In this ninth episode of ASUG Talks: Candid Career Conversations, season 2, we talk with Darin Schultz, AMS in Commercial and Logistics with Braskem America. A full transcript follows:
Laurel Nelson-Rowe:
Today I'm happy to be joined by Darin Schultz, AMS in Commercial and Logistics with Braskem America. Hello Darin, and welcome to ASUG Talks.
Darin Schultz:
Hey, thanks for inviting me.
Nelson-Rowe:
You are most welcome. We're going to start out with a little bit of background about you, before we jump into that real Candid Career Conversation. So here's your first question: Where did you grow up and did that affect in any way the professional that you became? And if so, how?
Schultz:
I grew up in a town called Finleyville, Pennsylvania, which is in the western part of the state, just below Pittsburgh. So if you look on a map below Pittsburgh, there's a large blank spot out in the countryside. So living out in the country allowed me to learn a lot about how to fix things with very little understanding. So this feeling carried over to my professional life--that you never stop learning and you're always wanting to grow.
Nelson-Rowe:
So you're a problem solver and a fixer?
Schultz:
Oh yeah.
Nelson-Rowe:
What did you want to be as a kid, and why did you want to be that and did that influence how you became a professional?
Schultz:
I was just describing living out in the country, but when I was in high school, I was considering being an airline mechanic because I was good at working with tools and motorized equipment, fixing things. I could repair almost anything that we had at home and being a mechanic felt like a natural fit. So, my father talked me out of it and suggested I should attend college instead. So, I did go to college and sometimes I wonder what if, because of that change in that direction.
Nelson-Rowe:
Going to college and early in your career, did you want a career in information technology? Did you seek that out?
Schultz:
Actually, no. I mean, back then I didn't. IT was not really a profession back then, if you think about it. Back in the mid- to late-‘80s, it existed but it was more mainframe and things like that.
Nelson-Rowe:
Coming out of college, what was your intention at that point?
Schultz:
I did have a desire to be in IT. I had a better understanding of the options that were available, and then the market was just becoming more of an Apple- or PC-based. It was relatively new back then. So it was mostly IBM mainframe work at the time.
Nelson-Rowe:
So what was your first job related to IT and SAP solutions? When? Where did that happen? How did it happen?
Schultz:
Back in 2007, I was working for Sunoco Chemicals and we were transitioning away from an old DEC VAX Legacy and an IBM mainframe to something called SAP. What's that? I had an idea what I was getting into, moving from a very comfortable job position to something unknown with strange lingo. I started attending the SD meetings because I supported this area for the company, but definitely drinking from the fire hose with so many different terms and so much complexity.
Nelson-Rowe:
Something called SAP?
Schultz:
Yeah, back then. Yeah. What is that? What's this stand for? I don't know. You have to go look it up.
Nelson-Rowe:
Do you think you are a career path planner, a responsive career opportunist? A combination? A hybrid?
Schultz:
Yeah, I would say it's a combination. When I first started out in IT, I was struggling financially just like most people do, and I had no career. I had no career path. I didn't know what I wanted to do. Once settling into a larger company, I was able to think about what I wanted to achieve in my career. I wanted to move up, get promotions, just like everyone else does, but I had no plan on how to get there. There was an option to go back to school and get my master's; that did help me succeed. But I had to prove to myself that I could be counted on by my peers. I had to work hard to reach that next level and gain the trust of everybody.
Nelson-Rowe:
ASUG Talks includes a few lightning round questions, so we try to put a lot of information into a short amount of time. So your first lightning round question: in two minutes or less, just please share with the audience your career highlights.
Schultz:
So I received a MIS degree from The Pennsylvania State University. Those from Ohio probably recognize “The,” but actually “The” was started before that. I started my first IT job with 84 Lumber in 84 Pennsylvania Yes, there is a town called 84 in Pennsylvania out in the middle of Washington County.
I began in the computer room running batch jobs, mounting reel tape drives, Winchester drives, adding paper to line printers, delivering paper reports. And after six months I got promoted, they called it out into the programming area. That was a big step and I started to support the HR group with their new application for payroll that they were buying. Everyone in IT needs to support payroll at some point in their career to clearly understand why it's hard to do it. So, I left there.
I went to the big city of Pittsburgh and started with Aristech Chemical, supporting the order-to-cash applications. And during this time is when I completed my master's degree from CMU. Aristech, was then sold to Sunoco Chemicals and then sold again to my current company, Braskem America. And since I started Aristech, I've been sort of working for the same company, but with new company names. And I've been doing this IT thing now for 30 years.
Nelson-Rowe:
What's been your favorite job or role or responsibility to date across those 30 years?
Schultz:
Learning SAP during our conversion project in 2007, going from a digital VAX Legacy to SAP. You know, it was a fast-paced learning experience, so many moving parts and it had to all come together for the big bang go-live.
