Ambitions

[Assertn]

So, as I wouldn't expect any of you to know, I've been a bit busy ever since I graduated spring of 2005. I've worked hard and continued to teach myself all the things I've never learned from college and I'm pleased to say that just yesterday I've hit my 5 year goal....in just 18 months! Needless to say, it's a pretty exciting time for me. As a Flash developer, I've spent alot of extra time working on my own personal projects and finding my own ways to contribute to the Flash community. The past few months I've chatted with many huge names in the industry, attended conferences, tech-reviewed O'reilly books, and got involved in name-brand company projects while working under one of the most advanced companies in interactive media.

In just those months, I've already seen my work pay off, as I have just been given the title of Sr. Associate Flash Developer for the Creative Dept of the LA branch at another large media company. Sounds kinda flashy, but it looks like I'll be responsible for pushing the Flash side of the creative dept into the new technologies Adobe has been releasing lately. In addition to acting as the lead architect for any of their large-scale flash projects, I'll also be instructing the new flash team in best OOP practices and Flex 2 / AS 3. I'm definitely looking forward to being in a respectable position that entitles me to the responsibilities that I otherwise usually pick up on my own regardless (plus a very sweet salary increase ). And even now I'm still making plans for "the next step." For example, my roommate and I are currently planning an outline for a flash book. (Books are great for building one's name )

Anyway, I started this thread in hopes to inspire and to allow others to also share their own ambitions. For those who want to know my path, here's a few tips that I followed:

1) Find a passion in a niche of the workforce.
For me, it was flash development. Both fun and relatively untapped.

2) Immerse yourself in the most ideal environment for your job market.
This is the point where I moved out to LA. Huge demand for interactive media here.

3) Find ways of expanding your experience and your name.
In some industries, your name can precede your experience and educational background. Companies love employees with alot of ambition.

4) Know your priorities.
I try to minimize the time that I spend being unproductive. For some this is a common barrier, but if you allow yourself to be motivated and inspired, then this can be second nature. Challenge yourself, or find someone who's better than you to challenge you to reach their level.

5) Know how much you're worth.
Keep your monster profile updated. Listen to recruiters. Talk to your coworkers about salaries. Don't be afraid to put in your two weeks notice, and don't be afraid to haggle. Of course, personal leverage is definitely proportional to the amount of demand for your profession or status.

6) Network
Friends in high places are great, but friends that can mutually benefit each other to reach high places together are even better.

[Stoopider]

Hey thats great to hear everythings working out for you Assertn.

[Assassin]

Congrats on the promotion man. Sr. Associate Flash Developer is a pretty flashy title (no pun intended) for someone who joined the industry so recently. Im glad you've managed to reach your goals so quickly. Best of luck with future ambitions, we're all rooting for you

[SK]

I am unsure of the value of your chosen course in life. My ambition is to reach a point of inconsequence, which is a consequence in itself, so beyond whatever that is is my ambition, which is circular

[Stoopider]

I am unsure of the value of your chosen course in life. My ambition is to reach a point of inconsequence, which is a consequence in itself, so beyond whatever that is is my ambition, which is circular

Soooooooooooooooooo.... Your going back to Kindergarten now I presume?

[Assertn]

Thanks for the support guys =]

Erm.....and thanks for the post SK

[Lefty]

I hope to have your kinda luck when i venture forth into the film industry next year after school. Congrats man.

[samsonlonghair]

Congratulations on the promotion Assertn. I wish you the best of luck.

Not that anyone has any reason to listen to me, but I'd like to suggest an ammendum to tip 1. Don't get trapped in your niche. Always remember to diversify. A niche is a good way to climb up to the top fast, and it's a good way to fall fast. When Adobe bought-out Macromedia it made serious waves in the graphic design community - waves of which we still have yet to see the result.

A man in a niche has a chance to become rich, but a jack-of-all-trades will never starve.

[Stoopider]

A man in a niche has a chance to become rich, but a jack-of-all-trades will never starve.

Brilliant quote. I guess we have to keep an eye out for opportunity whereever this RPG of life takes us.

[Winged Dancer]

Congrats Assertn! Lately I've had to meet so many people who have been embittered by life that it's so very nice to hear of someone who has managed to fulfill his goals. Seriously, congratulations.

Goes to show that a little planning and hard work will help much more than the "I go where life takes me! (but that just means I'm a lazy dolt)" philosophy of the embittered people I mentioned before.

[Stoopider]

Lol. it's next to the 'bitching' thread.

