Dear Class of 2013: Being a Nerd Brought Me Success

Okay, I'm a nerd, seriously, so I'll skip the inspirational stuff that doesn't get stuff done and focus on what's real, nerd style.

Nerd is all I really know, 1950's style, and nerdery has changed in ways that I don't really get, but anyway.

If you can, stick with small companies, no more than 150 people. At that size, there's a strong tendency for folks to strive for promotion and power, rather than getting the job done.

There are exceptions, like Google, where they're working hard building a new kind of large corporation culture, but that's the exception.

For those of you considering a big company, there's an excellent ongoing essay on large corporation life, it's at dilbert.com. Aside from the comic aspect, it's a totally spot on description of life in a big org.

Seriously, I lived the Dilbert life for nearly twenty years, often failing to learn what normal people learn growing up.

Dilbert himself fails to learn, but also doesn't give up. Frankly, I was stuck in that mode until companies I worked for had partial meltdowns.

Wally has learned to work the system, but not in a way I'd choose.

Alice, well, don't ask.

Asok might be you, capable of learning.

In any case, don't be me, learning only when suitably traumatized.

If you go the big company route, or into a mode where you have to cross organizations, things can work. As a nerd, though, you maybe suffer from big impatience, I still do.

Just in case you haven't noticed, but that means meetings. Lots of meeting, where people will often speak for the sake of being perceived as contributing.

You might contemplate the irony that such contributions have the opposite effect, that they get in the way of getting stuff done.

(Note my recent homage to Mr Ed the talking horse, who'd never speak unless he has something to say.)

What's worked for me is a sense of humor; if it wasn't for comedy, I'd have no personality at all.

You can be an example for others, using a military technology shared with me directly from the Department of Defense. (seriously) In officer school, they teach to start with the Bottom Line Up Front, or BLUF. That is, get to the point. Maybe others will follow your example.

Bonus: get the point, then stop. I aspire to that.

Big or small company, you're responsible for your own career, and a really big part of that is how you're perceived. You really do have a personal brand, and in a small way, you're a media thing. That means lots of work on Facebook, Twitter, and internal social media. Your boss might help you out, and maybe not.

Okay, at the risk of being inspirational...

• Treat people like you want to be treated
• Try to do well by doing good, that actually works often in the tech world
• Use tech to help people out; be of good faith that we can all use tech to make life better for all

We're not talking techno-utopianism, there's no such thing. (The term was invented by people who wanted an excuse to get attention.)

This is just about basics, giving everyone a break, using tech to help out.

An old term for people who want to help others using tech is "trekkie," and if you haven't noticed, they're winning.

Live long and prosper.