On balance and support

Wow, it's really sunny outside! After lunch, I'm going out for a stroll along the seawall. I might even stop by Granville Island for a little food and window shopping.

Thank goodness it's the weekend, I had a busy week. But an interesting one as well. On Thursday morning, I was volunteering for the annual Women's Executive Network's Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 event at the Terminal City Club. A few students (all women) from the MBA program were asked to help out. After helping with the setup (starting at 6:30 a.m.) and manning (or womaning?) the registration table, I had an opportunity to attend one of the sessions. It was titled Risk to Win: Take Uncharted Paths to Achieve Career Success. Each session was held as an open discussion with three or four panelists who were all winners in this year's Top 100. The discussions were loosely moderated, which made it a bit difficult to latch on to the points being presented (too many anecdotes). However, I did come out of this session with some questions of my own on balance.

One of the panelists was referring back to a discussion she had with her women (mostly executive) friends. She had asked them if they were to redo their lives all over again, what would they do differently. The unanimous response was "spend more time with their kids." Not that this was a surprise, but it made me realize how difficult it is to make the decision about how to balance your professional and personal (family) life. It also made me think how the path to try and "have it all" is unrealistic and somewhat selfish. Something's gotta give.

Fortunately, at this point in my life, I can allow myself to be selfish. Being single and having no kids means I can focus all my energy on my education and career. I've spoken to a few other students who are not in this situation, and have heard of how some of them are running into problems at home. I'm sure the fact that the MBA seriously cuts into any free time we might have does not help maintain healthy relationships.

Speaking of career, I must say that what I really appreciate about my current job are my coworkers. I've been fortunate enough to deal with people who are professional, respectful, and kind enough to give me advice (when I ask for it). Many of my coworkers are experienced managers and being able to discuss challenges openly makes me feel supported in my new position. I know I'm not "getting" everything or doing everything I should be doing, but if I feel I'm struggling with something, I have people to turn to. They also will kindly hint at my mistakes, without being judgmental. Well, at least not in my face ;)

OK, time for lunch, then a nice walk before hitting the books again.

Thinking strategically about my life

I think this quote found in a book I'm reading for Marketing, Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey A. Moore, accurately reflect why I felt I had to so such intense soul-searching lately:

"f you don't know where you are going, you probably aren't going to get there."

Yup, simple enough but true. I’ve been planning to pursue an MBA for a few years now but it’s only recently that the purpose of this MBA became clear. My current job is very challenging, it keeps me busy and motivated; however, I always felt that I was missing something, that I would feel much more satisfied if my work made a difference.

I entertain two passions that have not yet crossed paths in my work. My first passion is technology. I enjoy reading and learning about new technology and scientific discoveries. I have spent the past seven years working in a variety of high-tech industries (optical networking, IP networking, business applications). Although I do not have an Undergraduate degree in Engineering or Computer Science, my interest in technology has allowed me to develop the necessary skills to explain this technology to others (Technical Writing) and provide the guidance for designing applications that focus on an optimal user experience.

My second passion is the environment. I stay informed on recent developments in sustainable living. I’m a supporter of various environmental organizations such as The Land Conservancy (TLC), the World Wildlife Federation and the David Suzuki Foundation. I enjoy keeping up with newstories about people and organizations who make the environment their focus. I don’t own a car, buy local whenever possible and consciously make efforts to reduce my ecological footprint.

My plan for the next few years is to merge these two passions and seek a career as a Project or Product Manager in a company developing sustainable technology, preferably technology that can also help solve fundamental issues in developing countries (provide clean sources of fuel, improve agricultural practices, and so on). I am pursuing the Management of Technology (MOT) MBA as a part-time student to build the foundation needed to solve common business problems encountered by high-tech companies. I started the MBA this fall (2006) with a few courses already completed, which then happens to leave me with a free semester in the fall of 2007.

Between September 2007 and December 2007, I plan to volunteer for an international development program focused on sustainable technologies in developing countries. I have already started looking into projects sponsored by a variety of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and charitable foundations. Groups like MBA Without Borders, the Aga Khan Foundation, One Sky (The Canadian Institute for Sustainable Living) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development are regularly looking for trained professionals to help with projects all over the world. I am looking for a four-to-six week project abroad, with some planning and analysis work done part-time while I am in Vancouver.

I also plan to work with a local company developing sustainable technology for my final MBA project. I am reading through a variety of publications to familiarize myself with the sustainable technology industry in Vancouver, including some of the publications by Business in Vancouver. I have not identified the specific problem I want to help address in my MBA project at this point, as I am not starting the project until early 2008. However, during the Western Canadian Environmental Technology Forum held in Vancouver in 2003, representatives of western Canadian environmental technology companies identified areas where the industry was facing tough challenges, including:

• Gathering market intelligence, especially in countries with large populations that represent a significant market potential
• Developing demonstration projects to showcase the technology
• Defining sector needs for commercialization to reduce risks for investors and new technologies

Any of these areas could potentially become an interesting project for my MBA. Some of the text in this blog was included in a letter accompanying my application for a $10,000 scholarship offered by SFU. With the scholarship, it will be easier for me to take an unpaid leave of absence for the volunteer project. I believe my employer would let me leave for four to six weeks, but obviously, I wouldn't get paid during that time. Expenses are typically covered in international development projects, but covering my expenses and saving for tuition is a bit much if your income is cut back by almost two months.

Even further down the road, I'm even planning for a trip with Annie in 2008 in South-East Asia. The intent of the trip is to obviously discover this area's rich culture and beautiful scenery, but also to familiarize myself with potential markets for sustainable products.

So, this is my vision going forward. Having formulated what it is that I intend to do helps me focus my efforts. I also communicate this vision with friends and contacts because I want to share my enthusiasm about these new goals but also because they might hear about people or companies who are doing business in my area of interest. Networking can be pretty powerful.

The road ahead is so clear now...

More challenges ahead... that's life I guess!

I woke up this morning to a very quiet condo... The unfortunate thing about visitors is that they eventually leave and are missed again. It doesn't take long to miss the people you love :-)

So, before settling back into my old routine again, I decided to spend a few hours recreating my resume. No worries, I'm still employed (as far as I know), but recent changes in the company have convinced me that the opportunities I saw eight months ago are no longer there. I'm taking a proactive approach this time, planning a transition ahead, as it might take me longer to find something. I'll explain.

I've been working as a technical writer for seven years now. Although I still enjoy this type of work, it is no longer challenging. I feel I've learned all I wanted to learn about technical writing and that it's time to move on. My recent experience with project management has confirmed this need for a change. I'm excited about the projects I get to manage at work, less excited about my documentation deliverables.

Looking for work in a field where you have limited experience is very hard. When I looked at my existing resume, I knew it wasn't going to convince anyone that I could manage projects. Instead of using a traditional experience-based format, I rewrote everything to focus on professional skills. I like the new format, it's short and to the point.

I already started monitoring the job opportunities in Vancouver and found a few interesting project management openings. My gut feeling tells me I should plan a move before the fall, especially with the MBA classes starting in September. I'll be busy enough with school to worry about work and I don't want to start classes and a new job at the same time!