•  "Working on 2.0'ing EMC."
•  "Building community and connections, aimed to better connect the people with the strategy."
•  "Furthering the employment brand, and the EMC culture."

Why?

• "Because people who feel engaged, respected, and connected build better relationships with customers and prospects, ... which furthers profit, revenue and shareholder value."
• "How can people salute the flag, if they don't even know the colors of the flag? (aka: How can we expect new employees, or acquired companies, to have loyalty or passion for the company and its mission, if they don't yet know the culture, and what is important to us as a company?"

With certain people I've known for a long time, especially those who see me still as the Investor Relations VP, I might also toss in this reply:

• "I feel as though I'm helping to make EMC a better place."  When I say this, I have in my mind "little" things that I've been involved with ... things that can mean a lot to the people of the company, and things that I believe our Founder would smile upon if he were still here.

Today I wrote a comment on a blog about "Personal Brand and the Humanization of the Corporate Brand," by Shel Israel.  His thoughts echo my own.  I then started to wonder about people arriving at this blog for the first time. Would they know what I found to be important? 

When doing a quick read of recent posts, perhaps I have been too subtle. The highlights tell a story, I hope, that ties to a transformation afoot -- one that truly values people in the workforce, and one that results in a better company for all concerned. 

Highlights from several of posts are below, starting with what might be a good umbrella post for the rest -- written on June 24th:

Culture Contrast: Harnessing the Power of People -- thoughts on the shift taking place today, and the power that can be gained for business when people are treated like adults and the environment is tweaked a bit so that they can willingly DO, and BE more. June 24th.

Culture and Innovation  --  the inverted pyramid, the shift away from command and control, and some of the benefits to be expected for both the people of a company, and the company itself. October 13th.

Work is Getting Personal -- people being people, at every level of the company, helping one another. Oct 9th.

Information to the Brain -- people connecting with one another, including on social platforms, is becoming a major factor in driving business results. This blog features some recent articles/books/happenings which with more insight on the science behind this. Oct 7th.

Learning, Innovation and Career Choices -- innovation case studies are buried in this folksy post, outlining the huge benefit to the business when people are engaged-- in this case, global voluntary innovation. Sept 30th.

EMC HR says "Yes" to doing Personal Business at Work -- executives/companies are realizing that the walls are blurring between work and home and that it no longer makes sense to try to keep people from being their own person (in addition to being an employee) while at work.Sept 24

What's New? -- consumerism, personal brands, diverse professionals as true friends, and the now humorous look on how the command & control model got started in business. Sept 17

Facebook can be an asset -- rethinking the "personal network" of Facebook to actually being an asset in "match making" of person and opportunity. Sept 10th

 Does an MBA Matter ... plus the next 6, "get a job and career tip" posts  -- a series providing tips to people if they, or someone they know is looking for a job, leveraging the insights of EMC's recruiters.  July 20th through  Sept 10th

It isn't the smart idea, it is the addition of passion and connection that bring success -- evidence of people connecting with one another in unexpected and wonderful ways, facilitating an atmosphere for future success.

Initiative, Passion and Cultural Evolution; We Run EMC -- EMCers at every level coming up with ideas and driving the business, and connections, forward.  July 8, July 10

Themes in my blog tend to come in story form. It is my hope that by reading the blog, you get introduced to some of the latest thoughts relative to the blog's banner title:  "Building and Branding Careers, Culture and Cool."  In the case of 2009, "cool" often relates to the impact of 2.0 business behavior models!

----------------------- Talk Back ---------------------

Does it make sense?

Do you see business value in this work?

-- Polly Pearson
http://www.pollypearson.com

Business people, journalists and professors are suddenly eager to discuss -- for real -- "Employees" as "People."  And I'm not talking about HR-focused execs.  It is happening with, and among the BUSINESS LEADERS.  You know, those folks who care about the sale, the customers, the EPS, the share price, and about public image. 

Why do I think this?

Well, I couldn't help but notice the media, consultant, talent search, and author interest which continues to grow like snow on a windshield on a winter New England day. (Sorry about the analogy. It is getting really cold around here lately!)

Here are a few examples of some of the coverage on the work I get involved with at EMC in the realm of Employment Branding and use of Social Media / Web 2.0 behaviors and tools over the last few weeks:

*** EMC's Employment Branding Work has been featured in the following *****

Harvard Business Review and Bloomberg C-Suite:
    How EMC Maintained Morale While Cutting Costs

North Carolina State MBA Class Case Study:
    Polly Pearson Showcases EMC Social Media

FORTUNE.com, CNN Money.com:
    Watch Out LinkedIn, Facebook is Gaining on You

Human Resource Executive:
    Measuring the Value of Web 2.0

GravitySummit at Harvard University:
    EMC Case Study on Employment Branding and Social Media

**********************************

The year kicked off with a feature of EMC's work in this area in the January, 2009 book Closing the Engagement Gap, "How Great Companies Unlock Employee Potential for Superior Results."

At EMC, we have in NO WAY mastered this subject. It seems we're doing something noteworthy, however. And, clearly, the C-suite is interested!

---------------- Talk Back --------------

Have you had a tipping point encounter on this subject?

- Polly Pearson
http://www.pollypearson.com
http://twitter.com/pollypearson
http://twitter.com/emccareers

Have you ever answered a few career-oriented questions, told a few career-oriented stories, and wondered what the audience got out of it, if anything at all?

Following is an excerpt from an email of thanks I received from one of the attendees of today's event. It recaps her take aways.

• Move around to grow your network
• The great way to grow your career is to do the job, volunteer to help others, and build relationships
• Use, read and respond to postings on EMC|One (our internal collaboration network)
• Ask for what you want from your manager - ask for the job, they aren't mind readers
• Earn your seat at every table - don't be shy, share your ideas and be passionate
• Ask your manager for their goal list, and help them accomplish their goals
• When you need help from a friend or mentor on something important to you, don’t include them on the email but instead talk to them on the side
• Characteristics that managers look for: No whining, Getting things done, Positive attitude, Proposed solutions.

I loved to see that so many people came to today's Lunch & Learn -- and that they represented so many functions at EMC.  People joined from sales, engineering, alliances, marketing, and more. Humbling. (Thank you.)

Yesterday, EMC held our Speed Coaching event (sort of like Speed Dating, but on career coaching.)  I was delayed and didn't end up coaching -- but I did check out the room. It was like a beehive on a concert sound system. The place was packed (and obviously buzzing!)  I ran into EMC's Distinguished Engineer, Steve Todd, afterward.  He was glowing and said it was the most fun he'd had all week.  I asked him was his career tip was. His reply?

"You know, my usual.  Get your job done well and early, and then do whatever you like." (Said with a giant smile, and a nodding head.)

---------------------- Talk Back -----------------------

If you happened to be in the room for today's Lunch & Learn or yesterday's Speed Coaching, what tips struck a note with you?  Please share. Spread the wisdom.

