Never Burn Bridges
Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 9:55 am
I know this is something everyone says, but I feel it's important to emphasize this point, especially for programmers, and especially in this economic climate. You don't have any idea who will lead you to your next job. The job I have now is an excellent move for me, and was possible because someone I don't remember mentioned me to one of the owners of the company. A google search pulled up my resume which had been just put up and online a week before, and led to a phone call, and eventually, a job opportunity that I was more than happy to accept.
I don't know the guy who talked about me. Apparently, however, he had a lot of good stuff to say, enough that enticed the owners to search me out.
But really, I have no clue who this guy is. I didn't work for him, but I guess at some point he was able to see the work I'd done, and was impressed enough with it that almost five years later, he remembered my name well enough to drop it into a conversation with someone else. This was perfect timing, because I had just started looking for new work.
So, let this be a lesson to you. Make the assumption that whenever you are working with someone that they will talk about you 5 years down the road to a perspective employer. What will they say? What will they remember? Many times, programmers become specialist in certain areas. In retrospect, it's not hard to see how this happened, considering the small number of players in this industry I'm in. But, in your industry, people will remember you, and years later, if you are still in that industry, how will people remember you?
So be careful. Even that guy you never meet, you might only speak with once, or you really just only deal with in passing might take more interest with you or your work. You never know how things will work out.
I don't know the guy who talked about me. Apparently, however, he had a lot of good stuff to say, enough that enticed the owners to search me out.
But really, I have no clue who this guy is. I didn't work for him, but I guess at some point he was able to see the work I'd done, and was impressed enough with it that almost five years later, he remembered my name well enough to drop it into a conversation with someone else. This was perfect timing, because I had just started looking for new work.
So, let this be a lesson to you. Make the assumption that whenever you are working with someone that they will talk about you 5 years down the road to a perspective employer. What will they say? What will they remember? Many times, programmers become specialist in certain areas. In retrospect, it's not hard to see how this happened, considering the small number of players in this industry I'm in. But, in your industry, people will remember you, and years later, if you are still in that industry, how will people remember you?
So be careful. Even that guy you never meet, you might only speak with once, or you really just only deal with in passing might take more interest with you or your work. You never know how things will work out.