Are you a manager of one? I read this blog post and thought this was exactly the way I've tried to present myself at previous jobs. My goal has been in an interview to present myself as a competent, efficient worker that doesn't need a manager. In answering interview questions, my goal is to show that I'm self-motivated, and not only do I get things done, I don't take up anyone else's time unnecessarily.
For those of you hiring people, do you want to hire people like this? I'd like to think that you do and you look for people that present themselves as self-motivated. A person's history, the types of problems they've solved, the way others talk about them, show the way that they handle themselves at work and let you know if they're this type of person.
I'd even argue that the way a person blogs can show if they are able to manage themselves. And if they make up entries on their blog, my feeling is that the interview will feel disjointed, as if you are talking to a different person. As you get them to talk about their past experiences at work, or of their projects, the information will support what they wrote, or it won't. If it doesn’t, I'm not sure I'd hire the person.
If you don't present the image of a self-starter, or you're not a self-starter, then perhaps you ought to think about moving yourself in that direction. Look to be proactive, look to better manage your time, and be more efficient. My feeling is that most managers don't want to take on an employee that is high maintenance and eats up their time. And with the world becoming more and more connected, I can see stories getting out about problem people more and more.
Do yourself a favor and work towards becoming a manager of one. I think it will help your career.
Steve Jones
The Voice of the DBA Podcasts
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