[masamuneehs]

ambition huh? that's a pretty strong one...

in all honesty, i see myself more as a "hopeful, wishful" kind of person. I have ideas and hopes and dreams, but they've yet to be consolidated into something more cold and concrete. essentially i fail at

4) Know your priorities.

but I really don't want to let go off those dreams yet, since I know I won't be able to do them all, but am not sure which to go after...

well, i would rather live a life that I could be content with rather than meet societal utility quotas, so i'm not sweating this ambitious thing yet. and congrats assertn

[UChessmaster]

4) Know your priorities.
I try to minimize the time that I spend being unproductive. For some this is a common barrier, but if you allow yourself to be motivated and inspired, then this can be second nature. Challenge yourself, or find someone who's better than you to challenge you to reach their level.

This one is my weak point >_>, i spend too much time doing nothing...

[SK]

I try to maximize unproductive time and minimize the time I will be forced to be "productive." This usually results in getting few hours of sleep, but sleeping is boring, so I personally don't mind it.

[Assertn]

Congratulations on the promotion Assertn. I wish you the best of luck.

Not that anyone has any reason to listen to me, but I'd like to suggest an ammendum to tip 1. Don't get trapped in your niche. Always remember to diversify. A niche is a good way to climb up to the top fast, and it's a good way to fall fast. When Adobe bought-out Macromedia it made serious waves in the graphic design community - waves of which we still have yet to see the result.

A man in a niche has a chance to become rich, but a jack-of-all-trades will never starve.

I agree with this to a point....however I'd be more inclined to say Be willing to expand your niche.

In my case, for example, I've done some thorough work on AS 3 and Flex 2...both technologies that have only been publicly released for a few months now. Alot of developers tend to be intimidated and stay in AS 2 or even AS 1, but unfortunately for them, they won't get to say the buzz words that are all the rage in the industry right now.

Flash still has untapped potential, and is still expanding. The best thing to do is to keep up with it. If something else comes along that might overthrow it, then start to learn that.
Another nice thing with computer science, is you tend to pick up a few other relevant trades along the way.

One thing I can say though....over time there will be a greater diversification in skillsets for rich internet applications and interactive media, as things start to get more and more advanced. Projects are becoming too complex for one man to both design and program, and if you're not good enough to choose a side, then you're going to be in trouble...

@Masamuneehs and UChessmaster:
During college was when I first started to spend my time alot more productively. Soon after it came to the point where I actually feel kinda guilty whenever I "waste the day." Unfortunately the downside to this is I hate making plans that would involve alot of my time.

@Leftty: I recall you mentioning before that you've got some big plans of your own. Perhaps I'll see you in LA someday =]

Glad to see this the positive response for this thread so far

[Animeniax]

At the risk of getting warned, banned, or neg-repped, I decided to revive this thread and see if we can get it as productive as the bitching thread is unproductive.

As a lot of us are techies, social networking is a tough nut to crack. I've found that with my anti-social tendencies, no matter how good I am at something, I always seem to lose out to the social butterfly with no technical skill. So what do you do?

My ambitions: learn guitar, learn how to read/write the three Japanese writing systems, get my college degree.

[Abdula]

At the risk of getting warned, banned, or neg-repped, I decided to revive this thread and see if we can get it as productive as the bitching thread is unproductive.

As a lot of us are techies, social networking is a tough nut to crack. I've found that with my anti-social tendencies, no matter how good I am at something, I always seem to lose out to the social butterfly with no technical skill. So what do you do?

My ambitions: learn guitar, learn how to read/write the three Japanese writing systems, get my college degree.

I know what you mean about anti-social tendencies but despite that people still seem to like me, I just find myself incapable of caring about them and what they want or think of me.

I can mirror your last two goals, but I have a couple musicians in my family who have tried to teach me guitar but its not an instrument I'm interested in but I would like to find one though, liked piano but lost interest in that as well, as you can see its a recurring problem.

Its hard for me to have any long term goals as I'm expected to die very young, I'm surprised I made it to 20 , was actually planning to sign a DNR but now I have a few positive influences in my life now so reneged on that. Looking to choose a field to study now anything that can challenge me enough to hold my interest, or whatever my body permits to do. I don't need to be particularly successful just need something that would keep my girlfriend contented when I finally decide to marry her. I was thinking computer sciences, medicine or psychology as they are all things I have an affinity for.

[DB_Hunter]

My ambitions: learn guitar, learn how to read/write the three Japanese writing systems, get my college degree.

None of these require social skills. I would suggest you drop these ambitions asap.

[itadakimasu]

ambitions?

make lots of money and retire before i'm 40.

short term ambitions? increase my salary by at least 33% in the next few months

[masamuneehs]

strangely enough, I share some 'ambitions' with animeniax.

i've decided that one of the things I really want is to travel. I don't care if the job itself isn't great, or if i don't live in luxury, but i want to see the world. And i think starting with Japan would be a great first step.

So, I've been listening to "Learn Japanese" tapes and software recently. The three alphabets are quite tough, but I'm finally getting a semi-decent grasp of the hirigana letters...