Devin Reams

Now that I have a few spare minutes to collect my thoughts I figured I’d share a little about my professional life as of late:
The Previous Employer
If you’re not aware, I left my job of 11 months and 3 weeks (just barely a year) this past July 18th. I had been working at Ernst & [...]

…unless you’re looking for mediocrity. Because that’s what happens when we

boil down our accomplishments into a one page memo, and
convince ourselves we can make a good decision based on a one-page memo.

Seth Godin hires interns and notes a resume is “an excuse to reject you.” If you’re truly exceptional you don’t need a resume. [...]

I think day one at a new job is the most important. It is going to set the pace for the rest of the job. I’m always conscious of first impressions and nothing is more important than a job’s first impression. There are only a few ways a first day can go though:

Hit the ground [...]

The problem with bosses is they often know what needs to be done but aren’t always so great at communicating why it needs to be done. Some people just rub you the wrong way in how they talk to you, how they do or do not help you understand what needs to be done. Many [...]

Just don’t do it. Eating alone, though easier and more enjoyable sometimes (especially if you like yourself as much as I do) we should all do our best to become acquainted with the people at work.
If you’re very entry-level (and young, like myself) it seems very mature of you to invite a group of people [...]

…do you feel:

Guilty like you’ve gone and selfishly removed a day’s worth of productivity
Worried that you’ll have so much piled up when you come back
Anxious because you are so essential people can’t get by without you
Relaxed because you’re helping yourself get better
Semi-productive because you end up crawling in bed with your laptop and working anyway

or [...]

There’s a multi-story office building going in right next to my light rail station. It’s about 7 stories tall and the structure is largely complete. The light rail stand is level with the third floor.
Nearly everyone waiting at the station watches the construction workers build away. At any given point in time, nearly half of [...]

Have you ever worked with someone who is so bone-on-bone and abrasive that you can’t stand them by mid-day? I’ve worked in a number of companies where it’s obvious that different personalities can’t always come together. Sure, differences in people are good (you gain unique perspectives and ways of thinking) but in so many cases [...]

The dilemma is simple: I get next Tuesday off for Christmas (thanks, Christians) but I don’t get Christmas Eve off. I have a Monday gap. The same goes for New Years and New Years Eve. These floating days off in the middle of the week sound like “well you’d take those weeks off anyway.”
Wrong.
What if [...]

Penelope Trunk is predicting it: the end of consulting. I agree. I call myself a ‘consultant’ but I realized that all the work I’ve done in the last few years has been, in essence, “consulting.”
I’m not surprised, either. It’s easier than ever to become an expert (Wikipedia, right?) and it’s especially easy to work from [...]

…not with mentors, and mentors. My company matches you up with a mentor (typically a level or two above you) and you meet with them a few times a year to discuss your career, reviews, future, and so on. This is awesome because we’re forced to meet and do the things that often get overlooked.
Aside: [...]