5 posts tagged Life Lessons
It’s that time of year again: MBA bashing season. Every semester, a handful of articles are released claiming that MBA programs are worthless, are not needed, or are not worth the money. Also, like clockwork, countless people still ask the same question, “Is an MBA worth it?”
“We just don’t have the budget.”
“OK, well, fair enough. I guess there isn’t much that can be done.”
That was the scene back in late 2008 as I walked out steaming from my then-director’s office. I was the lead web designer at Concordia University - though you couldn’t tell from my job title. My work at the university brought in a handful of awards and saved over a hundred thousand dollars in man-hours. Furthermore, I had just installed a code repository system on a local server to better track our code changes. To boot, I was there for close to five years and had just presented my vision for the 2009 update of the main website to the directors. I also helped select and train new employees and regularly presented at web forums where university workers exchanged ideas. Moreover, I aggressively pushed the possibilities of social media and e-mail marketing management. Based on all this, I felt I had proved my worth and that I earned the promotion. But it was not to be. Despite the senior designer position being vacant for close to 4 years - I was refused. This upset me - greatly.
Agencies wanted me and tried to steal me on more than one occasion. I felt I got on with the majority of the web workers at the university, as well as management. I just couldn’t understand why Concordia didn’t want to even try to keep me. Only now do I realize that getting promoted at Concordia was the best thing to never happen to me.
As my office continues its struggle to find the right candidates to fill a couple of Analytics Consultant positions, I’m learning first-hand how much the analytics field is still in its infancy. I have a strong sense of deja-vu as I see companies ask that their analytics workers be jacks of all trades. I remember back when a web designer not only had to layout a site, but also had to know how to code the mark-up, set-up the domain and maintain the servers. They after all ”webmasters” then. Specializations didn’t really exist - at least not like they do today. There weren’t any Ajax developers, dedicated usability specialists or analytics professionals. Like the WAA, I also remember early attempts to create a web designer certifications. But the web design field was and still is so splintered that no certification process could cover every aspect. I fear this will be the fate that WAA’s certification may face.
I can’t help but think the days of the web analytics professional are numbered.
Once upon a time, TV and radio were new. Direct mail was once new. And even print was novel. It’s not far-fetched to think that a day will come when websites are no longer “new media” - if that day hasn’t come to pass already that is. The web will just be another channel and the methods to measure its effectiveness will be old hat. Because really, deep down, how different is web analytics as compared to other metrics analysis? Once you have the handful of principles, it really isn’t that hard. At least not in my opinion. Quite frankly, marketing students today are being trained in web analytics in many schools as we speak - and with their marketing backgrounds are in better positions to act as compared to today’s web analysts. Soon web analytics will just be part of being a business analyst - and web analytics professionals will now be competing with the likes of McKinsey and Bain.
Some will say, but Rommil, there is more to analytics than analysis, there’s the implementation knowledge and deep understanding of how websites work. I won’t disagree with this argument, but I will say that this situation is transient. Implementation can be outsourced to IT workers, domestic and overseas. Best practices will emerge and solutions will converge eventually - probably within the next 5 years or so. So while some implementations can be very challenging, I would say they would be short work for a Computer Science graduate. And who knows? Now that Adobe owns Omniture, SiteCatalyst could be incorporated into Dreamweaver or Flash as an option. Click, click , click, OK. Publish. Done.
So what is a Web Analytics Association Certification worth?
In the not-to-distant future? Not a whole lot in my opinion. I think it will be just as valuable as a web designer certification from 1999 - kinda important in the now, but not super important ten years from now. The standards will change very quickly over the next few years as techniques advance, forcing regular certifications renewals, and millions of books to be written and re-written. But can the WAA keep up with the ever changing world of web analytics? That’s a pretty tall order for a volunteer group - no matter how dedicated they are.
So what should we do?
I am in no way saying to switch out of analytics. Analytics is hot right now - at least in general. Measured media is the new black - as it should be. The days of “spend it and they will come” marketing strategies will be behind us very shortly. More than ever, web analysts have to expand their horizons. Marketers and business-types with spanking new MBAs are entering the market with strong and proven analytics skills. Not only will they be able to trend (sorry, perform ocular regression), they can perform linear regressions, apply strategic frameworks and perform statistical process control using six-sigma. They won’t have the technical knowledge of how to define s_accounts or fire _trackPageviews - nor will they care to. Simply because they’ll just hire a computer science intern to do that for them.
