Fan To Pro - The Blog of Professional Geekery

What level are your career issues really on?

So you're not happy with your job.  You know it.  Maybe your whole career isn't working out.

Usually, you're pretty sure what it is - your boss, the position, the company.  However I'd stand back a second and ask yourself this:

Are you sure of just what you're dissatisfied with?

I often find people are dissatisfied with their job on a different "level" than they expect.  They may be happy in a particular industry, but not like the position - but have soured on the industry they work in.  They may dislike an industry and figure it's the position.  They may even dislike a particular technology they have to use.

It's too easy to get our levels of dissatisfaction mixed up.  A small thing can make us dislike an otherwise ideal job, we can do the ideal job in an industry we dislike, etc.

This is a complicated issue, but one I think is important - especially in geeky jobs where we assume we'll love everything about our career.  Dissatisfaction's origin is not always obvious, and possibly isn't at the same "level" we think it is.

So if you're not happy, ask yourself if you're sure why you're not happy.  You may be looking too high or too low, and miss what's right in front of your face.

- Steven Savage

News of the Day 6/30/2009

Career:
Use Venture Capital websites to direct your jobsearch? An interesting suggestion from Jason Alba. I'd also note that places like www.startuply.com, www.ventureloop.com, etc. can help.

Things may be tough economically - considered an apprenticeship?

Networking is still the way to go for job searches - So says Dan Schawbel's latest research. Odd note here - craigslist also stands out. Worth a good read.

Economics/Freakonomics/Geekonomics:
Home prices still falling - and should for awhile - As long as this is occurring, it's going to have an impact, even once the worst is over, we can probably expect a continuing decline - and it's effects on the economy. Put it simply, I wouldn't want to be in real estate or home construction for the next three years - and all of us will feel it.

And a dose of Freakonomics: Companies have gained in productivity over the years, but squandered gains competing. Companies in short need to radically rethinkin their approaches in a changed world. This comes from an interesting study I'm going to need to read - more here.

Anime/Manga:
Second Evangelion remake film does huge in Japan - even better than the first. Wondering if it'll get brought over to NA and what the imapct will be - considering I STILL see NGE merchandise everywhere, I imagine there's a market for it. Could provide a minor stimulus to the anime market over here.

Technology:
Adobe is shutting down North American operations for a week and will probably do this again in the future. That's a big ouch there, and a bit surprising considering how well I'd EXPECT them to be doing. Considering their marketshare in many spaces I'm wondering why they deem this neccessary, and want to know more. For those of you sending resumes, I'd remove Adobe from any of your top-tier companies to work for until we have a better idea of what's going on.

iPhone/Kindle/Netbook replacement/envy alert: Dell is working on a portable web device. This is big as Dell has reach and momentum and a reasonable reputation. It sounds like the gizmo is a simple portable browser - running Fan To Pro Crush OS Android. Pricing could be a pain to compete with the iPhone line, but Android makes it cheaper, and I can EASILY see this also being a Kindle-competitor (or running it . . .). This could also herald something between Smartphones and Netbooks. Keep an eye out.

Sony jumps into the licensed product market for peripherals - for the Playstation products. Nothing may come of this, but it gives them a chance to leverage other companies ideas to get more things to do WITH their systems (and the PS2? Still?). With the idea of the Sony Phone or PSP phone, the Go being open to non-game apps, it seems they're trying to throw their market wide open and tell developers "go for it." More barreling through and throw-it-all against the wall strategy, but then again that may just work for them - and it may unsettle potential rivals. There's also a prediction Sony will displace Microsoft in the console wars in 2015, but that's so far away I consider the prediction laughable.

Video:
Joost is cutting staff and re-inventing itself as a kind of technology/portal/provider in what sounds like a move to eventually be a technical platform and probably a sale. May I suggest NOT sending them a resume in the near future?

Hulu owns 10% of the online video ad market - which is impressive, but not so much in the scheme of all video/TV ad sales. It's not going to replace the losses of TV ads that's for sure. Hulu isn't beating the big boys, but that's a respectable chunk of money.

