Voice of the DBA

Tag: career

  • Great Developers

    This editorial was originally publised on March 12, 2012. It is being re-run as Steve is on vacation.

    Is a great software developer worth 100 average ones? On one hand I think there are some good arguments that it’s not true. One developer certainly can’t write the amount of code that 100 average ones can. However there’s another way to look at things. A great developer can do things that the 100 will never think of, or never consider. He might not write the code that does as many things as 100 people, but I think a great developer could easily write code that performs a hundred times faster than the code 100 developers write.

    That’s why you always have an open position available for a great developer. If one is available, and they rarely are, you hire them if they want to work for you. You can always find things for them to do, and they can make improvements in code that your other 5, 10, or 20 developers will never come up with. I’d make sure they fit in your team and get along with others. You can get less work done if you have someone that is too difficult to deal with or too critical of others. While a great developer can accomplish things that others can’t, or won’t, they can’t do all the work.

    Ultimately I think that managing great developers is hard, and they are unlikely to stay with your company for a long period of time. However they are rarely available, and for a few years, they might jump start the evolution of your software, and potentially build something that makes your software great. I’d always have an open spot in my team for a great developer, and hire them as soon as they came available, if I thought they would fit in well with the rest of the team.

    Steve Jones

  • A Lifetime of Software

    This editorial was originally published on April 27, 2012. It is being re-run as Steve is out of town.

    I’ve been working with computers and software for most of my life, but it’s been a career for a couple of decades now. I don’t do as much technical work as I used to, mostly testing and experimenting, but my job is related to SQL Server and software, and I anticipate that’s what I’ll be doing for the next two decades.

    However that’s not necessarily the plan for everyone that works in the technology business. I know plenty of people that would like to move into management, or even move into some other career field if they can afford to do so. In the responses to many editorials in the past, I read that quite a few people think the technology business isn’t a great choice and wouldn’t encourage their children to enter this field.

    I disagree, and think that this business has been very good to me, overall I’ve enjoyed it, and I think it would make a good career  for any of my kids. However this Friday I wanted to ask the rest of you what you think.

    Do you expect to work in the technology field until you retire?

    I know many of you will change your focus in technology, perhaps moving to develop from DBA, vice versa, or moving into another field. I know most of you will change companies before you retire, but I’m curious about whether you think you will remain a technology worker for the rest of the time you work.

    Steve Jones

  • Promoting Engineers

    This editorial was originally published on May 1, 2012. It is being re-run as Steve is at SQL Bits.

    Never, ever promote your best salesperson.

    That’s the advice that Scott Horowitz got from his father. He talks a little about how this relates to technical people who find themselves looking at management to further their careers, or are sometimes even get promoted just because they’re the strongest technical employee in a group. Mr. Horowitz sees the transition as one that rarely works well, though he has some good advice on how you can increase the likelihood of success.

    In my career I’ve moved to management a few times and back again to a technical role, though never at the same company. I am sure it would be a strange move to be in charge and then move back to a contributing employee, but I do know some other people that have done it successfully in their careers. I have enjoyed both roles, and at different times in my career, the different role has fit me better.

    Many companies struggle with their technical people as they advance in their careers. Few companies think ahead and build dual career tracks in both the technical and managerial areas for their staff. As a result, many technical people find their career stalled in a company and may look to leave for another position. Setting aside a technical track that allows an employee to advance as a strong technical worker, and continue to grow their challenges and salary seems like a no-brainer, but it’s something rarely implemented outside of technology-oriented companies.

    Perhaps senior technical people can’t continue to add the same value as a manager or director in an organization. There are definitely lots of technical people that have a lot of seniority in a company, but do not necessarily bring a lot of additional value for all their experience. However some do, and those are often the people that a company should not let go. If they continue to grow their knowledge, and add more value, there ought to be a career advancement track for them in the technical area.

    Steve Jones

  • Specialist or Generalist

    What would you rather be: a expert specialist in some narrow area of SQL Server or a generalist that’s competent in many areas? The same question could apply to any area of technology, like C# or Windows, or even any subject in which you work. What’s your preference?

    Most of us don’t have to make a strict choice. Often in pursuit of deep knowledge in one area, say indexing, the effort will lead to lots of good general knowledge in other parts of the platform. I think it’s important that gain both types of skill, as you work through your career and grow your abilities. I find that there is always more to learn, especially in technology. Even in areas that I think I have deep knowledge about, I continually add to, and refine, my skills.

    Brent Ozar had an interesting post on this topic, looking at the maturity of a particular subject area. He noted the more mature some area, the more you might learn towards specialization. I think that’s good advice for your career, though I do think that if you find a deep passion, don’t be afraid to specialize in some area. While you might not get a monetary compensation directly back for the effort put in, I think the reward of learning something you love, and achieving expertise is extremely valuable and important to you as an individual.

    As we move through our careers in computing, we find there are always new technologies, techniques, and architectures that we will need to understand. We need to grow our knowledge. In many cases we see older ideas re-packaged and updated for the modern times, but that doesn’t mean skills we can rely on prior knowledge. Instead, you will need to update your skills.

    I also think more and more we will be driven to give guidance to others as much as use specific expertise to solve problems. With that in mind, I think whether you choose to be a specialist of generalist, you’ll need to continue to learn more about both implementing technology, as well as communicating your recommendations.

    Steve Jones

    The Voice of the DBA Podcast

    Listen to the MP3 Audio ( 2.8MB) podcast or subscribe to the feed at iTunes and LibSyn.