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An Answer Whenever one interviews for a job or meets someone new, some variation of the question "Tell me about yourself" is bound to come up. Most interviewers are seeking to determine whether or not you have a clear concept of yourself and your motivations. New acquaintances just want to learn what makes you "tick", what makes you intriguing, what you care about, what common interests you share. This,hopefully, answers that question. My intention here is primarily professional. This in-depth analysis is meant to allow anyone who needs to know more about me to learn all that is necessary for a successful professional relationship. Finding a job is more than just skill matching. It is important to match values and interests as well, and, for me, provide opportunity for growth, experience and recognition. Much of what is contained herein demonstrates possibilities. While I have been a professional software developer throughout my adult life, I feel that label is limiting. Because of my need for new experiences, one of the reasons why I've worked as a consultant for most of my career, the prospect of working in a new field that matches well with me is an exciting one. That said, I find myself having the blissful experience that Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has called "Flow" when developing software and am quite willing to continue in that profession. Once a software developer moves beyond purely writing programs, doing such things as requirements engineering, business or data analysis for example, the developer is exposed to many aspects of organization. He must see the bigger picture, to understand needs, desires, processes, and, frequently, interpersonal dynamics. I cannot imagine many positions that have such a broad range of experiences. I started my career in software development in 1979 and have largely worked as an independent since 1986. I have been involved in a few entreprenuerial start-ups in my career. The first was at Lawson Associates, now Lawson Software. Later, I was in on the ground floor of an internet start up. The company changed names several times, though during most of my tenure it was known as ITSX. Like many companies in the dot com era, it crashed and burned. After that collapsed, I joined another start-up in Germany, a company that had just received second round financing, called WireCard AG. Sadly, due to familial pressures, I needed to return to the United States. Subsequently, I joined RJM Dental Advantage. While this was technically not a start-up, it had recently been purchased by new owners who attempted to completely remake it into an internet based business. This, too, failed. I am still on good terms with the former CEO of RJM, however. We have worked together on other small projects and continue to discuss the possibility of yet further start-up ventures. Most of the employment opportunities for independents in the Twin Cities area are with large corporations. This is reflected in my career as well. I have worked at several of the largest companies here, including 3M, Target, Wells Fargo, Northwest Airlines and Burlington Northern. I've enjoyed my time best at the small companies. Yes, it can be quite stressful. There can be long hours. Direction can change suddenly and drastically. Yet the reward that comes from knowing you have a major impact on the success of a company, of being more than a cog in a machine, is well worth it. Wearing many different hats, some not even traditional IT hats, really stretches a person. There are many benefits to working at large companies, of course. The size and complexity of projects that a large corporation can undertake just cannot be matched by all but the most well-funded of start-ups. In fact, I worked on one project that could only be described as an R&D project. It had over 100 developers working on for over a year, and a large number for several years. This was in the early days of relational databases and the term data warehouse had yet to be coined. Bill Inmon, the father of datawarehousing, had been involved on the initial prototype of this project. It was very interesting and challenging. How could it be anything but? People derive much of their sense of purpose from their job and career. Engrossed, contented employees are more productive. It behooves management to make jobs satisfying. It behooves employees to find jobs that provide such satisfaction. I have to admit that I feel very lucky to be in a position where I can demand such fulfillment from a job rather than being forced to do whatever is necessary just to put food on the table. Socrates is quoted as having said "The unexamined life is not worth living". Authors of autobiographical material suffer an inherent bias, that of presenting oneself as he wishes to be seen. Hopefully I've avoided that trap. I've tried to do a thorough, honest self examination that has led to, what I believe, is a reasonably accurate representation of my personality, values, interests and professional experience and capabilities, all of which are discussed below. In addition, there are several links to specific areas of interest on the left side of this page. These subject pages contain essays, book reviews, comments, rambling thoughts and references to things I have found interesting, providing even deeper insight into who I am. In a nutshell, I feel that I am quick, alert and sometimes outspoken, which has both positive and negative