Know this: an analyst’s true worth is their business sense. Period. The rest can be duplicated. Easily. So unless a web analytics certification has a business component, while it doesn’t hurt to get, in the long run, it is a temporary measure. Remember, just around the corner - younger, brighter and more agile professionals are coming… and they’re hungry to impress.
Web analysts, prepare yourselves. Commit to expanding your minds and your boundaries. And please, think business - not click-through.
I have a minor reputation on taking on volumes of work and setting lofty goals on a regular basis. A fact that my wife and friends would not only agree to, but would probably, in all likelihood, attest to in court. Twice.
My days are often long, full, and often trying. My time is short and down-time rare. I don’t know what’s playing in the theatres, nor do I know what’s on the top 10 charts, or the names of the Jonas brothers.
Some call me a workaholic. Others… crazy. You know who you are. Well let me just say I disagree (surprise!).
On the contrary, I like to think I get absorbed inspired by pipe-dreams ideals and I follow my heart wherever it leads me. True. Often times, I end up burning the candle not only on both ends, but completely engulfing it in flames. And unfortunately, in my wake, is a long and shameful trail of procrastination and until tomorrows.
In my effort to balance my life - balance, by the way is the biggest misnomer in history, more on this later - I’ve put off things like this blog and some family parties. Are my priorities off kilter? Depends on who you ask obviously. I know my family would love to see me more often. I also know work would love if I were to pick up the torch and help punch our team into the new year in style. And I know my bed misses me dearly. I’m sure it cries from time to time I just haven’t caught it yet.
But back to the concept of balance. When I think of balance, I think of that thingy that usually is seen with a blind-folded lady holding a sword, or something chemists use. People often say deep and insightful things like, “you should have a good balance of work and family, love and fun”. However, this notion of balance… it’s so static, no? When you think of a busy lifestyle, the last thing I think of is someone on a tightrope. Good or bad, life for many of us, is a whirlwind and we’re just trying not to knock over any fine china along the way.
For people like me, when a goal is attained, chances are I’ll be looking for another mountain to climb. Implying that this whirlwind will never die down - and simply spin in another direction. Living life like this is precarious and full of pitfalls and hiccups, but I’ve learned a few things along the way and I’d like to share them with you (surprise!).
How to survive your whirlwind life:
Many write about articles about “finding your calling” and “living your dreams”. The basic formula reads something like this, “Find something you love to do, and do it for a living”. Easier said than done, in my opinion. Finding your calling is pretty straight forward if you like to act, cook, or design cars. There are set paths for those career-choices, and plenty of university degrees available.
But like many web-folk, my career has taken a zig-zag path to where I am now. The web just wasn’t a career option back when I was in university. Had it been, things probably would have worked out differently. Not that I’m complaining. Over the last decade, I’ve worn several hats and enjoyed the fit of each one. I’ve been an engineer, a photographer, an entrepreneur and a lead web designer. And each role along the way has taught me countless lessons which I continue to benefit from today.
Some may view my career shifts as a product of indecision and uncertainty. Pfft. I believe it to be quite the opposite. Fifteen years ago, I knew I wanted to create something. I just wasn’t sure what. I tried my hand at a bunch of stuff but none of it felt perfect. So I kept listening, kept working hard, and kept pushing my limits. I knew my calling would make itself heard, it simply didn’t exist yet. It took me a while, but I’m certain I’ve found it in web marketing intelligence. Unfortunately, this journey can take a very long time for some. That’s the harsh reality of life; for many people:
The world hasn’t caught up to their dreams.
However, for those of you who are still trying to find your home, don’t lose heart. Each move forward will give you new perspectives on things, allowing you to not only learn, but to grow as a professional. Having a diverse background shows employers you have many dimensions to your personality and paints a colourful picture about who you are. Often, employers appreciate symphonies of complimentary and progressive job experiences over one-note melodies of similar roles.
Though none of this will make the weary career-traveler feel any better, I’m hoping the following advice will be of some help:
