Professional Priorities

This web page shows what attracts me to a company and what I value in a work environment.

• Stay Highly Marketable - provides security and professional satisfaction.
  • Work with cutting edge technologies in Web development.  Also experiment with and have wide exposure to other technologies.
  • Have hardware & software at my home office (network, servers, etc...).
  • Have a budget I can manage for professional development (training, conferences, etc...).
  • Access to technology mentors.
• Flexibility
  • Work from home office.
  • Have backup employee resources so that time off is employee friendly.
• Work for a great Company
  • Service Related - employees with my job responsibilities are seen as an asset and a source of revenue.
  • Employee focused
  • Financial Stability
    • Solid P&L Statements
    • Stability - is stable with changes in the Business Market and the Stock Market.
    • Size of Company
      • If a small company
        • Strength of the Company
          • Describe your net profits during the recession of 2001 - 2003?
          • Describe you're gross sales over the past 3 years?
          • What is the history of your "Profit Sharing Incentive" contribution to your 401K plan for the past 3 years?
          • Who are the competitors that you compete against?
          • What is the percent of Market share that you hold within your space of business?
        • References
          • Will you provide 2 or more references of some long term clients?
          • Will you provide references to some employees in a similar role as my job description that have been with the company for 1year, 5years, >5years?
        • Any employee stock purchase plans? Private or Public
        • Describe the operating style of Upper Management and the Board of Directors?
• Compensation
  • Company will profit nicely from my contributions (revenue - my compensations = profit for company).
  • My Salary is in the top 90% of the market.
  • Overtime pay - this helps to manage the amount of overtime an employer requires.
  • Work hours ( Target Utilization )
    • Term: Standard Available Work Hours - 52Weeks * 40 hrs = 2,080
    • Overtime is seen as a bonus to the employee and the company and not a requirement to be profitable.
    • Target Utilization percentage (Target Billable hours / 2080 = Target Utilization Percentage) - takes into account holidays, vacation, possible sick days, training, conferences, non billable required office work and normal bench time in between projects. 
      • Utilization Example:  (No Travel)
        Holidays - 10 days = 80 hrs
        Vacation - 3 weeks - 15 days (can vary) = 120 hrs
        Sick days (possible) - 10 days = 80 hrs
        Training - 1 week - 5 days = 40 hrs
        Conference - 1 week - 5 days = 40 hrs
        Non Billable Office work (10% of 2080) = 208 hrs
        Normal Bench Time (10% of 2080) = 208 hrs
        ---------------
        Total Non Billable Hours = 776
        Target Billable Hours (2080 - 776) = 1,304
        Avg Target Utilization Percentage (1,304 / 2080) = 62%
      • Utilization Example:  (w/ 50% Travel)
        Note: Use the #s in the above Utilization Example + Non Billable Travel time.
        Non Billable Travel time per travel week = 14 hrs (7 hours 1way = 1hr drive, 1.5hr Airport, 2.5 hr flight, 1.5hr after flight)
        Non Billable Travel time (50% Travel) (14hrs * 25weeks) = 350 hrs
        Total Non Billable Hours = 776 (see above example) + 350 (travel) = 1,126 hrs
        Target Billable Hours (2080 - 1126) = 954
        Avg Target Utilization Percentage (954 / 2080) = 45%
  • Measurable yearly performance bonus payouts.
  • Attractive benefits.
  • Sign On Bonus
  • Ownership and/or stock options.
  • Compensation Contract.
• Travel
  • 50% avg or less.
  • Additional compensation for traveling.
  • Travel time is considered part of your work hours for that week.
  • Option to fly home every weekend.
  • Note: Travel where you file on Sun and return on Friday night gets old very quickly.
• Integrity - The company and its employees have the quality of being known to be honest, upright, and hold to sound principles.
• Family - The company has procedures in place that help balance work with family culture.