Voice of the DBA

There are plenty of people changing jobs in this economy. In fact, I keep hearing that companies are struggling to find people, though many of them are holding off making offers and looking for qualified people. Unlike the early 90s when anyone with an MCSE got hired without too many questions, companies are being picky today about who they hire.

I saw recently that Brent Ozar wrote his monthly post asking about who is hiring in the database community. There are a number of comments already with job listings, and I’m hoping there are more that appear when this publishes. If you know of a job, post a comment. The wider you spread the news, the better chance you’ll get a person that best fits the position.

There is always opportunity in any market, but there is also competition. Everyone that I talk to who hires people has to go through a lot of resumes and CVs. They sometimes can’t find a person with enough knowledge, and sometimes they can’t find someone who fits in with their culture. Like it or not, getting along with others and fitting into a culture is important. This is still true even in the remote work-at-home structure that has grown in many companies. We still need a team of people working together.

I am an advocate of working on your skills and improving them over time. I’m also a fan of ensuring you are showcasing your skills on your resume and on a blog. I think #SQLNewBlogger is a great way to start preparing for the next position you want, not the one you have now. I have written many posts as examples of how to explain what you’ve learned. You can start that now, rather than being in the situation of Ken, who had his job eliminated.

Spend some time growing your career this year. Balance that with family, hobbies, faith, and friends, but don’t neglect your career. Your employer will, so it’s up to you to manage a career yourself. After all, if you need a job, do you want to get that great paying remote job or get stuck with a job offer that wants you back in an office every day?

And when you get a new job, be ready to hit the ground running and impress your employer. Show them they made the right decision by hiring you. There have been some good posts on getting started at a job. Aaron Bertrand wrote about his first 30 days and Tracy Boggiano is doing a series. I’m really looking forward to what Tracy shares about her new gig.

Maybe you want to write about how you’d start your job over again or maybe how you’d attack a new job if you got one. That could be the type of post that impresses someone enough to hire you.

Steve Jones

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