Thanks!

- Polly Pearson
http://www.pollypearson.com

[PHOTO:  Three of EMC's tech elite Distinguished Engineers. Helen Raizen, Peter Madany, Dan Cobb. Taken during the Innovation Conference by talented EMCer, David Elmes.]

If that wasn't intimidating enough, I was asked to present.  It was all fine and good until the morning of the event when I told my 8th grader why I was rushing off so early. "My goodness," I thought to myself, "what have I done?!"

In my last blog, I shared a bit of what I discussed. The fun part of the presentation, for me, was when others joined me on the stage to share a story of something they witnessed at the company by way of an innovation. I asked them to highlight the ingredients that came after someone having "a great idea" -- the "Passion" and working toward "Success" parts.

Sometimes you have to be a bit of a Pest

The first story to be shared came from a non-engineer, Tom Broderick, a Director at EMC, involved with Business strategy and our global Centers of Excellence. His story was about a radically new pricing strategy for EMC in 2003 (think depth of recession.)  He said the team presenting this idea was shot down 2 or 3 times by the executive committee at the company. Each time, they tweaked the plan, build their network of supporters, and essentially, refused to give up. Their conviction, passion, and yes, smart work sold the strategy.  The result? It transformed the industry pricing model and, looking at EMC's dramatic rise in revenue from 2003 - 2008 (roughly $6 billion to $15 Billion!), I'd say it had an impact on the company, too.

Sometimes you have to be Master Networker

The second story to be shared came from EMC technology strategist, Barry Burke.  He couldn't list just one innovation idea he witnessed. He recited a long list of mainstream products at EMC which would never would have seen the light of day had it not been for .... "the idea generator forgetting it was his/her idea and making it the idea and passion of others."  He said it was the network of believers that drove those ideas over the finish line and into the giant product success circle that they live in today.

Sometimes you have to put yourself out on a limb in the interest of making it great

A third story came from an engineer/manager, Dave Spencer, about a work in process.  He told of an engineering team working on a stealth product. One of the members of the team suspected that something wasn't quite right and could be better.  He confided in a senior member of an engineering team not associated the project.  This senior person had a full plate, and was on an aggressive schedule managing another product release. But, in true EMC fashion, he listened, thought about it, and he, too, suspected there could be a better way.  Tireless work began to unfold in parallel. The work is still in play. We don't know how it will end.  One definition of success for sure is the opinion of the senior engineer. He said he hasn't had this much fun at work in years!!

---------- Oh that Feeling When Someone Connects -------

A highlight for me was when a senior engineer and finalist of the global innovation idea contest quoted my presentation during he panel he sat on.  He said we need more of the culture I discussed -- one filled with passion and connections. As a global and wide-reaching company it is more important than ever that we support one another, know what one another is working on to move FASTER!  He also pointed to the opportunity to eliminate waste from projects that get done, that others don't know about and ultimately get under-utilized.

----------------------- A surprise! -----------------------

Another highlight was meeting EMCer David Elmes, who works in API support for our eRoom product.  He told me he was an English major and we started talking about EMC ONE, our internal collaboration network, and how we found some photographers there recently. Ends up he, too, is a professional photographer. He asked if he could take some photos.  Ends up, he took the one at the top of this blog and many more amazing shots. He took this one of me too ...

An amazing day.  Lots of connections and inspiration, and family building.  At the cocktail hour that followed the day there was even more!

... Check out Stu Miniman's blog for a great recap and a video of the conversations at the bar!

------------------- Talk Back ---------------------------

Personal connections, uber smart people/engineers.  Do they mix?

Is more needed, or is everything just fine thank you?

My message will be on the inversion of the command & control pyramid. The upside down version, if you will, invites ideas and interaction from every member of the company community to join with those at generated at the classic "top" of the company.

In a word, we all get "More."

More insights

More ideas

More context

More bullet-proofing

More engagement

More people "working for the cause"

More passion

More fun

More results!!

I recall the wisdom of EMC's founding father, Dick Egan, in what today we consider the essential ingredients of our culture:  Innovation, Passion and Success.

Dick used to "try to look beyond" the fact that some people had a ton of degrees or expressed expertise in a particular area.  His belief that if people were smart and passionate and delivered results, THEN they were worthy.  Often times, if a person was "only" smart, or "only" offered expertise in a particular area, it wasn't enough.  At the pace of a business like this, you need smart people who can adapt on a dime and always be on the look out for a break-through way to make things happen.  And that STILL wasn't enough.  You needed people who had the passion to MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Example: back in the early days of the 1990s, Dick set a goal of beating IBM in the IBM mainframe storage market.  This was a CRAZY idea!  They called it the "IBM Mainframe Storage Market" because IBM invented it, and owned more than 80% market share.  When Dick came up with this idea, paired with an innovation that stood a fraction of a chance, his PASSION for the goal came in spades.  His passion led the motivation of the entire workforce.  We worked non-stop and celebrated every hair-brained idea, and every sale we came up with to make it happen.  In less than 5 years, little no-name EMC beat IBM. They've been in our rear view mirror ever since in that market (and then some!)

And that's just one example.It was my first one and I lived it intimately.  It forever changed my professional life and my vision of what success could look and feel like.

Today, EMC is moving rapidly toward to the Inverted Pyramid, the one where everyone can have an idea, be passionate about it and facilitate success.  We are transitioning from the world of one spiritual leader/mentor/motivator in a company to Many -- all joined by community, customers, and a common goal. This is our 2009 Pyramid, reflective of the faces behind the best ideas from the more than 1,400 submitted by EMCers in 19 countries this past few months.

Employees Now Setting the Agenda with Execs in Coaching Forums

Two cool things just happened.

I was just briefed on an event where the organizers are ditching the usual podium speech, where one exec (or "expert") feels like the celebrity, and shares what s/he believes is good information -- leaving, as these types of presentations generally do, the audience to consider how one or more of these information nuggets might help their particular situation.

In this use case, I love that the organizers are turning the tables in favor of giving celebrity-level love to the individual people in the audience.  VALUE!

What's the event?  A "personal," 1x1 speed coaching program, designed by the people of EMC, for the people of EMC. It will take place later this month in multiple US locations. It has full executive sponsorship and participation. All the people had to do to get it done was to ask.

What will it be like?

Envision 50 people getting personally-relevant coaching from multiple company executives in a spirited "speed dating" format. That is, in about an hour, these 50 individual employees be able to ask their questions, of importance to their particular goals or situation, in one-on-one fashion to three different execs. Chances are, these people would not have had the opportunity, or the personal comfort level, to ask such questions of these execs in the course of their normal business routine.

Who put this together? The people in EMC's Black Employee Affinity Group. Those at EMC can learn more and register for the event here.

But Wait! There's More!

They're even going to leverage EMC's internal collaboration network, EMC|ONE to document the event, share tips, take aways, and provide a repeatable "kit" so that the event's model could be replicated anywhere in the world by any person who chooses to put it together.

