Voice of the DBA

Tag: career

  • Rethinking Hiring

    We’ve had endless discussions here, and elsewhere on the Internet, about hiring qualified candidates. We’ve had conversations about interviewing unqualified candidates. There are also no shortage of talented people, evidenced by the the knowledge and code they share on the Internet, who struggle to find good jobs that fit their skills.

    It seems that overall, we have a problem in matching people with jobs. Many companies bemoan the difficulties of finding talented development staff, and I understand the challenges. Certainly there is no shortage of individuals that don’t bother to expand their skills and learn good, fundamentals about their craft. Often this lack of skill shows up in interviews and leaves many of the interviewers thinking they’ve wasted thier time, or the candidate has misrepresented their experience.

    However, I think part of the issue is the lack of training and investment in individuals the companies make. Maybe one of the more problematic issues I see is that we don’t have good paths for teaching and progressing knowledge, whether inside of a company or as a person seeking to learn. It seems that while there is a huge amount of information available, it is poorly organized, and very cumbersome for an individual to manage. Even with companies, we don’t seem to have well structured training that adapts and helps our staff grow.

    I thought this was an interesting piece on how many companies don’t do a good, basic job of deciding who to interview. Too often companies have fallen back on the general guidelines of a degree or years of experience in a job. That’s not a great solution, and since most of us don’t have great track records in hiring, this limits the chances we’ll see good candidates. There are definitely failings on both sides of this equation. I hear constant horror stories from people interviewing DBAs and developers that don’t know basic concepts. However I also hear from candidates that aren’t even called to interview for positions because they don’t have a degree or some other generic qualification.

    I do think that many people can learn new skills and new jobs. I think as developers and DBAs, we should be trying to learn new skills, or improve our existing ones regularly. I also think that companies should look to invest in their staff and improve the skills of individuals. I realize that this is a tough task, and there aren’t necessarily easy ways to do this, especially as it seems talented staff might just leave for another position right away.

    I hope that in the future we find companies that look to grow their staff’s skills at all levels, with the understanding that they might leave, but they might stay, especially if they are treated well. And if they do leave, a good training program will help minimize the impact, since other people should have some idea of what work is being performed, and new people can be taught the skills they lack.

    Steve Jones

    The Voice of the DBA Podcast

    Listen to the MP3 Audio ( 2.7MB) podcast or subscribe to the feed at iTunes and LibSyn.

  • Just Say No

    Just say no was a tagline from my youth. As I recall, it didn’t work well then, but I hope it will work better for a different audience and in a different context today. I was reading Brent Ozar’s note about one of the toughest things for consultants to do: saying no. While I certainly think this isn’t a problem for some people that can’t find work, I do think this is an issue, and one that isn’t just a problem for consultants.

    I have worked with many people across my career, and one of the things that most of them have struggled with is saying no. Maybe it’s fear over being scolded (or worse) by a manager. Maybe it’s the simple desire to please others. Perhaps it’s because we simple are eternal optimists, and we think we can handle everything thrown at us. No matter what your reason, many people find the inability to say no plagues them throughout their careers.

    I’ve learned to say no across the last decade. I probably say no to more things than I agree to accomplish. There are times that I worry about how much I decline to tackle things at work. However I have learned to deliver what I agree to, and deliver it well. I’ve learned that to do that, I can’t tackle every project, idea, or assignment. There are times I have to push back and refuse (politely) to do something.

    It’s a luxury for sure. I have been successful in my career, and I’m not in a position where the loss of my job would wreck my life. However I also realize time is the most valuable resource I have at work. Time is also the most valuable resource I have in life, and I have to learn to balance my use of that resource to continue to be successful. Hopefully you learn that as well.

    Steve Jones

    The Voice of the DBA Podcast

    Listen to the MP3 Audio ( 2.1MB) podcast or subscribe to the feed at iTunes and LibSyn. feed

  • Branding Yourself for a Dream Job–Powerpoint and Questions

    I had a few people ask about the deck, and I’ve uploaded it here: Branding Yourself for a Dream Job.

    I also had a couple good questions at the end after people had left, so I thought I’d put them here.

    What about a picture on my LinkedIn/resume?

    I have had a few people ask this in the past, and I forgot to cover this in the talk. My only advice is that if you want to put one up, use a professional picture. Have someone take one.

    Other than that, it’s a hit and miss prospect. We all have prejudices, and hiring managers/HR people are no different. If you’re a women, or old, or a minority, you might have some people exclude you based on your picture.

    Personally I don’t see much benefit to adding a picture. Keep that information back until you need to disclose it.

    Does it matter how many blogs I have?

    No. However you will likely want to maintain them, so don’t tackle too much. I would suggest no more than 2, one for your career and one for something else.

  • A Week Before Networking at the PASS Summit

    It’s a week before the Networking Dinner at the PASS Summit. Andy Warren and I are hosting the event next Monday, October 26th, at the Yard House in Seattle. The address is at 4th and Pike, just a few blocks from the convention center.

    Register here if you can come.

    There’s no cost, other than you covering your own food and drink expenses. We would like registration just to try and ensure we have enough staff at the restaurant.

    This is a great chance to network with fellow data professionals. If this is your first or second time at the PASS Summit, please come and meet some people.