ITLDP

Hey everyone!

I've been invited to the second round of the ITLDP interview process in New Brunswick and was wondering if anyone has any hints/tips as to what I should expect. I've been told there will be a dinner of some sort and I'll have to give a short presentation but beyond that I don't have any more details, so any input would be greatly appreciated.

Also, is there a salary range I should be expecting (assuming one is offered of course)?

Thanks!

Before you go on this interview read the posts in this forum and rethink your decision to interview here. There are so many better places.

The ITLDP program is an excellent way to start your career. Good Luck.

Get a real job, kid.

They're gonna fill you up with expectations that you're a future leader in the organization. What they don't tell you is you're also competing with the people who've been working there for years. So when you don't get rocket promotions to manager and director, you start crying like a little f'in baby. Especially when other people in your class kissed the right ass to get their promotions.

ITLDP'ers a big joke. In the "old days", we called you "college hires". Now they call you a "leader". You're scum, you need to be treated like scum, and you need prove that you can actually perform an IT job without a talking a bunch of hot air and all the stupidass J&J buzzwords. If you actually do work and do it well, you may get some where, and the respect of your peers.

But in the end, it's who you know, not what you know. So if you're good at ass kissin', you'll zoom right to the top.

'Nuff said...

The program is great. The career possibilities in JNJ currently stink. Get some experience and leave.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

The program is great. The career possibilities in JNJ currently stink. Get some experience and leave.

+1

If you are really interested in IT, go work for an IT company, not J&J!

Take the job to add to your resume. There's no future here but it will bump up your salary. Only stay a year or two at most since you won't vest for your pension - you need to stay 5 years for that. If your employment horizon is more than 2 years then look else where.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

The ITLDP program is an excellent way to start your career. Good Luck.

Lying d-bag

Since it's a tough economy, take the job if offered but have VERY LOW expectations. As others have advised on this post... plan to stay long enough to get experience, and then move on. Don't get sucked into the "you're the future CIO" line of bullshit they will feed you. J&J has turned into a real scumbag company and over time it will bring you down. If you can keep your head straight, then go for it, put in 2 years, and get out.

Do your homework--please! Before you go into the dog and pony show with your little presentation.

First, forget the "leadership" tag line. For your sake, you do not want to 'lead' straight out of college in a totally new environment. Those positions are reserved for egoists or a**holes. You want to have the big experiences where you contribute in a variety of projects under different conditions--so when you are a leader you have a feel for what a team is experiencing.

Now the question: Can you contribute anything significant at J&J? Or anything worthwhile? Or anything at all?

Read these boards, read J&J's SEC filings, read...Since 2005 J&J keeps announcing efficiency measures, takes reserves for restructuring, and generally cuts the crap out of the IT organization.

Ask questions at the interview: How does J&J IT deliver value to so many different operating companies? See if you can decipher the tangled "center of excellence" reply, or if you really will accomplish anything in the bowl of spaghetti.

Ask about typical cycle times: What does it take to implement X? Will you be happy waiting 1-2 months for approvals to go through the centralized CLARITY system and being approved by managers, directors, directors, and managers before getting an OK? (Then, do you like to fill out time sheets every day?)

The other board members can suggest other 'polite' questions that will have the interviewer struggling, or putting up a rehearsed smoke screen. (you will be able to detect it.)

I assume you are a bright college candidate doing the first job search and I hope you have other opportunities. If you want J&J on the resume, great. Recognize, this isn't an IT company.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Lying d-bag

The biggest problem I have seen over the years is that the ITLDP program assumes that you can start out being a leader without ever having been a follower and paying some dues. You really can't. Even if you are one of the ones that is a fast learner and gets promoted quickly you will be missing a good deal of experience that you need to be a good leader.

That being said, it is a great way to start your career. Just realize that you will know less than many of those you will end up leading ... so ask good questions and have lots of humility. Remember your success is as much of function of luck than anything else.

Don't pay any attention to all those bitter little men whose careers have gone nowhere. They do not understand why, and they come on this website to let out their frustration.

It's a good opportunity to get your feet wet in big business, and in this economy i would take whatever you can get.

Be aware that it is a very slow climb up, and it will take years to get where you want to go in this organization.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

It's a good opportunity to get your feet wet in big business, and in this economy i would take whatever you can get.

Be aware that it is a very slow climb up, and it will take years to get where you want to go in this organization.

It depends. If you are those big with talks and low in execution, this is the perfect program for you. If you want to learn some good IT skills and move up the organization based on you ability not how well you can kiss asses, run away from J&J. It is not a good company to work with any more.

Everything mentioned so far in this thread is true. The "conclusion" is:

-Only take this job if you get no other offers
-If you do take it, use the opportunity to go to grad school part time
-Don't get frustrated with how slow and painful things are here, go with the flow
-Learn as much as you can. Learn on your own if you are not learning at work
-Remember that you will not be made a leader by the ITLDP program
-Learn learn learn so you can function somewhere else afterwards
-Never stop learning

Get the picture?

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Don't pay any attention to all those bitter little men whose careers have gone nowhere. They do not understand why, and they come on this website to let out their frustration.

So jackass, why do you come here? You must be one one of those men or women. Idiot.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

Everything mentioned so far in this thread is true. The "conclusion" is:

-Only take this job if you get no other offers
-If you do take it, use the opportunity to go to grad school part time
-Don't get frustrated with how slow and painful things are here, go with the flow
-Learn as much as you can. Learn on your own if you are not learning at work
-Remember that you will not be made a leader by the ITLDP program
-Learn learn learn so you can function somewhere else afterwards
-Never stop learning

Get the picture?

I agree with everything, except for number 1. The ITLDP program is a great way to get business IT experience in a large multinational company. Think of it as a very good paying internship, and treat it as such. Learn as much as you can, ask questions, and keep your eyes open. I have worked with several ITLDP grads within JNJ, and they were exceptional workers.

This is a great opportunity to learn about IT in corporate America. As you can already see from the emotional posts here you will experience many different personalities and be provided significant challenges. J&J Shared Services IT organization has been around for a long time, but it is very immature and under-developed for as long as it has been around. You are going to find politics wherever you end up. Just learn right now and stay away from "high school" level politics when you finally make a choice for a career. J&J IT Shared Services is very much a "clique" based organization. As some posters in this thread have indicated many are in positions and they do not appear to be qualified and/or effective. That is definitely true.

You are young, enjoy the experience.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

J&J IT Shared Services is very much a "clique" based organization. As some posters in this thread have indicated many are in positions and they do not appear to be qualified and/or effective. That is definitely true.
You are young, enjoy the experience.

This is so true, and that's what so frustrating about the place.

Originally Posted by Anonymous

So jackass, why do you come here? You must be one one of those men or women. Idiot.

Dear Angry Guy (aka Bitter Little Man),

I'm sorry I hurt your feelings.

/s/ someone that is glad not to be you