Job Q&A
by Ben Murray
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Shannon Zimmerman is proud to call himself a fool; he's a project manager at The Motley Fool, a Virginia-based Web site that peddles in-depth financial information and advice. But this fool is no dummy. Having just completed his PhD in English, Zimmerman, 36, has also taught at the college level and dabbled in technical writing. He began at the Fool as a designer in 1998, but his new gig lets him bring humor and creativity to the world of financial advice.

Monster.com: What did you do before joining The Motley Fool?

Shannon Zimmerman: I was teaching literature and composition at the University of Georgia while working on my dissertation. I also did a little technical writing on the side to supplement my meager teaching assistant stipend.

My biggest concern in leaving grad school was that I was leaving the world of ideas behind, but nothing could be further from the truth. At the Fool, we've got a jillion great ideas and barely enough time to implement them.

Mc: What made you want to join this company?

SZ: I was a big fan of the site before I arrived on the scene. It definitely taught me a lot about investing and taking control of my finances, so I'm a big believer in the company's mission to educate, amuse and enrich our users. When I saw a job posting on the site that I thought I'd be right for, I applied right away.

I wrote a letter outlining my qualifications, primarily HTML skills but also a lot of enthusiasm for what the company was up to. I also quoted Percy Shelley in my cover letter, which seemed to impress my boss -- proof positive that even though I'm not teaching English lit, my degrees have come in handy. Actually, I didn't quote Shelley; I misquoted him. I mangled that last great line from Ode to the West Wind: "Oh Fool, if day traders and money managers come, can correction be far behind?"

So I recommend being as geeky as possible. It seemed to do the trick for me. I worked in our design group, doing HTML and graphics work, along with working on our AOL version. I did that for two years before moving into project management.

Mc: Did you have to demonstrate juggling ability to get hired?

SZ: Definitely, which was a good thing too, since, from the very beginning, I played lots of different roles. When I first joined, the Fool hadn't yet formalized its project management group, so I shepherded a lot of projects through the pipeline, even while I was working on them as a producer. It was a very exciting time for me; I got to learn an enormous amount about the Internet's infrastructure, which certainly helps me in my current role. That approach to project management couldn't scale, though, which is why the Fool now has an official project management team in place.

Mc: What do you do as a project manager?

SZ: I work with the Fool's tech and design departments to build the company's online service's infrastructure and user interface. I also work with the company's product managers, helping them understand the Internet's possibilities and limitations. Essentially, I make sure the implementation trains are running on time so that everything that has to happen to see a project through swift completion in a way that's consistent with a promised delivery date. At the end of the day, my main responsibility is to help formulate strategic goals into project requirements that our techies and designers can use as the basis for their work. It's a blast.

Mc: What is the atmosphere like?

SZ: Pretty festive and collegial, though around deadline time it gets pretty quiet. People bring in a lot of great food, too, which is somewhat problematic. I work on a floor with writers and designers, so there's always someone interesting to talk to. Everyone is seriously into what they're doing, and that's exciting to be around.

Mc: You work in both the finance advice and dotcom worlds. What's the outlook for the industry?

SZ: The Fool's writers always encourage investors to take the long view and invest in companies only after they've looked into the fundamentals. The same thing is true of the Internet, or really, any industry. The Internet is a fact of life now, so it'll be a source of great career opportunities for a mighty long time. But as with any industry, the companies that'll last are the ones that provide value for customers and manage their financials effectively. The Old and New Economies have the same bottom line.

Mc: What advice do you have for someone looking for a dotcom job?

SZ: I've got the same advice for job seekers, no matter where they're looking. Find something you love, or think you'll love, and pursue it full-time. It's a cliche, but it's true: getting a job you'll love is full-time work.