off. If you make sure you know exactly what was meant in a team briefing and the reasons why, you are on the front foot. Another thing is to say yes to any training. I’ve been lucky enough to have received formal training at almost every company.
How did you prepare for business technology consultant interview?
I have written some articles to help other people prepare actually:
http://www.whatmillennialswant.co.uk/blog/5-basic-tips-smash-next-interview/ and
http://www.whatmillennialswant.co.uk/blog/5-not-basic-tips-smash-next-interview/
Books that helped you.?
There’s a few that are specific to my industry but there’s also a few that are specific to sales and marketing. Even if you’re not working in sales and marketing, it’s crucial to understand how and why a business operates from the sales side. I’d recommend Crossing the Chasm, Permission Marketing
Things are changing very fast in the industry, how do you keep yourself updated. Please list techniques or newsletter, podcasts, events etc
LinkedIn is my hub. I follow industry key players like Polycom and Microsoft who provide near independent news. For my niche, there are publications like UC Today who I write for as well. They key is tailoring your own content to make LinkedIn your personal newsletter. Don’t be afraid to hit the unfollow button to stop your feed from being clogged up by friends who industry is unrelated.
What can you recommend on CV?
Short and simple. Recruiters don’t spend much time reading CVs, they search for keywords. Spell check, grammar check and get a friend to proof read it.
Advice for someone looking for business technology consultant job?
Take everyone’s call, respond to everyone’s email and accept all LinkedIn requests. You will build a solid recruitment network as and when you need to look for a job and recruiters are likely to reach out to you if they have something relevant.
why do you think you were selected among other candidates?
My industry knowledge and experience sets me aside from other candidates. Whilst I am young and relatively inexperienced in life, I have 10 years in an evolving industry. I always think it strange when someone old comes to talk about technology but they have to bring someone younger to show you how to use it. Becoming a subject matter expert area in my field is key to standing out.
Lessons from jobs that you couldn’t get.
Accept feedback and learn from it. It’s easy to be angry when someone says no. I had a 3 hour interview with a huge company in what sounded like the perfect role and the only feedback I got was that my engineering skills were lacking. I was angry as I thought I had wasted three hours of my life and we didn’t even mention engineering. Ultimately, if the job entailed engineering of any description then I wasn’t right for the role. The feedback could have been better but people are busy. I cooled down, formally asked for more feedback so I could learn from it.
Dominic is a Business Technology Consultant with a passion for anything that can boost productivity in the workplace.You can find Dominic providing original content in various places, most notably UC Today and LinkedIn.