Nelson-Rowe:
On the other hand, what's been the most challenging role/responsibility to date and why was that so challenging?
Schultz:
My first job at 84 Lumber, supporting all the payroll areas for all the stores and headquarters. So, it was so stressful getting everyone's paycheck printed since that's how you paid employees back in 1988. So, everyone got a check.
I was working on that project to implement this, and there was four others that worked with me and by the time we went live, it was just me. So, I was the only one supporting it. I got it done but realized how it took a toll on my mental being. I never knew how to ask for help, being just 22 and knew it had to work right. People were going to yell at you back then. You'd be surprised when someone's paycheck is off by a penny and they want that penny. You couldn't say that it was due to rounding, you just couldn't say that. They want their penny so...
Nelson-Rowe:
What's been your best career decision to date, and what went into that decision-making process?
Schultz:
Well, this may sound strange in the current IT environment, but I chose to stay at my company and not leave, like many did over the years. The folks that you started out with, they come and go, and these same people moved so many times going to different companies and they feel they were never happy. It didn't matter where they were, they just weren't going to be happy anyways. But there is something about being familiar with work processes and being able to influence how it can be improved, by staying. The younger folks these days, they need to change every few years, but it's hard.
Nelson-Rowe:
Is there anything in your career that you would like to do over and why?
Schultz:
There was a time where I had a very difficult boss and I made some mistakes early in my career with him, and I know everyone's always had a difficult boss throughout the years. And I spoke up, I thought that I was helping out our IT group when I mentioned that there were some users that really didn't like working with a certain fellow employee in our group. This backfired and now I was the problem employee, all right. So I joke about this issue now with my old boss and we're good friends now, we've always been. I've known him for 28, 27 years now. So he was my first boss. We were both inexperienced in our roles and you learned really quickly about big business then.
Nelson-Rowe:
What did it teach you?
Schultz:
Well, it taught you how to offer feedback instead of going to your boss and saying, "Hey, this such and such user just came to me and they don't like working with this person." You have to learn how to say it the right way and offer feedback.
Nelson-Rowe:
There's a way to do that. And you learned it for your future.
Schultz:
Oh yeah. Yes, I did.
Nelson-Rowe:
Was there ever a job that you wanted and never got?
Schultz:
You know, there's always this career form of some sort that HR asked every employee to fill out along the way. And there's a question of, "Where do you want to be in five years?" So I put on there that I wanted to be the IT director, since this would show HR that I wanted to be on the fast track, I want to get promoted. Well, this eventually made its way back to our IT director. He wanted to discuss it with me. I'm taking his job. Well, it was a good way to let them know that I was serious about learning and moving up, but knowing what I know now would've never been prepared for that position at such a young age, being in your mid-to-late 20s.
Nelson-Rowe:
And is that still an intention that you put down on your HR form?
Schultz:
I do that as a joke now. Yeah. So we haven't been asked that in a long time, but I still do that... Knowing that I would never want that job now, no.
Nelson-Rowe:
What education and training experiences have been essential for your roles and your responsibility?
Schultz:
My MIS degree. It allowed me to have classes not just in programming, but also various business classes. And you get a rounded education and not become just a heads down backroom coder. I mean, don't get me wrong, I mean all companies do need this type of person, but they also need someone that understands what the business is describing and can explain this to this program in a language everybody understands.
Nelson-Rowe:
So it's that business acumen plus the technical skill base?
Schultz:
The degree it gives you all the programming classes. It gives you analysis classes, it gives you the marketing, the business, and also the other ones that everybody hates--the econ and the general science. You got to take a little bit of everything so you never know where you're going to end up.
Nelson-Rowe:
What's the best advice that a mentor ever gave to you about your job or your role/responsibilities?
Schultz:
Learn as much as you can about your role and the business areas in the company, not just the area that you're in. It goes a long way when you can talk about a topic with the business when you understand what they do in their role. I've been working in this type of business for so long and retained so much about how our business works that I sometimes question business users on their request, and I explain why it would or wouldn't be good and they're grateful for that because they're not sure of how it could affect all the other areas by their change that they're asking for.
Nelson-Rowe:
So a mentor offered that to you, and you've passed that along to other colleagues and generations?
Schultz:
Yes, I try to, yes.
Nelson-Rowe:
Here's a second lightning round question. What are the three things that you've learned over time in this field that people should know?
Schultz:
Be willing to speak up and offer help to your fellow IT members business users. One day it might be you that needs their help. That simple thing, it goes a long way with your peers.
Nelson-Rowe:
Okay.
Schultz:
Again, understanding the business process before making any changes. Don't immediately offer solutions without a complete picture because it usually doesn't meet the user's needs. I remember a cartoon that showed a bunch of programmers with their heads down with the boss saying, "Let me go ask them what they need, and you guys start coding now."
Nelson-Rowe:
That's not the way to do it?