TWO:

I just got an invite in my mailbox that, once again, puts the people of the company in the drivers seat in a very personal way.

A group of people in EMC's marketing group (graduates of EMC's college hire "Marketing Leadership Development Program") decided to launch a "Lunch & Learn" series with EMC executives.  They limit the amount of the people in the room to just those who can comfortably sit around a conference room table.  They invite execs in to share their story, and to take questions from the other folks in the room, with a focus on the person and the personal. No Powerpoint. No product, organizational, or other real-time business content required. The focus is on the person, their careers, and knowledge exchange of relevance to the particular people in the room on that day.

Yeah, but what executives do the people get to have lunch with?  A pretty good variety of folks, if you asked me. The invite that was just sent out has

 

[Photos:  Brian, Art, Rich, Polly]

• a division President (of our uber-cool Security biz, RSA): Art Coviello
• two senior vice presidents in engineering who oversee the innovation within multi-billion dollar product lines, Brian Gallagher and Rich Napolitano
• and me

Those who work at EMC, can connect with the Lunch & Learn program, sign up for these events and be in the know about future L&L's here.

Revolutionary?  No. Personal, yes. Cool, I think so. 

Both events leverage EMC's internal collaboration network, and enable those who attended to share stories and insights relevant to their personal worlds. 

------------------------Talk Back----------------------------

Are you getting personal career attention?

Are you thinking of ways to make that happen?

Career Growth and Development is always at, or near the top of the chart on desired factors by employees. In times of recession, employee views of career development tend to go down (or plummet!). I thought these were to interesting, free, and relatively easy ideas to put in play that can really be of value to the people. Everyone could use more love and attention, especially in times like these!

- Polly Pearson
http://www.pollypearson.com
http://twitter.com/pollypearson
http://twitter.com/emccareers
http://www.emcfacebook.com

What has stood out in the last week or so?

Articles that focus on speeding information into brains, on connecting, on unleashing human power.

PEOPLE CONNECTION for BUSINESS:  New Research on Happiness and Social Networks, as found on WIRED in this featured article, "The Buddy System: How Medical Data Revealed Secret to Health & Happiness."

Sidebar: It was fun reading that this discovery was based on data gathered from people in a town just down the road from my house. I read this feature while sitting in my new gazebo (aka my second house) on a Sunday afternoon, amidst the sounds of nature.

[Illustration: Crop of WIRED's feature article on Happiness and Social Networks]

PEOPLE CONNECTING FOR BUSINESS: The modern thoughts on management models for business success by Gary Hamel as found in the Tweetstream coming out of the World Business Forum today. Here's an example of some of his thoughts (which I share), found in this FastCompany post, "HAMEL: Time for Management 2.0."

Sidebar:   I found this as I wanted to stay up on a big day for two EMCers who were invited to be official bloggers at the World Business Forum, @SteveTodd and @Stu.

[PHOTO: EMC Distinguished Engineer Steve Todd and Chief Technologist Stuart Miniman have some fun on stage at Radio City Hall while blogging on behalf of the World Business Forum]

PEOPLE CONNECTION FOR BUSINESS:  A book on science, leadership, the practice of management, and building a connection culture to elevate business performance.  "Fired Up or Burned Out" by Michael Stallard.

Sidebar:  I read this on a train to NYC this week. (I had my blackberry going and this book open, reading both at the same time. Every time there was a delay retrieving a web  page on my mobile, I'd get in another few pages in on this great book.  Made for smooth, latency-free brain food!) Michael kindly gave me this book months ago. I'm kicking myself for not reading it sooner!!

CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE FOR BUSINESS:  New Research is out on how the brain works and how to have better Powerpoint connections to connect with audiences. The info is covered in this terrific post, "New evidence bullet-points don't work" on the blog, "Speaking about Presenting."

Sidebar:  I read this while looking at what has become my micro-RSS feed -- a Twitter column of my favorite thinkers.  This article was shared by an EMCer who lives in the field of technical education, and studies human behavior (that's you @GMinks).

CONNECTING WITH PEOPLE FOR BUSINESS:  Odd coincidence, I found this CIO Magazine article, "Q&A feature with the author of 'Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs,'" on Steve's art in connecting with audiences today as well.  

Sidebar:  Found this one when viewing the thought leadership quotes coming out of the World Business Forum. One of the people covering the event, had sent this article as well.

----------------------- Talk Back -------------------

What have you found interesting of late?

Adding more to my theme, today I interviewed Pat Gelsinger, EMC's new President, and asked him what he has read recently which stood out for him.  He replied with the now famed book on connecting with people in how we communicate, "Made to Stick."

- Polly Pearson
http://www.pollypearson.com
http://twitter.com/pollypearson
http://twitter.com/emccareers
http://www.emcfacebook.com

(It was in a meeting with Burt back in early 2007 when we were planning our first Idea Contest and Innovation Conference that the light bulb went on my head on the power of Web 2.0 collaboration. My professional life hasn't been the same since.)

As we were going over the design of the 2009 Conference, Burt talked about how the size of EMC as a company is perfect for learning and application of knowledge.  Really? I hadn't considered that. 

He compared a company of our scale to a smaller company, where he used to spend his days.  "Everyone there knows the same things," he said.  He compared our company to a much larger entity, and said something along the lines of "That company is so massive, it would be miraculous if an internal collaboration network like our own could come off the ground. Ideas and people get lost."

 Here, he tells the story through the lens of our innovation project at hand:  (turn up your system's volume, please. My error.)

Juicy stuff.  The type of thing, now that I think about it, that Steve Todd often writes about over on The Information Playground  and in his new book, Innovate with Influence.  Steve compares every new EMC invention and every new acquisition as a type of toy he gets to think about relative to what is in his toy box. What if he mixed this with that? Could that combination solve a customer problem in a new and needed way?  I get that. I just never thought of it relative to the "have nots" or "have too much" companies of the world.

Career Choices and The Toy Box

It made me think of a conversation I had over the weekend with a friend, and former EMCer. He's at  another company now. It has about 100 employees.  This former EMCer's body language slumped visibly when he told me about all the collaboration they don't do, in part, because the company is so small. Everyone knows each other, and yet at the same time, they fear sharing. It is run in a total command and control manner. New ideas need not apply.

Can you imagine having a large toy box filled with diverse ideas to play with, and then having just one toy, one idea, one color, to tinker with, all inside of a box that someone else defined?

--------------------- Talk Back ---------------------

What is your experience in innovating, learning and company size?

I thought Burt's words, and the former EMCer's words were compelling relative to the EMC experience and triangulated well with the many interviews I have done with people where I asked them, "What is inspiring or compelling about working at EMC?"  The most common answer is this: "At EMC, I get to innovate (or solve problems) every day."  THAT is what people mean when they call EMCers "Intrapreneurs."  Love that.