aspects. I am resourceful when attempting to solve new and challenging problems, creative, adept at generating conceptual possibilities and analyzing the strategic value thereof, and quickly bored by routine. I dislike doing the same thing the same way twice and am apt to turn to one new interest after another. The one dominant aspect of my personality is being exceptionally analytical, with the attendant traits of being logical, a strong capacity for reason and critical thinking, along with a healthy dose of skeptical thinking. This is strongly evidenced by the subjects I find most interesting, most of which have a strong analytical component. Because of this attribute, my decisions are based primarily on logic, objective reasoning, and the analysis of cause and effect. I used to be much more introverted than I am today, and may even be slightly extraverted now. This means I have moved away from the inner world of concepts, ideas and abstract problem solving to taking a greater interest in the larger world of people and things. The solitude from which I have turned continues to have strong appeal for me. This ambivalent nature of my personality can be seen as having merit. It allows me to easily work with others and to work independently as necessary. I focus on the future, seeing developing patterns and possibilities. This is about identifying opportunity and the desire to improve--to reach higher goals. This manifests itself as concerns about the long-term effects of processes and the usefulness and quality of products developed. And, it also shows a concern for relationships between individuals and entities, and the fundamental fairness of transactions between such groups. I prefer spontaneity and flexibility to being overly planned and organized. I see keeping options open as a virtue. It allows one to continue to gather more information and hopefully make decisions with greater insight. Being well organized, of course, is necessary when performing anything of a complex nature. I realize, too, that people with these opposing traits are both needed in the world at large. An environment receptive to independently conceived concepts developed by the worker is excellent. An organization that actively encourages and supports the development innovations is the ideal. This should fulfill the need for creative growth that I crave. Finding a way to nourish this hunger is a primary concern of mine. Software development offers a lot of creative opportunities, mostly in the design of systems. However, the work is dominated by analytical thinking. While it may seem egotistical, I also recognize that I value being recognized as an expert. This applies mostly to my peers and colleagues, but is even more rewarding when those outside the walls also show respect for my expertise. I am not a status seeker in the sense that I need the trappings of material goods. It is a status that is accorded for knowledge and talent. I would be very happy working in an organization that helped me grow in this manner. Closely related to the need for a creative environment is the need for a variety of activities. Tasks characterized by a range of activities keeps life interesting and challenging. Certainly, I want to utilize my talents to the fullest extent possible. Doing so really provides a sense of self-worth and maybe even a sense of purpose. This also leads to the need for growth and advancement. Once things have become routine, one can no longer claim to be fully utilized. Finally, I value the responsibility that is conferred through the exercise of autonomy and accountability. Responsibility often equates to leadership. Leadership and expertise both allow one to have greater influence over the decisions and directions of the enterprise. I have an interest in almost anything to do with science and the arts, especially music, theater, sculpture, and painting. Subject areas that I find most interesting: economics, finance and investment analysis, philosophy, computer programming and systems analysis, psychology, and sociology. Reading is an activity that you can almost always find me doing. Besides reading within the subject areas listed above, I do read a number of fiction books every year. I also read a variety of magazines. One that I highly recommend to others is the New York Review of Books. This magazine covers a large variety of subjects. The essays tend to use the excuse of reviewing a book to provide a deeper analysis or background. There is a strong liberal bias to many of the political and current affairs essays. Even so, it is often so interesting that I think it is well worth the read no matter your political or ideological inclinations. I also enjoy traveling, especially internationally as I then get to experience and learn about other cultures. This is part of what prompted me to live the life of an expatriate in Germany for a while. Others may say that was symptomatic of a mid-life crisis, though it really was not. The desire to live internationally has existed for a long time and continues to this day. All the above may sound like the analysis from a career consultation. In a sense, that is correct. Much of this has been gleaned from various tests or exercises, some of which I've shared below. The rest comes from many discussions with friends and colleagues, or from philosophical readings and musings. It has been a fruitful journey for me. I hope you have found it worth your while, too.
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