Video Games:
X-box adding rich media, Silverlight ads to X-box - Not sure how well this will go over (and I have my doubts on Silverlight). X-Box seems to be doing well, but going WAY over-commercial very fast. That's a potential disadvantage depending on how they handle it.

Used game sales number 100 million annually in the US and apparently has little to no negative impact on new game sales (and may assist it). Though I expect DLC will kill off used game sales, it's interesting to note the DLC change could bollix up marketing, impulse buys,etc.

Now-purchased ID is gearing up for a new project - Not sure they have the same celebrety glow about them, but I wouldn't mind seeing more Hexen (a very underrated series of fantasy actioners). Maybe they can buy the rights to Duke Nukem Forver and achieve a near-undreamed of burst of free marketing? I am NOT joking here . . . anyway, keep an eye on this, see how their brand helps or hurts them.

- Steven Savage

Why DON'T more people have geeky jobs?

So why don't more people have geeky jobs?  Why aren't more people don't what they love for a living?  I encounter many people disappointed in their careers and themselves, and I realized that I should actually sit down and make a list of what I see.

News of the Day, June 29, 2009

Anime/Manga

U.S. anime sales were down 2% in the first quarter compared to the same period of 2008 - a small dip considering the poor economy and the boom in streaming anime. Speaking of which, Funimation, which has led the major anime companies in the streaming business, now commands 40% of the market, which shows their streams may be working as a "try it, then buy it" marketing tool for their DVDs.

Video Games

First Sony said they were looking to put non-game content on the PSP Go, and now, according to Japanese business news service Nikkei, they have assembled a PSP phone team. The phone would apparently be a fusion of the Ericsson mobile phone and the PSP. Keep an eye on this story, if it goes through it may have a seismic effect on both handheld gaming (would it inevitably lead to a DS Phone?) and smartphones.

Warner Bros. seems to be certain to acquire Midway, as its $33 million offer was the only one for the troubled games company. Warners, with its numerous movie and DC Comics properties, is a natural to own a gaming studio, so they may be able to bring the brand back from the dead - but watch them carefully before deciding to send them a resume.

Outsourcing is now fundamental to game development, according to U.K. game developer trade body Tiga. The group claimed that 83% of developers in its home country outsourced at least one business process in order to meet deadlines, budgets and skill level requirements.

Music games continue to be immensely popular - 25 million Americans played one during the month of April alone. The games seem to be opening up cross-marketing opportunities, also, as music game players purchase more CDs and legal downloads than non-players. Meanwhile, MTV Games, producers of one of the biggest music games, Rock Band, has named a new general manager, former THQ executive Scott Guthrie, and is staffing up in preparation for the launch of their Beatles game and possible acquisitions .

Rhianna Pratchett Talks Writing for Video Games: Terry Pratchett's daughter on an area of screenwriting that a lot of people may not have considered as a career path (it may be a rocky one, though - she says a lot of game producers still don't know how to properly use writers).

Technology

Asus is offering complimentary upgrades to Windows 7 for some netbook users - if their machines came pre-loaded with XP Pro or Vista. Given that most Windows netbooks are running standard XP, this means the upgrade won't apply to many people - but it does indicate the upcoming OS will definitely be netbook-friendly. Meanwhile, another netbook manufacturer, Acer, is about to surpass Dell as the second largest PC maker on the strength of its small 'n' cheaps, which shows that netbooks have fully arrived in the mainstream.

Streaming and sports again: NBC Sports is offering free streaming of Wimbledon to U.S. residents, continuing the march of major sporting events to the online arena. Meanwhile, online video infrastructure firm Nokeena has received a staggering $6.5 million in its second round of funding, showing that investors are taking this new medium very, very seriously.

Job Market

Ten Reasons for Executive Failure: How to avoid being one of those middle managers who never advances any further in their career. Among the culprits: Lack of clear vision and direction.

How it Feels to Go From Cubicle Rat to Being Your Own Boss: Making the transition from traditional employment to self-employment. And, also of interest for those interested in striking out on their own: Ten Unconventional Wisdoms for Funding Startups. 

