Intermediary: acting between persons, parties, etc.; serving as an intermediate agent or agency: an intermediary power.

Technology from the early 90’s until present day has evolved to a point where it is ever present in our lives. This is not news as we all use tools and devices every day that did not exist twenty-five years ago. What is news however is how this revolution is changing the way we work, communicate and connect. This has caused a profound change in how we do our jobs, and who (or what) completes assignments and tasks during our work day.

I started my career as an Institutional Fixed Income Salesperson, an Intermediary between buyers and sellers in a career that spanned over twenty years. I don’t want to go too far into the details, but everything changed after the financial crisis in 2008-2009. Essentially due to a changed regulatory environment it became easier for buyers to connect with sellers using technology as a medium. It did not happen overnight, instead we all saw systems being developed that we knew would become competition for our seats, it just took a crisis like Great Recession to give this technology the push it needed to become widely adopted.

As an Intermediary in today’s economy there needs to be acknowledgment that your role will be at some point effected by the use of technology if it hasn’t already. As an Intermediary you need to be vigilant in keeping up to date or knowledgeable about how this will affect your role while at the same time being an advocate for yourself by staying ahead of the curve.

For candidates who are currently in school or recent College Graduates you have a leg up on the competition. You really only know a world where technology has been ever-present. Stay on top of new trends and embrace them. Even if you are focused on business roles make sure you are aware of what applications are being used in those roles and figure out how you will be able to leverage those tools to create a successful career.

For experienced Business-side incumbents, you have a harder row to hoe. Much of the above advice applies. It is going to be difficult to get up to speed but it is imperative that you embrace whatever you can to better understand the tools in your chosen career. Look for ways to transition your skill set to these products and figure out a way to tie your next career move to one of them. Become an expert and own the market on specific dominate technologies in your market.

For the Engineers and Developers/Technologists out there it is imperative to stay on the cutting edge. This means continually staying up to date on the trends in your technology stack. Find ways to expose yourself regularly to the newest and shiniest languages/systems/applications/etc., even if you are not using it on a daily basis in your role. If you have aspirations of a management role, stay hands on. Don’t let the market walk away from you even though your responsibilities have increased. You may find one day that management isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be, you will need to be current in order to market yourself.

These are just a few thoughts I have from the front lines of recruiting. Stay connected and keep in touch!

Forget the soft serve ice cream and the ping pong table. There are real reasons to go to work in a software start up environment.  Want to learn how to be a producer of efficiencies, solutions and revenue instead of a consumer of company resources? Go to work in a place where you can fit the org chart on one page.

Start ups can be exciting and empowering. Critical decisions will be made with you at the conference table as everyone in the room looks your way and asks for your input.  There is no corporate “them” to blame – not “those guys in Marketing” or “those slackers in Sales”…there’s just you and the people you are working shoulder to shoulder with. You are much more likely to be able to see the direct result of your work in a smaller environment.

Exposure to new technology and job responsibilities frequently happens at a start up. The “all hands on deck” attitude gets you involved and can add to your skillset rapidly moving forward.

It’s refreshing to work in a place where everyone is rowing in the same direction.  The stakes may be high and your contribution is important. Yes, a certain amount of risk may be involved. Be bold.  Believe in your ability to contribute to an early stage organization’s success. I look back fondly to the web analytics company I helped hatch and grow in the ‘90’s. It was a unique work experience, both challenging and thrilling. And the stock options worked out pretty well.

Irwin Grossman – Senior Recruiter