- Polly Pearson
http://www.pollypearson.com
http://twitter.com/pollypearson
http://twitter.com/emccareers
http://www.emcfacebook.com

(He made the mistake of noticing the flipcam I brought with me to his office, which prompted me to turn it on to share some of his gems with you.)

Here's a bit of what he had to say. He covered career decisions, compensation, company culture, and touched on a sore spot for many execs:  doing personal business on company time. All in 1 minute and 28 seconds.  Check it out! 

VIDEO:  Jack Mollen, EMC EVP of HR and thought leader on Web 2.0 behavior models at work.

Jack actually has a lot of views that the old guard might find surprising. Take LinkedIn for example. I nearly stopped cold the first time I heard his view on this subject a few years ago:  Forget about banning LinkedIn on the office network! He thinks employees should be on LinkedIn.

Why on Earth would a head of HR say that?

To paraphrase, he believes that given the pace of the world today, there will be times in your career where you out-grow your company, or your company out-grows you. In learning cultures within dynamic industries in particular, needed skill sets evolve with every strategy evolution. Not everyone will be able to keep the pace.  His heart breaks for people who find themselves in that situation having no contacts or connections to the world outside. In addition, he recognizes that it helps his company's brand by having you, and your expertise be known and found by others. Not everyone poking around in LinkedIn is a recruiter.  

Your Portable, Living, Business Rolodex

Stated simply, LinkedIn isn't just for job search anymore. I see it as your portable, living, business rolodex that enables you to find your professional contacts now and forever in the future, and enables others to find you.  Those in the know are also using it as a way to get expert advice on any question imaginable, or to further their reputation as an authority on a given subject. You never know what doors could open up -- for your company and for yourself -- by being found on such a gold mine of networked professionals.

PHOTO: Lindsey Pollak, a Career-focused Networking Author, Speaker, and LinkedIn Pro

A real expert on LinkedIn is my friend, GenY guru & author, Lindsey Pollak. LinkedIn even hired her to teach others how to use it. If you're interested in investing 1 hour in your career to learn the latest, check out this free library of webcasts, where she walks you through it. Please share any tips that spoke to you in the comment section of this post. (Thanks!)

-------------------- Talk Back -------------------

What do you think?  

Should your manager see this?!

- Polly Pearson
http://www.pollypearson.com
http://twitter.com/pollypearson
http://twitter.com/emccareers
http://www.emcfacebook.com

TelePresence

Had my second TelePresence virtual meeting this morning with a group of CIOs on a tour of companies in Ireland. They were at EMC's operations in Cork, meeting with people there, and easily changed gear to meet "live" with a few of us in Hopkinton. Boy, was that easy. When I first got the invite from our Country Manager in Cork inviting me to present our Web 2.0 transformation to this group, I immediately thought of international travel. Drag. Cost. Time. Airports, and all that.

The CIOs, btw, were really interested in consumerism inside of an enterprise. They had lots of questions of EMC's plan to treat PCs similar to mobile devices -- allowing users more freedom to use the device they wish. 

John Chambers was my First.

Photo: a screen shot of my flip cam library, showing a few of the clips I took during the meeting at Cisco. 

I did my first TelePresence (TP) meeting last week with John Chambers, CEO of Cisco, and a group of communication pros from FORTUNE 200 companies at Cisco's NYC offices last week. I loved his story about telling his engineers, on seeing the prototype for TP, that he wanted to "be like Scotty on Star Trek" during TP virtual meetings.  Do a TP meeting, you'll see what he means!

After hearing the state-of-the state of 2.0'ness among these companies, I was really proud of where EMC is in this journey.

Connections and Development

I did a little bit of a time investment in my own professional development by going to a boot camp for Board of Directors, put on by the most networked person I know. It was interesting, even at this session run by people who started their professional careers a long time ago, how many times the phrase "personal brand" came up. As a CEO who joined us said, "When we're interviewing Board candidates, we're going to give you a brand. A nick name that categorizes you in some way." The lesson of course was to define what we want that brand to be before the interview. It will help people place you into opportunities and help make sure you will be differentiated in the process. Sound familiar?

The Train

Trains are not new or sexy, and they are totally under-rated in my book. I've been on the train between Boston and NYC a few times recently and it is simply the way to go. Easy. Fast. Civilized. Not cramped. Inexpensive. Not smelly. Friendly. Easy to Work. When work is done, wine.

Recession-Fab Hotel

Since the near-travel-ban took effect last year, every time I travel, I try to go in a recession-friendly way. I've taken to staying with friends over hotels. This week was no different. As a result, I had great catch up time with a friend and got to see a part of her life I never would have seen. Which, btw, was a fabulous 2-story apt near the park in the upper West side decorated in white --  evidence that no kids or pets live there!

On the Bookshelf

An EMCer some time back gave me the book "Essential Drucker, the Best of Sixty Years of Peter Drucker's Essential Writings on Management."  Read this on my train ride home. Amid this transformation toward new organizational models, it was interesting to read how the practice of management started. Net: the practice is less than 150 years old, and was modeled after the command-and-control norm of the army. Of course, the army at the time was comprised of people with educational levels that pale in comparison to today's norm.  EMC's Stu Miniman shared this article with me today by Gary Hamel on a new management view. Nice! Love the last line, especially.

------------ Talk Back ----------

What's new with you? 

Business dynamics?  

Cost/spend/lifestyle dynamics? 

Management perspectives?

Personal development insights?

- Polly Pearson
http://www.pollypearson.com
http://twitter.com/pollypearson
http://twitter.com/emccareers
http://www.emcfacebook.com

I can hear the advice coming from everyone. It sounds like a nagging mother telling her kids to look both ways before crossing the street.  Yeah, mom, I know. I know.

The nag I hear most about social networks, especially to the college set, is: "Beware. Don't. Watch out."

Google the subject and you'll get links like this one at the top of the list leading with the risks and warnings about participating on social networks and blogging, as they relate to your career prospects. It is a good post, everyone should be aware of the risks. It is a super post in that it also sheds light on opportunities blogging provides ... yet, the take away impression is still "WATCH OUT!"

Trend spotting: Facebook is the friend of Job Search!

Two days ago, I clicked on something of interest in my Tweetstream which brought me to a wonderfully insightful blog post which suggested looking at Facebook profiles and updates as a tool that can attract, not detract. Brilliant! It had me at hello. 

Today, I saw this theme again in a piece that Jessica Shambora (@jessshambora) of FORTUNE wrote. Title? "Watch Out LinkedIn, Facebook is gaining on you."  Jessica was kind enough to include me in her article so I can vouch for the fact that she was onto this theme at least dating back to last Tuesday, September 1st, when she interviewed me.

Let the sunshine in!  Yes!, everyone's doom and gloom can also mean a big opportunity!  Blue Ocean, Red Ocean, and all that.

This, I think, is a job tip and a trend spot of the moment.  I did a Twitter Search to find that blog post I read with the breakthrough thought.  Should have known. It was from Guy Kawaski.  Way to go, Guy.

To be fair, the first opportunistic write up I saw on Facebook for job search came from this great experiment and resulting post on job seekers placing ads in Facebook by Willy Franzen on his blog, One Day One Job. Oddly, Willy wrote that one year ago to the week.  

It is early days with this, though an indication of things to come. Good stuff.  Take that naggers. 

-- My kudos to anyone else who may have had this breakthrough thought. Feel free to share a link to your opportunistic take in a comment on this post. --

-------------------------- Talk Back ------------------------

Okay, let me have it. Tell me all the terrible things that happen on Facebook.

Then for those who wish to swim in blue oceans, can you see the opportunity? Can you see the world seeing the genuine you?  That the genuine you will likely be attractive to a company and a culture where there is a genuine fit? What do you see?

And what could be the next opportunity, for people or business, with tools that we dismiss or diminish for certain applications today?

If you want to continue the conversation on what's now and what's next in the realm of careers, culture, cool, and the world of employment branding, feel free to follow me on Twitter and/or subscribe to this blog.

- Polly Pearson
http://www.pollypearson.com
http://twitter.com/pollypearson
http://twitter.com/emccareers
http://www.emcfacebook.com

Honesty is the foundation of any good relationship. Great companies will pay market salary for outstanding candidates. Answering every question directly and honestly will only work to cement that relationship with your recruiter. In addition, most hiring managers require salary information/history before they will consider a candidate.

Net: holding out, or obfuscating the facts will hurt you for the job you apply for, and forever more with that particular recruiter. 

Today's tips come from EMC recruiter, Paul Guidoboni:

1. It is okay to give salary information. Evading the question or not giving an answer is not going to endear you to the recruiter.
   
2. Be honest with everyone you talk to.  Whether it is job experience, education, travel requirements, etc., honesty is always the best policy.
   
3. From the Front Desk to the CEO, be courteous and respectful of everyone you meet. A smile and great attitude always makes a  good impression.
   
4. Follow up on the resume that you sent in to a recruiter; a quick call or email will separate you from the pack.
   
5. Don't get discouraged; finding the right job takes time. Look at every interview as a new opportunity.
   
6. Network, network, network. You never know where the next opportunity is going to come from. The more people you talk to, the more chances you have of finding the right job for you.

Today's tips come from Paul Henneke. His first tip struck a note with me: Volunteering. 

The last time I decided to change companies, career expertise, and look for a new job, the first call I made was to offer my services in a volunteer role in the field in which I wanted to work. 

"Getting the volunteer job" enabled me to maintain full confidence in my search, as I knew I had a place to go, while at the same time, I would be building my skills (and resume) in the right direction.  I wrote more about this experience in one of my first posts, here.

Tips from Paul Henneke on how to prepare yourself by engaging and connecting:

Volunteer - Look to non profits, schools, etc, to put your skill set to use. This will show prospective employers your passion for your area of expertise, and on a personal side, will show prospective employers you are interested in the community. Also, many corporations have volunteer or support organizations, providing a great opportunity to network. I know of several candidates that were hired by the organization, or from a supporting organization, as a result of volunteering.

Join networking groups in your area - Check out clubs, Yahoo groups, and religious organizations. They may have networking groups that meet regularly. They present good opportunities to network, and often recruiters speak at these groups.

LinkedIn - Connect to as many former co-workers, peers, and supervisors as possible. Join LinkedIn groups, as most have job sites that recruiters are using to post positions. Join LinkedIn discussion forums, and get on the radar of others by offering answers to questions in your realm of expertise.

Continuing education - Keep current, take on-line courses, attend seminars, events, etc. Not only will this help your professional development, but you will expand your network. When recruiters call, and ask, "so what have you been doing since you left XYZ company," you can talk with confidence about your new learnings.

Take a drive - You know the top companies in your area, by reputation or by the "big" corporate campus. But what about the companies with smaller sites? Drive around the local business parks, or drop in to a large office building and see what companies have an office there. Then check out their corporate sites, looking for what function that office handles.  Is it a sales office?  Does it have a full suite of job functions? Do some digging on the web.

Thanks Paul!  For those interested in volunteering, it has never been easier.  Check out this awesome new on-line resource, Urban Interns, to search for "intern" job opportunities by industry, task, schedule and education required.  Positions listed are just in New York today, but this resource will soon be coming to more cities, such as Boston.

------------- Talk Back ----------------

Have you had positive experiences with any of these tips?

Care to share a tip of your own? 

Note, you can search EMC's job openings by just about any parameter at this cool new site: http://www.emc-careers.com.

- Polly Pearson
http://www.pollypearson.com
http://twitter.com/pollypearson
http://twitter.com/emccareers
http://www.emcfacebook.com 

Paul's Current Openings:

Senior Storage Dev - NDMP - NetWorker Products, Santa Clara, Calif; Req 44248

Consultant Storage Dev - C/Java - Avamar, Southborough, MA; Req 42405

Senior UI Engineer/Designer - NetWorker Products, Santa Clara, Calif; Reg 44249

Consultant SW Engineer, Cloud Dev - NetWorker CTO group, Santa Clara, Cali; Req 42621

Principal SW Engineer, Client Service - Avamar, Irvine, CA; Req 42622

Preparing for a Job Interview

Today's tip comes from Mitch Schneir, a top notch recruiter within EMC's RSA Security Division.

If you, or a friend, are an engineer looking for a new opportunity, Mitch has some terrific openings right now within our hot security division in San Mateo, RTP North Carolina, and Bedford, Mass. (details below).

For anyone looking for a job, this site is a MUST -- it is a live, easy-search listing of every one of EMC's job openings by category and location.

Note: I am not a recruiter. My interest in sharing these tips is that I think they are topical, can be helpful to others, and if they happen to put EMC on the radar of some amazing talent -- this is goodness too! Everyone should be in the business of connecting with great talent and I can't help but notice we have a ton of openings.

-------------------- Talk Back ---------------------

What are your best Interview Prep tips?

Have you used LinkedIn or other research tools to get to know your interviewer's work and perspectives, as well as those of the company?

A friend of mine, a VP at a high tech company, loves to tell the story of how she ended up hiring her Operations Director.  As a candidate, the individual researched the VP and discovered she was a member of certain professional groups, as well as passionate soccer player.  As a result, they were able to make some immediate connections. The hiring VP was impressed with the extra effort made and the up-to-date skills this candidate displayed. It helped seal the deal.