Comics

In one of the more unusual cases of multimedia synergy to emerge as of late, Spider-Man is about to become a Broadway musical,  with music by U2 and starring Evan Rachel Wood as Mary Jane and Allen Cumming as Green Goblin. It sounds odd, but hey, anime-based musicals have been Japanese stage staples for years, and if it works, it can open up a new career arena where geeks are welcome.

- Bonnie 

A reminder about next Podcast

Our next podcast is two days and a half hour early because of the 4th of July Holiday.  We'll still do the news roundup on Friday, of course.

Our special subject is the role of Blockbusters in the geekonomy - and if that's changing.

The Perfect is the Enemy of Everything

It is an often repeated statement - "The Perfect is the Enemy of the Good", meaning that if you try for perfection you will not only fail, you won't get to achieve something pretty good.

Let me extend on this and share my findings: the Perfect is the enemy of everything, even mediocrity.

A convention idea . . .

I love a good convention - SF, Anime, fantasy, games, etc.  They're usually fun, stimulating, and often educational.  I know I try to ensure all three in events I do at conventions (admittedly, I often focus on the latter).

One of the major reasons people attend conventions is to meet the guests.  It's fun to hear them speak, get autographs, and even chat with them.  They're also often very informative - hearing how someone's career came about, their experiences, etc. can really be telling.  Guests may even host workshops, career panels, etc.

I am of course always for the latter.

So, progeek that I am, I began wondering: should conventions consider inviting more guests who aren't on the front lines?  Yes Scott McNeil is exciting, but what about a sound engineer from a studio that does dubs?  I'm sure people would line up around the block to see Zachary Quinto, but what about a special effects team who did the new Star Trek?  For that matter, I'd love to hear, say, the head of accounting at a video game company speak.

What if conventions started adding guests that did geeky things or did things at geeky companies, and had them speak on jobs and careers?  They could build sequences of panels and workshops around them.

Yes, this would be educational, but it wouldn't necessarily be a big draw, but the advantage in that is that the "non-front line" people may also be cheaper to get than big name guests.  Some of them might come for airfare and hotel fees being paid since it gives them a chance to network, connect, and publicize.  Fans get educated, some people who deserve more recognition get it, and a con gets more events and draw cheaply.

Sounds win-win to me.

I'm sure there are flaws, but someday it would be neat to see the publicity head of Funimation signing autographs, a lawyer from Electronic Arts speaking to a rapt crowd on the advantage of being in law, or a sound studio tech guru surrounded by his or her own legion of fans.

In fact, if you're working at a convention, steal this idea.  You may help the convention, your fellow fans, and do a bit of networking in the process.  Everyone wins, and you may make some unappreciated Project Analyst very happy!

- Steven Savage

Upcoming podcast

A reminder that we'll be doing our usual podcast this Saturday.   Our special subject this week is publishing and e-books!

Unsure - or Overwhelmed?

If you feel overwhelmed in your job search, pause for a moment and ask yourself this:

Are you overwhelmed with effort - or overwhelmed because you aren't sure what to do next?

I encounter this a lot - people are unsure of what to do next, so try everything, or randomly meander from task to task.  They never get anything done (or get comparatively little done), yet are completely exhausted.  Even if they don't spend endless hours on their careers, the lack of success and the attempt to do EVERYTHING overwhelms them.  They may even try less as they feel so overwhelmed.

So when you feel overwhelmed, take some time out and ask if you have definite measurable goals and directions - or are you trying to do everything at once without a plan.  The answer may be surprising.

I myself am guilty of this, and find that regularly reviewing what I really want to do and achieve helps - I have less chance of getting lost trying to do everything.  Even if I overload myself I at least know what my original intent was before I overdid it.

- Steven Savage

The Michael Jackson 'Internet Crash' And Modern News

The unfortunate and untimely passing of Michael Jackson this week underlined the trends in how news is gathered and distributed nowadays more than anything in recent memory. Indeed, the fact that the Jackson story "crashed the Internet" - more truthfully, slowed traffic on news sites to a crawl and caused Twitter to temporarily disable some features - was almost as big in the mainstream media as the singer himself.

What this means to you is this: If you are considering a career in any form of news and weren't thinking electronic before, this drives home that it's a necessity.