CAREER OPPORTUNITIESat the interaction of business & technology

@mgonnering

Working for a technology company(my story, roles)

Why technology is important for business(why, so what, philosophy, process)

Careers(path, advice)

@mgonnering

Working for a technology company(my story, roles)

Why technology is important for business(why, so what, philosophy, process)

Careers(path, advice)

@mgonnering

MY STORYa career in communicating technology

@mgonnering

printing, all functions since I was 12, applied for print sales job at Widen in 2000, 2-years out of collegeBefore 2000: Printing (sweeping, bindery, press, prepress, estimating, sales)

Applied for print sales rep @ Widen (2000)

● “The database” was the future (software)● The customer problem● Difficult to communicate the value to customers

● Selling model● High value giveaway● Communication difficulty

● 25 and fearless (2002)● Proposed more effective communications● Enough rope

● Initial marketing efforts● Industry velocity, “digital asset management”● Go ahead, say the acronym

● Flipped the selling model● Marketing’s role as support

in value communication● Trained sales to

communicate value of software

● Training kinda worked● Needed a new structure● Inbound transition

● Shift to the current model, content marketing● Educational resources● Smarter people carried the torch (intern)

● CEO in 2009● More customers, more products● Cultural transformation● Software focus● Talent development

ROLESin a technology company

<get it? rolls, roles...haha>

@mgonnering

MARKETING DEVELOPMENT

SUPPORT PRODUCT

MARKETING● Define● Current team

○ Product Marketers (Utility)○ Designer○ Brands/Partnerships○ Video○ Customer Marketing○ Events & Community○ Journalist○ Advisors ○ Networs of Vendors

● Future talent @mgonnering

DEVELOPMENT● Define● Current team

○ Front-End○ Architecture○ Dev Operations○ QA○ UI/UX○ API/Integrations

● Future talent○ Agile, move across technologies○ Creativity & innovation

@mgonnering

PRODUCT● Define● Current team

○ Product Managers ○ Project Managers○ Technical Writers

● Future talent○ Business Analysts○ Data Science○ Researchers

@mgonnering

SUPPORT

● Define● Current team

○ Central support team (help desk)○ Training & implementation○ Customer Outreach○ Digital Asset Managers

● Future talent○ Marketing technologists○ Library sciences

@mgonnering

Working for a technology company(my story, roles)

Why technology is important for business(why, so what, philosophy, process)

Careers(path, advice)

@mgonnering

Why does a business use technology?

@mgonnering

Why is that stuff important?

@mgonnering

More efficient, More effective Automate tasks, Save money, Track & analyze stuff, Focus on developing competencies

So what?@mgonnering

A career at the intersection of technology and business helps organizations achieve their mission.

● Greater velocity● Realization of the vision● Create additional value for customers

@mgonnering

Business Philosophy

Mission - exist?

Vision - future?

Values - important?

Ethics - right/wrong?

Strategy - connect?

@mgonnering

In order to realize these

benefits and adopt the

philosophy, technology

needs to be implemented

and managed properly…@mgonnering

...and that is a constant struggle.

@mgonnering

Careers as business technologists…adding, implementing and maintaining software.

By discipline (MarTech, FinTech)By industry (EdTech)

@mgonnering

6 STEPSa business may use to for technology

1. INSPIRED TO ACT

● Something happens● Marketing from

technology company● Networking ● Event learnings

2. PROBLEM IDENTIFIED

● Technology solves problems● Documentation● Collaboration

3. SEARCH FOR OPTIONS

● Search● Recommendations● Networking

4. ENTERTAIN PROVIDERS

● Coordination of demos, discoveries, proposals, contracts

● Cultural evaluations, not just a functionality decision

5. ROLL OUT

● Change management● Implementation & Training● Staged introduction

6. MAINTENANCE

● Ongoing communications● Configurations● New releases● Additional users● Contract renewals

Working for a technology company(my story, roles)

Why technology is important for business(why, so what, philosophy, process)

Careers(path, advice)

@mgonnering

business technologistproduct manager

project manager

business analyst

research

data science

developmentcorporate communications

technical writer

customer support

promotionsmarketing

your imagination

● Passion(create the mission, enable the effort, make it fun)

● MeetUps(tech, comm, product, dev, design, marketing)

● Professors & Internships(co-author, present, internships that matter)

● Automate your job (outside sales, project management)

● Creativity is your differentiation(imagination, endless possibilities)

matthewg@widen.com608-279-2440@mgonnering

OUTTAKES

T E C H L I B S

______TECH@mgonnering

Every Discipline is High on Tech

discipline or industry