- Polly Pearson
http://www.pollypearson.com
http://twitter.com/pollypearson
http://twitter.com/emccareers
http://www.emcfacebook.com

Mitch's current openings:

44466BR – Bedford, MA - Senior Software Engineer, This is a position is great for someone that wants to combined their creative side and technical side.  Here is your opportunity to work on an engineering team developing the GUI front-end for RSA’s  state of the art product “Authentication Manager”

44474BR – RTP, NC – Senior Partner Engineer – Are you a technical person that likes to talk with customers, does your background include software development, implantation, training, and/or technical support. If you said yes then check out this opportunity it could be the next step in your career

44159BR – San Mateo, CA – Manager, Software Engineering –
44150BR – San Mateo, CA – Senior Software Engineer -
Here the chance to work on one of the hottest product in the security industry today, DLP (Data Loss Prevention) the most important component to DLP is identifying what documents would be considered sensitive versus non-sensitive. Come join our team of experts in building different automated categorization technologies to achieve the highest rates of accuracy.  ]]> Career Advice polly pearson Fri, 31 Jul 2009 12:24:39 -0400 http://www.pollypearson.com/main/2009/07/the-career-get-a-job-tip-series-post-3-interview-prep.html http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pollypearsonblog/~3/MKkSx81XfeU/the-career-and-get-a-job-tip-series-post-2-the-interview.html http://www.pollypearson.com/main/2009/07/the-career-and-get-a-job-tip-series-post-2-the-interview.html I recently sent a note out to our recruiting organization asking them for their top tips for job seekers. Seriously, how many people know how job search works these days? In this market, with modern day tools, etc. etc. Reading through their tips is fascinating! I'll share the ones that struck a cord with me -- followed by the Recruiting Management's Team Top 5 Picks. Today, I'll share the tip that EMC Recruiter Mark Walsh provided on "The Interview." I loved this tip because it works for people moving around inside a company as well as those on the outside. It should help you understand the "real deal" on the job, as well as avoid that terrible moment I've seen too many times when the candidate doesn't seem to have questions to ask the interviewer. What do you say on the Interview? Mark Walsh's "Road map for Success" Tips: As soon as possible in an interview with EACH person ask, "What is your idea of what the job is?" Right after question 1, follow up with, "What skills are needed both technically and personally for someone to be successful in this position? " Third question, to set up the interview... I recently sent a note out to our recruiting organization asking them for their top tips for job seekers. 

Seriously, how many people know how job search works these days?  In this market, with modern day tools, etc. etc.

Reading through their tips is fascinating!

I'll share the ones that struck a cord with me -- followed by the Recruiting Management's Team Top 5 Picks.

Today, I'll share the tip that EMC Recruiter Mark Walsh provided on "The Interview." I loved this tip because it works for people moving around inside a company as well as those on the outside.  It should help you understand the "real deal" on the job, as well as avoid that terrible moment I've seen too many times when the candidate doesn't seem to have questions to ask the interviewer.

What do you say on the Interview?
Mark Walsh's "Road map for Success" Tips:

• As soon as possible in an interview with EACH person ask, "What is your idea of what the job is?"  
  
  
• Right after question 1, follow up with, "What skills are needed both technically and personally for someone to be successful in this position? "   

• Third question, to set up the interview for success, "What have you seen in candidates that you like and what have you disliked?" 

According to Mark, "This gives a road map for success in the interview - gives the view of the job - what is needed to be successful - then what to stay away from."  He said the questions have evolved over his 20 years of recruiting, and that many people have told him they wished they had these tips earlier in their careers.

By the way, Mark is currently looking to fill a Technical Marketing Manager position in Cambridge (#37012BR). You can search for more information about this job, and all of EMC's current openings here.

------------- Talk Back ----------------

What do you think of these tips?

I loved this guidance because most job openings I've been involved with generally come with not fully-defined elements.  Questions like this can let you know how clear the organization is (or isn't) on the actual job. It can indicate if the manager has his/her act together and that, if you get hired, you would be left to figure everything out, or be set up for success.

Don't get me wrong, I love ill-defined jobs (all the better to shape them myself!). I just like knowing that the job is ill-defined before I show up.

I also love these questions because they follow a strategy I like to use with marketing.  Simply, "find out what the target market wants, and work to give them that."  It helps ensure you meet the mark.

- Polly Pearson
http://www.pollypearson.com
http://twitter.com/pollypearson
http://twitter.com/emccareers
http://www.emcfacebook.com

My goal was to provide them one or two gems that might help them in their careers -- and help them get a job once they graduate from college.

To put their current opportunity in context, I shared that only about 20% of college grads this year got jobs after graduation.  Of all the people that applied for a summer internship position at EMC's headquarter campus, only 5% got in. 

I'll share my tips with you -- but first, let me share Rachel's.  Rachel managed to be one of the 20% of grads to land a job this year. And, she also managed to get into EMC's ultra elite Marketing Leadership Development Program.  She sent me these tips this afternoon saying that her job search experience is still so fresh in her mind, she thought these tips might help someone else out.

The answer, delivered by an EVP, made me smile -- as it supported my own observations.

The answer was, "We don't get hung up on MBAs or other such trappings here."

How Did I Miss This?

This afternoon, when checking out some new employee story videos added to the EMC Careers section on EMC.com, I noticed a very special new one I've managed to miss up until now -- View it here.

What a great story! EMC runners from Peru, Italy, Oregon, and more, can be seen sharing their views on a very untold part of EMC ... and at the very end, you see the reason they worked to raise money, train, and then fly themselves into Hopkinton for a 26+ mile run into Boston.  

Here it is again. It will lift your spirits, and show you something a little unexpected. I promise.

You can see why we let people like this run EMC.

PS: Glad to say I had a GREAT run today! 

-------------------- Talk Back -----------------------

Have you pushed yourself lately -- or supported making positive impact in addition to profit?

Some times we all just need a little inspiration to get the motivation. Right?

 - Polly Pearson

http://twitter.com/pollypearson
http://twitter.com/emccareers

http://www.pollypearson.com

C-level blogging and transparent communication
Meeting with our Vice Chairman and head of Global Sales, Bill Teuber, who wants to blaze new communication ground and is ready to personally share -- via blog, vlog and more -- the stories he encounters as EMC stakes its sights on a new level of success.

[Pictured: Bill Teuber on my flipcam.]

Moonwalks & SpongeBob StorageMan
Meeting with two EMC women who took initiative to bring back EMC HQ's "bring your child to work day." They proposed it, creatively figured out how to fund it, designed the event and are now going through the final details to make it great.  Included will be the first ever Jumpy House/Moonwalk in the courtyard at EMC's headquarter building and a Sponge Bob Square Pants-like character depicting our CLARiiON product.

[Pictured: Moonwalk, SpongeStorageMan, EMC Courtyard at HQ (in a storm.)]

Art Showing & Sale outside the Board Room
Spending ten minutes at a Gallery Showing of art for sale by local artists -- located right outside my office in a hallway leading to the Board Room.  (I want to buy 3 of them!) This excellent showing, the second of its kind, came from a man who creates graphics for our execs by day. He had the idea for such a showing by local artists, and made it happen. (Kudos Chuck!).

[Pictured: The Gallery Guide & The Gallery]

Achieving victory in a Roadblock-filled Deal
Seeing the agreement for a certain hot asset to join EMC. There were many moments in this deal's history where a company could have thrown in the towel. Not this place.