Schultz:
Yeah. And the last one is, suggest more than one option for a solution and it will allow the user to feel that they had a bigger part in the final decision. It'll allow more dialogue on the topic. It may turn out that your understanding of an issue is completely wrong, based on that discussion.
Nelson-Rowe:
Is there a specific example of that last lesson learned that you can recall for the audience?
Schultz:
Yeah, it's happened more than one time. You're in a discussion about a change, and I'm guilty of this all the time, that I immediately have a solution for them upfront before going into the meeting. I sort of know what they want. I go in and I have to stop myself. I have to finish listening to them completely. Maybe there are some other options that we hadn't thought of, and then offer them multiple ones.
Nelson-Rowe:
I hear a lot of passion in terms of your experience and your expertise. Why are you passionate about what you do?
Schultz:
I gain a simple satisfaction in completing a task that solves a business problem. There are days where that doesn't always happen, but walking away, coming back, sometimes a solution just pops up and it's not where you thought it was or what you thought it was going to be, something entirely different. So I'm looking for something that works every time without some manual intervention by someone. It's good to, as I say, pressing the easy button.
Nelson-Rowe:
That doesn't happen very often.
Schultz:
No, it doesn't but...
Nelson-Rowe:
What's most difficult about what you do on a day-to-day basis?
Schultz:
Well, I know some folks are not going to like this answer, but I have issues with auditors. They come to me since I understand almost every area within our SD Logistics area in our company and trying to explain to a some 20-something year old fresh out of college about shipping rail cars and why you can't go count inventory out in the railroad yard. They're not going to let you in to do that. And they want to know where every rail car is in North America, but they still question the responses once I explain where they are.
And I understand they're just trying to complete their tasks, but it's hard each year when there's another new auditor, another youngster coming in, you have to explain the same answers over and over. Because we're working with the railroads and the railroads give us, they're called car location messages where the car is going past a reader and it's not really a city, it's a location for the railroad. And you give this to the auditor, and they say, "But this city doesn't exist? I can't find this city on the map." I said, "Yeah, it's a railroad city. That's why it doesn't exist."
Nelson-Rowe:
But I bet over time, in terms of auditors, as frustrating as it is, year upon year, you've come to make auditors your friend, through diplomacy.
Schultz:
No. I learned something early on from someone that was in internal audit. We were answering questions for the IRS, which happens all the time. And we're sitting in the meeting and the IRS auditor was asking for these things and I said, "Yeah, I can do this and this, and how about this and this?" And then after the meeting, the internal guy pulled me over. He says, "Do not ever offer them anything in addition to what they're asking for."
Nelson-Rowe:
Good example. What are you most proud of in your professional life and why?
Schultz:
Being able to say I enjoy my job and happy working with SAP. I know that lots of people look up to me for answers, because I've been here for so long--Darin always has an opinion on something. I always have something to say, whether right, wrong, good, bad. I don't... Sometimes I talk with no filter, maybe I shouldn't. But I see that a lot of people respect that. There's those that will give the politically correct answer and I'll give them the right answer or maybe not one what they want to hear, but something that's realistic.
Nelson-Rowe:
Realistic, honest, and truthful.
Schultz:
Yeah.
Nelson-Rowe:
Source of trust. Your third lightning round question. What are the three best pieces of advice you'd give to those interested in a career in IT, using SAP technologies and solutions?
Schultz:
Seek out a mentor that's willing to give you some simple advice. I work with someone who mentors younger people starting in the company. And it's funny where we'll get into the discussion, and I'll be mentoring him. It's kind of strange. He'll ask me about a certain situation, and he knows that I've dealt with this person in the past and I'll offer some advice for him. It's therapy. It's how I look at it. It's kind of fun.
Second item, learn as much as you can while you have the opportunity. I know that at least within our company, they offer classes, they offer training. Take it while you can. If it's available, if it's something new, who knows? You might use it. At least you'll be able to talk intelligently about it if the topic comes up. And be willing to ask questions that you're thinking and know when to listen and not talk.
Nelson-Rowe:
So offering questions, as well as listening when questions are answered, or advice is given?
Schultz:
Yeah, there's times when you want to speak up and say some things, but it's just better off to let the person complete their sentence and not say anything. It goes both ways. You know, that fine line when to ask questions or when not to.
Nelson-Rowe:
It is a fine line. Your wrap-up question for this episode of ASUG Talks: if you could have one superpower, any superpower, to be better at your job and more successful in your career, what would that be?
Schultz:
Think about this for a moment: You're able to read people's minds. Wouldn't it speed up understanding what's going on, remove obstacles in almost any situation. It also would work at home with your spouse.
Nelson-Rowe:
Read people's minds. Anybody and everybody, I take it?
Schultz:
Yeah.
Nelson-Rowe:
All right. Well that's great. I don't know that we can get that to you for the superpower. And thank you for this conversation, Darin. Really appreciated it.
Schultz:
Yeah. Thank you for the opportunity.