How I Got This Job

On August 13th I will hit my 13 year anniversary with Sprint. The changes over this period are gargantuan. When I started working for the local phone division of Sprint in 1996, they were a monopoly in the markets they served. Expense budgets were flush with cash, and little scrutiny was placed on travel or business entertainment. Layoffs were virtually unheard of. The story of how I was hired on would be quite different in today's economy.

I worked for the local cable company from 1981 until my move to Sprint in 1996. In May of 1996, Jim, the former general manager of the local cable company called me out of the blue and asked if I would be interested in a job at Sprint. I was so ready for a change. The Sprint local phone company was launching a project to construct cable TV networks in their markets. This new network would provide voice, video and data to their customers. Sprint needed people with cable TV network experience. Jim put me in touch with Russell, and director in the technology laboratory at Sprint.

Russell asked me to come by for an interview, which I did within a few days. He grilled me as much as he was capable on cable TV technology, and I must have passed the test. At the end of the interview, Russell said he would like to offer me a job, but had to go through his HR contact before an offer could be made. He gave me his business card and told me to call him if I was not contacted by HR within 2 weeks.

I was exuberant. I returned to my current job and gave them a sloppy 2 weeks notice. Sloppy in that I said it could be 2 or 3 weeks, but wanted them to know. I had a great relationship with my leadership at the cable company, and they were willing to let me stay on until the offer from Sprint was made.

Two weeks came and went. No contact from Sprint. I called Russell, and he explained there was some debate on where I would best fit in the organization. He asked if I could interview again with a different person. Later that day, I interviewed with James. James was a technologist that was very opinionated on how cable TV networks should be built and operated. That view must have differed with mine, because I was given no hope that a job offer would be extended by James.

Anther 2 weeks passed without contact from Sprint. I called Russell and Jim asking about the progress. Both said that they were still working on it. I was asked to come in again and interview with the lab manager. I did, but did not get the feeling that he was that interested in bringing me on.

Two or three more weeks passed. My current employer was starting to ask questions. Was the 2 week notice still in effect after 7 weeks? I continued to call Russell. He asked me if I would talk to one of his peers over the phone on Friday evening. I was beginning to wear out, but agreed. The phone conversation was in fact a very informal interview with Dave and lasted a mere 15 minutes. Dave was the Director of Network Operations in Sprint. He sounded interested, but I was beginning to question whether a legitimate offer would be made. If 3 face-to-face interviews did not bring in an offer, how could a 15 minute phone conversation?

But it did. Within a couple days, an offer was extended to come work for Dave. I had hoped for a nice raise, but the offer was pretty comparable to what I was making with overtime at the cable company. I accepted the offer and 9 weeks after my interview with Russell, I worked my last day in cable TV and moved over to Sprint.

The first few weeks were overwhelming. Here I was, a high school educated cable TV technician knuckledragger, thrown into the management world and surrounded by very smart people, even some with PhD degrees. What I quickly found was that while smart, they were not smart in the areas I was. They were looking for someone who could answer the questions that seemed so simple to me. I began to add value, and with that became more and more comfortable with the new job.

Then a bombshell was dropped. The project I was hired to support was cancelled. Sprint would not be deploying cable TV networks. Panic set in. THAT'S ALL I KNOW! WHAT WILL I DO NOW? The building I worked in was full of Vice-Presidents. I spent the new few weeks avoiding them in the hallways. I did not want them to see that the guy they brought in to help with cable TV network operation was still drawing a paycheck. As I look back on that time, I now realize I was in no danger of lay off. Money grows on trees when you are a monopoly, and executives would build empires with that money. Headcount was the way you measure an empire.

Yet, I was rather skittish. I cornered Dave, my director, and asked him what I should do now. He was not concerned, but gave me good advice. He said to carve a niche for myself. With help from the manager I reported to, I began to get involve with any and all "emerging technologies" . The thought was that nobody was an expert in the brand new stuff so I would not be at a disadvantage. It worked. I expanded my skill set from cable TV to fiber to the curb, and DSL technologies. My niche was carved, and that led to other opportunities as time passed which eventually led to wireless services.

I was fortunate to have gotten the opportunity with Sprint. It has been good for me and my family. The "sideways" move was only temporary. In fact, I now realize that I had moved from a career path that was reaching it's top end, to a career path where I had lots of headroom. I owe a debt of gratitude to 3 men for this opportunity.

First and foremost, to Jim. My general manager at the cable company. He gave me my first real job. I was loyal to him, and he returned that loyalty by thinking me when a position opened up at Sprint. I have learned many lessons from Jim, but the best one is that whatever happens, keep it real. It is easy to get caught up in the current program or initiative, but honest, common sense, realistic counsel will lead you or your boss to the best decisions.

Secondly, Russell. I am sure that after my first interview, he began to catch signs of the cable TV project demise. Yet, he remained true to his word to find me a position. I am convinced this is the reason why it took 9 weeks and 3 more interviews to land that position.

And finally, to Dave. Dave took a chance in hiring me. I do not know what he saw (or heard) from me that convinced him to offer a position. Maybe he just lost a bet. Regardless, that 15 minute phone conversation on a Friday evening changed my life. Since then I was able to watch Dave move up the corporate ladder. He is no longer at Sprint. Dave is now an officer in one of the world's largest telecommunications companies. During his time at Sprint I learned many lessons on leadership. His example seemed effortless, quickly blending logic, common sense, accountability and humor into any conversation.

Dave has a fantastic dry humor. Here are a few examples that come to mind:

• Immediately after the cancellation of the cable TV project and my "carve a niche" conversation with him, he would stop in to my bosses' cube (right new to mine), and whisper just loud enough for me to hear "Are we still paying him?" "Does he still work here?"
• After my stroke, and while in the hospital he left me a voice mail saying "You don't get extra points for almost dying on the job."
• If anyone answered a phone call, or tried to leave during his staff meetings, he would ask "Is that Kathy on the phone" or "Do you have an appointment with Kathy?" Kathy was his boss.
• If he caught you leaving a few minutes early, he would ask "Will you be returning after the Chemo treatment?"

Points were made with humor. We had a lot of laughs over the years from Dave wit. Not only was Dave my boss in several different positions, he and his family became friends of my family. My daughter Lyndy coached Dave's daughter's soccer team once his skills were exhausted. That milestone was reached when the girls reached the 1st grade.

Dave was very uncomfortable with non-competitive youth sports. I remember a quote from him when describing his daughter's soccer league. He said "We don't keep score in the games, or season won-loss records. But I do. We won 7-0 last Saturday to bring us 8-1 for the season." That statement says a lot about Dave. He was either in "it" full speed to win, or "it" was deselected. "It" could be a project at work, or a personal activity.

My time at Sprint is winding down. On September 21st, I along with 6,000 fellow employees will be rebadged to Ericsson. With that will be new opportunities and new leadership. I need to carve a niche for 13 more years before I retire.