Oh, yeah, and a Tornado!

Excerpt from WBZ: At 3:10 pm, the National Weather Service Doppler Radar indicated a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado near Hopkinton or 7 miles northwest of Milford moving southeast at 15 mph some locations in the warning include Holliston and Hopkinton.
 

----------------- Talk Back ---------------

How was your day?

How is your culture?

What I find enjoyable about EMC's is that it is consistently full of passion and initiative -- yet is also always evolving. It is not the same company from year-to-year -- and yet it is.

It reeked of old world thinking to me. I truly hope it isn't true ... because up until reading this I've had a secret professional crush on Steve Jobs. Let's face it, he's charming and the products his vision and his team create either make you smile, or woo you with their beauty.

But wow.

Contrast the "lock it down, speak nothing, tweet nothing" culture, as depicted in this article, with what EMC has going on.

While we take confidentiality seriously, we're also moving at warp speed to the model that leverages more connections, more collaboration, more sharing, and everything else 2.0.  (Kudos to EMC leaders like Board Member, Jack Egan; Division President, Mark Lewis; HR EVP, Jack Mollen; and CTO, Jeff Nick; Marketing VP & CTO Chuck Hollis; and the influence of folks who joined us from RSA Security like Dr. Burt Kaliski, for "getting this" early on and encouraging EMC to learn new skills to unlock the business magic within 2.0 management and behavior models.)

The evolved EMC culture is a mecca for empowered Intrapreneurs, for people who like to be treated like adults, who enjoy the riches of connections and collaboration, and who have an abundance of gifts to share which, when harnessed, can fast-forward growth of nifty things like revenue, profit, markets, market share, brands, life-saving efforts, market value, awards, and customer appreciation of game-changing strategies.

Earlier today, I wrote a comment on another blog which discussed how one might position the value of a 2.0 model to companies looking for ROI.  My reply is intimately related to this discussion of workplace cultures -- and the business value of that culture model decision. It follows.

*********************************

"Yesterday I presented my thoughts on the next wave of social media to an audience of business leaders for the TARA Exchange. I found myself using the analogy of a Triangle to show the value.

Imagine the top of the triangle as the "normal" top down driven way of getting information out and engaging audiences.  This is the typical command-and-control world.

Now look at the relative size of the bottom of the triangle.  Consider the backdrop of today's global business world where things change in a flash, and companies are looking for "strategic agility" to get growth, growth and more growth.

Would you like to have just the precious few engaging the world with your mission -- the top?  Or everybody? Will “just the top” get you there fast enough?

• Entrust your people. (99% will do the right thing; they really do want to help your business rather than hurt it.)

• Allow them to practice these new skills.  (Try an internal social network first. Ensure that the environment is supportive, and people understand that mistakes will happen – this is good. This is the place to learn. Encourage peer mentors in these new skills.)

• Provide them with some guidelines. (Be genuine yet positive; Connect & Engage as well as promote; Be careful to share only 'public' information; Mentor your peers with external tools as well and look out for one another; invest your time wisely; etc.)

And watch them become the most powerful and engaged organic brand managers you've ever seen! They'll do it for free, willingly, on their own time even ... and have a blast as they see the needle moving as a result of their efforts! They are a new type of leader in the 2.0 world. Here, leaders emerge at every level and pay-grade … and they come with faithful followers.

By leveraging the other side of the triangle, everyone is working with you to achieve growth, growth and more growth.

Look again at your triangle. 

You know what else it represents?  Think 'Delta,' the symbol of 'Change.'"

------------------------- Talk Back ----------------------

Thoughts?

I like to think that when the triangle is turned upside down, it really makes music ... for your shareholders, your business results, and the happiness of your really engaged people.

http://www.pollypearson.com
http://twitter.com/pollypearson

Kudos to Taline Badrikian in EMC's Executive and Internal Communication Group who volunteered to put a little video together to share EMC's recent slew of recognition in this regard!

I especially LOVE the Austin Powers-esque sound track! Dig it baby.

----------- Talk Back -----------

Talk back all right. For EMC, the FORTUNE survey is currently taking place in America. Next week the Boston Globe Best Place to Work survey happens in Massachusetts. And the week after that, every EMCer can add his or her voice in the global Employee Satisfaction and Motivation Survey.

What? It's end of Quarter?  Didn't anyone tell the survey hungry people that?!

Well, at least someone is asking. I just saw a research report by an HR consultant firm that listed everything companies are cutting back on given the cost environment.  Seems a ton of companies cut the employee survey.  

http://www.pollypearson.com
http://twitter.com/pollypearson

<

Years ago, when I was running Investor Relations for EMC, a little voice in my head said, "This is fun and all, and gee, a lot of people are making a lot of money thanks to these efforts ... but one day, it would be nice if I could really and truly feel as though I was also working toward making the world a better place."

... and now I see our folks in IR, Marketing (including me!), Human Resources, and every where else here, making differences in ways well beyond commerce. Yes, our technology inventions and services keep the world of on-line everything humming every day ... and we're also helping families. We're helping to save a life. Not in a slogan sort of way. Truly.

[About the illustration:  This artwork is hung on the walls of our Mothers Rooms. These rooms are set up to be Oasis' for our nursing mothers, so that they can continue to keep their focus on their family, while knowing that the EMC family supports them doing just that.]

Exactly 30 days ago, EMC's EVP, Jack Mollen, heard that Nick, a 28 year-old EMC employee needed a bone marrow donor in order to save his life. His doctors told him there was zero chance of a match due to his Asian/Caucasian mix. In minutes, Mark Fredrickson, VP of EMC in Marketing, was engaged and asked to see what we could do to help. Within an hour, our PR and Marketing Communication/Social Media abilities and practitioners worked to help get the word out to see if we could help Nick find a bone marrow donor that could match his needs ... F-A-S-T!  (I think most every EMC blogger, micro-blogger and Facebook user put out the word to their network as soon as they got the news.)

The full, and still unfolding, story of this journey is documented on a blog, "The Race to Save Nick Glasgow," Mark and Dave Farmer, our head of Corporate PR, set up to help rally more interest and help while keeping everyone informed of the progress.

The most recent chapter can be found here, in an email Mark sent to all 42,000 EMCers tonight. (Shared with permission from Mark.)

Hope has been Found: Two Matching Donors Located.

_____________________________________________
From:   Fredrickson, Mark 
Sent:   Thursday, June 18, 2009 4:55 PM
To:     EMC ALL-Employees
Subject:        Nick Glasgow: Great news on an employee in need

In the weeks since we first shared Nick Glasgow's desperate situation with the EMC community, thousands of you have responded with action, support and kindness in ways that have provided tremendous hope and encouragement to Nick and his Mom, Carole -- both EMC colleagues in our Content Management & Archiving business based in Pleasanton, California. 

