A Special Message for Sun Microsystems Employees
Now that the Sun-Oracle deal has closed, what happens next?
What are your career alternatives after Sun?
Where do you go from here?
If you're wondering where to find the answers to these questions, you're not alone. Even though this acquisition has been on the horizon for many months, it will still be a big transformation. Are you prepared?
Sun was an exciting and wonderful place to work for many years. It was an exhilarating experience – one I will never forget. We had the opportunity to meet and work with some of the brightest, most talented people in the industry. People who had great skills and capabilities and a can-do, get things done attitude. People whose ability to contribute was the envy of many other organizations.
As Scott said, we truly did change the world. And we had a hell of a lot of fun doing it.
I strongly believe the time I spent at Sun prepared me for the success I've had since.
If you're a long-term Sun employee, you may be worried about how you'll do in the job market. Do you have the right skills and experience? Will other companies value the time you've spent at Sun? How will you compete in this economic environment?
I'd like to reassure you that your Sun background is extremely valuable. When I left Sun in 2002 after 15 action-packed years and started my own strategic marketing business, I was surprised to find how valuable my Sun experience was to others. Today my clients include some of the largest and most well-known companies in Silicon Valley, as well as innovative startups, midsized companies, and nonprofit organizations. You can learn more about me here.
Special Offer for Sun Employees:
As a current or former Sun employee, when you sign up for the teleseminar, you'll receive a FREE copy of my e-book, Marketing Your Career.
Now I'd like to help other Sun employees succeed.
As I've helped organizations improve the effectiveness of their marketing, I've found that many of the same principles that help us launch and market products are also applicable for individuals. Several years ago, I began creating a series of tools to help people like you market yourself and drive your career more effectively, especially in a down market.
Now I have the opportunity to help you, my former colleagues at Sun, who will be displaced as a result of the Oracle acquisition.
To help you jump start your career search, I'm offering a low-cost one-hour teleseminar especially for current and former Sun employees. We'll focus on many of the key factors you'll need to be considering as you move out into the 2010 job market, including how to leverage your Sun pedigree and connections. Life After Sun: Marketing Yourself for Success in the New Economy is available as an MP3 file.
For more hands-on support, we also have a half-day workshop available entitled: Positioned for Success: How to Market Yourself in 2010. Attendees will learn strategies and approaches to better prepare you to be successful in marketing and positioning yourself. We'll discuss how to articulate your expertise and experience in a way that's compelling to potential employers. Best of all, you'll leave with the blueprint for an action plan that will help move you forward through this transition. There'll be optional interviewing skills and social media sessions available that day as well. For more information about the workshop, contact us.
More to Come
We're planning additional programs to support the Sun community, such as podcast interviews with former Sun employees who've moved to other successful positions, and ongoing tips and suggestions for leveraging the Sun alumni community. If you'd like to leverage the power of a group, we'll be creating coaching groups of 5-6 people that will work together for four months to support each other through the transition process. If you're interested in starting or growing your own business or consulting practice, you may also be interested in my 90 day 1:1 mentoring program.
Yes, there really is life after Sun.
For me, leaving Sun after such a long time was a little bit scary, but also exciting. Seven years later, I'm happy to say that the future is bright (you gotta wear shades!). I'm hoping these programs will help each of you make your own seamless transition to the bright post-Sun world.
Good luck and welcome to life after Sun!
Linda Popky
Sun Employee # 4225
1987-2002