The Best Career Advice

Posted on June 24, 2023 by way0utwest

I don’t know that I have the best advice, but this month’s T-SQL Tuesday is asking for people to share what they think is the best advice they’ve been given or have for you. I wrote my own piece, where I noted that learning to say “No” was one of the best things I’ve ever done. Not that I say no to everything, but I do default to no, especially when someone asks for me to tackle something new.

Actually, it’s slightly more nuanced than that. As I’ve gotten used to my workload, I will say yes to things, and certainly, I’m more likely to commit to one-off things. It’s the longer-term, larger things that I don’t want to agree to do unless I’m sure I can deliver.

There are lots of other things people wrote. Deb said that you should trust your instincts and realize you can contribute, even if you’re new. Hugo notes the user is often right. Mala is more cautious with work and practices discretion. Rob got the advice to take it slow, learn his job, and figure out what he likes and doesn’t.

There are lots of other advice, from Pragati telling you to get a mentor to Mikey saying you should find a job you love. If you check out the comments in the invitation above, you’ll see plenty more responses, many with interesting back stories and more details. If you only read through one set of T-SQL Tuesday responses, this might be the one to pick.

I’m a big fan of actively managing your career. Make the decisions that move in the direction that matters to you. As noted in a few posts, we spend a lot of our lives at work. At times more than we spend with family, so be sure you have a career you enjoy.

This takes work, but it’s an investment that can repay itself over many years. Both in financial rewards and less stress on a regular basis. Every job is a job some days, but when you enjoy your work, it doesn’t feel like work.

Steve Jones

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A New Word: Volander

Posted on June 23, 2023 by way0utwest

volander: n. the ethereal feeling of looking down at the world through an airplane window, able to catch a glimpse of far-flung places you’d never see in person, free to let your mind wander, trying to imagine what they must feel like down on the ground – the closest you’ll ever get to an objective point of view.

I snap these types of photos all the time. This was me leaving Denver for Fort Lauderdale recently:

2023-06-05 17_11_39-Photo - Google Photos

Here was last year above Hawaii:

2023-06-05 17_13_08-Photo - Google Photos

and leaving Melbourne:

2023-06-19 11_45_08-Photo - Google Photos

As I fly, I sometimes think about the world below me, what it’s like from the ground, what it’s like for people who’ve walked there. Sometimes I plan to go someday and see.

Often, I know I’ll never get there.

I flew to Las Vegas a few weeks ago, and there are lots of places I could visit that I see, and some I have. However, much of the mountains above Colorado, the desert outside Las Vegas to the East, these are places I’ll never go.

But I can dream.

From the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

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Agile West–How Do I Get Started with Database DevOps

Posted on June 21, 2023 by way0utwest

This week I had the chance to deliver a talk at Agile West in Las Vegas. I linked some resources on my blog, and feel free to check them out.

Tl;Dr – Start with deployments

After the talk, I had an interesting question from someone in the audience. This person had a lot of developers writing code and then sending to a DBA, who executes it in SSMS. This was for SQL Server development, and that’s a common way many companies deploy database changes.

Even companies that have software developers who embrace DevOps will still tend to work this way.

This is error prone, inefficient, and it’s not the way to build better software. We know that DevOps produces better software if you adopt it, and we know that you can’t forget the database. That’s integral if you want to be a high or elite performer.

My advice for many companies is that they start with deployments. If you have some manual process or DBAs involved, often they’re just running a script you produced in some way. What I’d do is start adding Flyway Community  (or Teams/Enterprise) in and putting those scripts into a folder (hopefully in Git) and naming them as appropriate. That’s a small change for DBAs or Ops people deploying code, but it starts to enable a process.

From here, I can alter this process to use tooling (Azure DevOps, Bamboo, Jenkins, etc.) and continue to put scripts in a location. Then I can work backwards and start getting developers to build better processes for capturing and saving code.

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A Short Break

Posted on June 21, 2023 by way0utwest

I’m in the air again, hopefully. I should have taken off about 20 minutes ago for Orlando. This time, however, it’s not work, it’s personal.

This is a short break, heading off to the AAU Girls Junior National Championships. My last few days with a team of girls I’ve been coaching since January, and many of whom I’ve know for many years. It’s a bit sad to think that I won’t see most of them again on a regular basis Sad smile

However, that’s the way it goes. Hopefully this week won’t be too stressful as we’re likely placed in a division a bit too high for us, especially with two players unable to make the trip.

In any case, I’m gone the rest of the week, with a scheduled blog for Friday (another new word), but otherwise, see you next week.

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