This week, Nick and Carole received the best news they have heard since his ordeal with Leukemia first began -- the hope of two potential bone marrow donors who appear to be extremely well-matched and willing. I am forwarding Carole's message about her son's encouraging news, as so many of you have asked to be kept informed. 

Nick still has a challenging road ahead of him. What is clear is that the heart of EMC people, which quickly spread beyond our company and into many other communities and businesses through the speed and efficiency of social networking, really can make a difference in ways beyond the work we all have in common.

Nick's story has brought unprecedented attention to the need for more people to register as potential donors, and the volume of new registrations has skyrocketed. We truly hope that Nick's life is the first of many to be saved by this compassionate response -- and that anyone considering joining the registry will do so.

For those who wish to follow Nick's progress, this blog will continue to be updated:
The Race to Save Nick Glasgow

Best,
Mark

Nick, we're with you.

----------------- Talk Back ------------------

What are you thinking right now?

A big "thank you" for the efforts to find a match goes to EMC customers, partners, employees, bloggers, Tweeters, and most of the entire tech industry for contributing in ways such as: getting tested personally, setting up and funding testing centers,and getting the word out to others via Facebook,Twitter, phone calls, emails, and personal pleas.

http://www.pollypearson.com
http://twitter.com/pollypearson

Artists.

This gorgeous, living photography show is a Flickr stream populated by EMC photographers, globally. It greets me every time I log into our internal social network, EMC|ONE.

-----------------------------------------------

Another art-oriented group really seems to be taking off at EMC as well.  This one is known as the "Creators, Artists and Art Lovers" group.  In this group, they encourage and celebrate one another's work via monthly "art challenges." Lately, they started a monthly personal challenge by posting an illustration for inspiration (that evolution of the idea came from an employee in India). The work created, as a result, is posted in the community for all to appreciate.

Creators, Artists, Art-Lovers Group

------ Talk back -----------

Suprising? Cool?

I think so.

Polly Pearson
http://www.pollypearson.com
@pollypearson

He wrote an open letter to Data Domain employees telling them a bit about what it is like here and how they would be treated if they decided to join the EMC family.

Now lots of folks are weighing in on why they work at EMC. These are

Real

Live

Folks

Working here in

THIS age of EMC. 

Here's what some of the folks are saying THIS WEEK:

Scott Waterhouse "Why would you want to be an EMC employee?"

Dave Spencer "Why work at EMC?"

Chuck Hollis "Why Do I Work For EMC?"

Steve Todd "What a Difference a Decade Makes" 

  Natalie Corridan-Gregg "I work for EMC because EMC works for Me."

Mark Twomey "Why do I work at EMC? For the 1%."

  Chad Sakac (Virtual Geek):  "Why I work for EMC..."

   Kathrin Winkler, "Have I mentioned that I love my job?"

  @MichelleLavoie, via Twitter: "Why work at EMC? Challenging, busy, learning, contributing, adding value, fun, people, even the occasional hug"

  @csiswim, via Twitter: "Why work at EMC? An expanding smorgasboard of diverse personal, business,and technical opportunities to whet any appetite for success."

     @phatphoto, via Twitter: I agree 100% with Scott W's blog post! EMC is a great place to work!

@NuzhatMkarim, via Twitter: "Why work at #EMC?" Cause I can b myself. I have a voice & am never just a number. I own what I do. Love the super smart down 2 earth ppl!

  @GMinks, via Twitter:  "Work w smart people, good place to find a partner too!! (Its how I met @brianrosenthal) :)

@kellylavin, via Twitter:  "Why work at #EMC ?" Employee Showcase, Visual Talk Radio show, @C2Cboston volunteer initiative, Campus Hires community, EMC Square/Store

  @dyoung322, via Twitter: "Why work at #EMC ?" Challenging, Endless Opportunities, Initiative is Commended, Involved w/ Community, Passionate People, Fun

  @mike_fishman, via Twitter: "Work at #EMC offers Opportunity, innovation, diversity both cultural and technical, reward, recognition, leadership, challenge, excitement"

  @mike_fishman "Why I work at #EMC" - And did I mention that working for EMC is wicked good fun! - It's nice to actually love your job and I do.

++++++++++++++++

Care to see body language in these sentiments?  Visit this site on YouTube.  Hear many more personal stories that were shared over the past few quarters about EMC:

Tom about his experience with his career development in Sales.

Renee about her career opportunities in HR.

Marisol about defining her life on a small island, in the Navy, at Harvard, and at EMC.

Glenn, a Stanford Grad, on empowerment and how EMC gives you the tools to create your personal  success.

Tom, about his experience at the front door of EMC.

Many of the stories can be heard in languages other than English. Such as:

Brittany's story, spoken in Mandarin

Stephan's story , spoken in German

Jose's story spoken in Spanish.

Dan's story, in Hebrew.

Nuzhat, in Bangla

+++++++++++++++++

I tend to think, at the end of the day, that work is personal.

Not everyone wants to think, play and grow in the land of Big opportunity.

That's cool. Keeping it small is just not our speed.

---------- Talk Back --------------

Why do you work where you are? Does the opportunity it presents match the size of your aspirations?

Polly Pearson
http://www.pollypearson
@pollypearson

Soon after EMC added several software companies on the West Coast to its family earlier this decade, EMC's recruiting organization was tasked with attracting and hiring over 300 top-notch software developers into a newly formed software division (now known as the Content Management and Archiving Division).

DATELINE: March, 2006: The head of recruiting gave me a call asked for my help in shaping the conversation the recruiters had when presenting the EMC opportunity to the talent market.

To tackle the best way to convey EMC as a place to work, we decided to interview software developers to get their view.  We interviewed developers who recently accepted a position with EMC's software division; who refused a position with EMC's software division; and who have worked at EMC in software development for some time.  We asked them questions such as:

This ended up being one of my favorite projects.  I've worked in high-tech nearly my entire career and still, this little research project taught me so much. I won't say that the research was industrial-grade quality or that every element stands the test of time. But it did serve to validate some assumptions and cast new light on a true, compelling value of EMC as a place to work.

So what were the findings? Let me jump to the "unappealing" perceptions before I go to the appealing and the ultimate discussion point when seeking to engage people in the value of being part of EMC.

The Unappealing attribute perceptions:  There was a fear of the unknown. They were concerned about process at such a big company and the work challenge, in particular.

The Appealing attribute perceptions: EMC's company strength, inclusive of management, strategy, finances, viability, benefits, resources, market leadership and people.

The Ideal situation:  Technical challenge and an environment with technical management, freedom and flexibility, honesty, friendly, high-energy teams, technical resources, celebrations & rewards, visibility for work and a variety of challenges from which to learn and grow.

Many described EMC in quotes similar to this:  "EMC is a place where multiple, cutting edge projects are taking place -- all fueling growth and a differentiated strategy," and this: "EMC offers the challenge, career advancement, energy and freedom of a start-up."

Netting it all out: