How To Succeed In IT Without Really Trying

snydeq writes "Deep End's Paul Venezia discusses the two ways to succeed in IT: through proficiency and hard work, a road that often leads to unending servitude, or the other way; with little effort or proficiency at all. 'I hate to say this, but a number of people in IT positions work harder to make it seem like they're busy as beavers than doing actual work. Quite often this dysfunction starts at the top: When an IT manager doesn't know the technology very well, he or she may hire folks who have no idea what their job is other than to show up every day and answer the occasional email, passing questions along to others with more technical abilities, or to their contacts at the various hardware and software vendors. People like these populate many consulting companies. They rely almost completely on contractors to perform the actual work, serving as remote hands in a real crisis and as part of a phone tree for less pressing issues.'"

Comments

Re:Not limited to IT

[Cryacin]

Well, the funny thing is that those sorts of guys fall into the "Secret Weapon" category. Make yourself absolutely indespensible. Get on the green beret projects, and then get another offer for more money, and watch the counter offers roll in. They don't pay enough? Leave. I've seen plenty of Spandex Wearing, walk on water without getting their damn socks wet, gurus get paid more on contract than the managers that employ them. Plus they get to have much more fun.