Dell

There really are good people at Dell.

I went to college thinking I was going to get a job someday working with Computer Science people like myself.

Rarely, rarely, rarely did I ever work in an IT department with CS graduates.

That's not a bad thing, just puzzling.

Where do all those CS graduates go?

I'm talking 30+ years of no contact.

Then I finally bumped into some working at Dell.

That was cool. I'm not alone in the world.

Still a good company to work for when you get fresh out of school with your CS degree. But not if you're a seasoned IT person.

My first day of work at Dell was magical, in a way, because I felt like I stepped back in time to the 1980s. Wow! Most companies have gotten lean, downsized, and efficient. Dell still has all the redundant bureaucratic levels in place.

Layers and layers of middle management. It took weeks to get a PC and longer to get a log-in ID, and I still didn't have access to any systems. I was able to turn on my PC and check the company intranet. Months passed before I was actually able to produce something tangible.

I felt like I was actually in the movie "Office Space". I came on when Michael Dell had just finished purchasing his company back, making it a private company once again. There was a big conference in the auditorium with all the global branches participating via video. We could see all the other locations around the world on a big screen, including Michael Dell in Austin. When Michael took the stage, the place went wild! People were acting like Steve Jobs had risen from the grave. It was a magical time.

Then, a year later, we had the same global video conference. However, by this time, many people had been laid off. If only they had known what they were cheering about last year. This time around, the mood was somber. It was like a scene taken right out of the movie "Office Space", where everyone is singing "Happy Birthday" to Lumbergh.

Long story short, as a young graduate, you will learn what company bureaucracy is all about, get your ears wet learning some interesting things, get your feet planted on the ground about the corporate world, and be ready for your next challenge. But during your stay, you will be a single, tiny little ant helping a bigger cause. "Ant number 4869284, have you turned in your TPS reports?"

For the people who stay for the long haul, make no bones about it, there is a "boys club" attitude. I don't mean that in the gender sense; women have a place here. It's just that you need to hook yourself onto someone's coat tails if you're going to rise up. I don't know this personally, but I listened to my managers, supervisors, and directors' stories. "I worked for so-and-so for 5 years, then went to work for Bob for 5 years, then I worked for Susan for 5 years, THEN I was assistant project manager for 10 years, then... 30 years later, poof! I was a director."

Talk like that makes me want to barf. AND, these are social butterflies, NOT engineers. Your career path, should you accept the challenge, is much more dismal. Take heart in knowing you will help these butterflies soar to new heights. They will be driving new cars, and you'll still have your college car.

Lose the middle management. The 1980s is over.