Navigating Your IT Career at Stanford

For full notes, see the attached Word document or Google Doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19_2f0JOLhmM90njH0j2cqDg3wksogNrZougng-5aCiI/edit   

Prompt: Let's have an open conversation about successes and challenges in navigating and advancing your IT career at Stanford. 

For those who are looking to advance/switch roles, etc. - What are your biggest questions and challenges when it comes to this topic? 

For those who have successfully made a move/gotten a promotion/tried a new career path -  What things did you do to drive your career? What opportunities did you take advantage of? What strategies and tips do you have for navigating the complex, distributed environment at Stanford? 

What are your biggest challenges and questions about navigating your IT career at Stanford?

Question/Challenge

1. Biggest challenge - meeting people in various areas of IT around the university who I can connect with to learn more about career opportunities, projects, and tools

The #it-connect channel and Donut pairings have been great for meeting people in different units.  I also loved participating in STLP (Stanford Technical Leadership Program) and learning about all the different IT jobs that people hold.  The WIT meetings have also been great for networking! People of Color in IT (POC-IT) is also enabling ways for connecting via Donut as well.

2. Biggest challenge - setting aside time to focus on ‘bigger picture’ goals. 

Sign up for any events that interest you - communities of practice, staff groups, WIT, POC-IT, etc; make it a part of your annual goals/reviews to get accountability

3. Biggest challenge - move to a new area (like from IT to business side) but still maintain your job level. 

Look up your job code/level so you know what type of positions to look for, keep your eye on the job postings to know when those jobs open up, network to make connections with people in other areas 

4. How do others find mentors?

There are some “formal” mentoring programs that you can be part of (UIT has one, there is a WIT/Year Up mentoring program, there is a cross-Business Affairs one)

You can also reach out to someone directly and ask them to be your mentor (there are some great resources for tips on how to to do this)

5. For people who have been here awhile, what was your biggest career “leap”? How did it happen?

Connections! It’s important to reach out, make connections, follow the path that interests you most.  Reputation is key. Empathy and humility helps tremendously.  Just stay connected.

My job moves between units and between functions have all been based on relationships that I had made, and showing that I could do the role even though it was a stretch for me

6. How to grow within a relatively flat hierarchy structure?

I have heard of other teams using Salesforce and would be curious to learn more about them and possibly move/grow into one of these roles in the future. ADAPT will not be around forever and I want to set myself up for a long, successful career at Stanford. -Kseniya Kupri  

GSB-Digital Solutions does a lot of work to support Salesforce applications.

7. How much of a role does networking play in internal moves? 

8. Have you found your supervisors supportive of moves? How do you explore new positions without alienating current coworkers?

Yes - emphasize what you are looking for, how you want to grow

9. How to rehabilitate a less-than-ideal reputation

Honesty, over communicate, your trials can be your testimony - talk about your challenges and what you learned from them;

Speak up, participate in events, let people get to know you and your work

10. Move from technical to management while working remotely.

If you have navigated to a new position at Stanford (lateral or moving up), are you willing to share your experience, tips, and strategies? If so, enter your information below. 

• Open invitation to reach out to the people listed below if you have questions or want to talk to them about their experience
• See the Word doc or Google doc notes for this content

Links to resources:

• STLP - https://itcommunity.stanford.edu/programs/leadership/stlp STLP - Stanford Technology Leadership Program 
• EDP - https://itcommunity.stanford.edu/edp Stanford IT Experiential Development Program
• Communities of Practice - https://cop.stanford.edu/directory Communities of Practice