Because you're involved in some aspect of data processing for a living (or hope to be), there are probably some personality traits and professional attitudes that can safely be applied to you, at least according to the myriad studies of the DPer (Data Processing Professional) as a breed. This is not to suggest that everyone working in data processing is stereotypical. In fact, the DP (Data Processing) field is known to attract "mavericks," men and women who tend to go their own way.
Of course, being too hardheaded can be a substantial roadblock to career success in any profession. Getting ahead - along with many other attributes - demands a strong sense of team play.
The maverick role of the DPer probably stems from many things, but primarily from the mysterious language that permeated the field in its earlier days, and the complex technology that spawned a whole world of people who understood it and could make it work - and who were content to keep its secrets to themselves.
But those days have changed. The computer has become part of most people's lives. It is no longer the domain of a select few. The personal computer has joined the television set, microwave oven, and stereo as a household staple, and while the average person has not developed an interest to match the professional DPer's, "bits," "bytes," and "baud rates" have become part of our public vocabulary. Which doesn't mean, by the way, that everyone understands what computers and data processing are all about. Recently, a man answered an ad we ran for a programmer position. He stressed in his resume that he was experienced with programs - he'd worked at Playbill, which publishes theatrical programs. Obviously, he wasn't invited in for an interview. I suppose he is typical of a certain percentage of the population who would have difficulty telling a computer from a typewriter. Still, as we forge ahead into the computer age these people become more of a minority. The fact is, as we all know, it is not uncommon these days to find executives who have terminals and keyboards at their desks and households using terminals for a variety of tasks. The computer is part of us - and we are part of the computer age.
This means that the person forging a career in data processing can no longer fall back on being keeper of the technology and its inherent mysteries. In fact, success in data processing these days demands exactly the opposite. The technological expertise must be present, of course, but it is the application of the technology that counts in today's marketplace. The computer tail no longer wags the management dog, and the data processor who approaches a career with that understanding has already established the proper attitude for success in this field.
Let's go back to the "personality" of the data processor. Obviously, an interest in technical data - as well as the ability to digest it-is important for anyone in DP. This doesn't run contrary to my previous statement about not allowing the technological tail to dictate the end result. Technical knowledge and skill will always be needed to enter the field and to advance in it. What's important, however, is that the accountant who remains chained to facts and figures, and who never looks beyond the ledger sheet to its meaning, will always be in shackles.
The same holds true for the data processor. You're expected, of course, to know your technical "stuff." If you want to achieve management success, you'll be expected to retain that technical knowledge while at the same time looking beyond the computer terminal to what end your technical input achieves.
Getting the job depends more upon data-processing skill. Advancing within the field (and outside it) demands much greater interpersonal skills to go along with the technical knowledge that nailed down the job in the first place.
Let's look at one other survey involving data processors. When asked whether, in general, data processors tend to be poor communicators, 60 percent of DP managers, and 70 percent of top management, said "Yes!"
None of this is surprising if the commonly held perception of data processors stands up. What's important about it from my vantage point is that the men and women who have entered the data-processing field obviously possess the technical knowledge, skills, and background to get the job - but will have to develop other skills and attitudes if solid career success is to be in their future.
There are rules for success that apply to every career, no matter what the industry or profession, and there are those rules that are unique to data processing. Based upon the above-mentioned survey results, we've come up with one of the success constants that apply to DPers and to every other person with technical skills.
The person aspiring to career growth must adopt a broader outlook that sees beyond technical knowledge and skill.
