Voice of the DBA

Tag: career

  • Rogue Algorithms

    Rogue Brewery
    If our systems go rogue, it’s not good for anyone. Keep those people around that understand them well.

    I have always thought that computers do some amazing things, but they tend to do what we tell them to do, even if what we tell them to do is not what we want them to do. In those cases we usually find computers are helping us make mistakes faster than ever before. As we automate and link more and more systems, this can become a bigger and bigger problem in the world.

    I ran across this short link on a rogue algorithm that caused a fluctuation in a number of stocks. It looks like this was a case of poor analysis and poor QA at one firm, bunt imagine if we had some type of “update” released to a large number of companies? This type of problem could cause a dramatic short term fluctuation in the stock market, which shouldn’t affect most of us in the long run, but you never know. If this caused a company to go out of business, and they were the company holding your retirement savings, you might feel differently.

    This isn’t necessarily a problem that affects just financial institutions and their custom software. This is potentially a problem in any business that writes its own algorithms. That includes many of our companies, and many of us. We write queries, reports, and develop algorithms that help “the business” analyze data and make decisions that can affect our companies.

    This is worrisome to me, especially when we have companies that press for more and more analysis, with algorithms written more and more quickly to respond to business events. Success in this area often depends on an understanding of the nature of the business and the meaning of data, and strong working relationships with the business analysts. That comes over time, and is easily lost when employee turnover is too high.

    I hope that companies are learning that there is value to retaining employees, especially those that work with data and have invested effort in learning more about their business. Unfortunately I think that it take a disaster like this for some managers to understand the value of retaining employees and their knowledge. Even more unfortunate is the fact some managers never learn that.

    Steve Jones

    The Voice of the DBA Podcasts

    We publish three versions of the podcast each day for you to enjoy.

  • Ridiculous

     

    respect
    We should all remember to respect others in our community, especially at professional events.

    An excellent post from Bruce Schneier, based ona post by Valerie Aurora. Valerie’s post just pisses me off. She should never have had to write it. Bruce’s is a good reminder that we should recognize the value of a diverse group in our industry. I’vewritten about this before, and unfortunately, I’m not surprised I need to write about it again. This is a male dominated industry, for now, but that doesn’t excuse behavior like that talked about at DevCon.

    I haven’t seen that level of disrespect at any of the SQL conferences and I hope I never do. I have seen women placed in uncomfortable situations, which isn’t any better. We are all human, and some of us are attracted to others, which is natural. However in a professional environment, even at a social gathering in the evening, I think that as a man I should be very respectful of the fact that many of the women attending are doing so as colleagues and not anything else.

    It’s a challenge for women in this industry, and probably for many minority groups. That’s one reason I support the Women in Technology events and discussions. Education, understanding, and knowledge of problems is the best way to combat the issues, and ensure you don’t make the same mistakes twice. We all know this helps us when working with SQL Server. We should know this will help us in our interpersonal communications as well.

    Steve Jones

    The Voice of the DBA Podcasts

    We publish three versions of the podcast each day for you to enjoy.

  • Watch Your Mouth

    It’s one way to control what you say

    I give a talk on branding and resumes that has been well received over the last few years. In it I cover the ways in which you can use networking, blogging, and other ways to improve the chances that employers will want to hire you. There are lots of jobs available, and lots of candidates, but finding a good fit is hard. I would argue that disclosing more about yourself, and your interests, is a good way to help find a good fit with an organization.

    One of the cautions I raise in my presentation is that you should be aware of how you present yourself, and the impressions you make. There are no right or wrong ways to do this, but there are ways that reflect differently on you to different people. As such, I do urge you to think about the implications of your actions, your posts, and the way in which you communicate with others. If you are looking for a job, it doesn’t make sense to unnecessarily restrict your options because of the things you say or write.

    I ran across this slide show on profanity and cursing at work. I’m not offended by off color language, but some people are, and they often won’t let you know that you’ve created a poor impression. If the data is accurate, the majority of people think regular cursing creates a negative impression. Whether you think it’s a lack of control, unprofessional, or anything else, it still is a negative impression. It’s also one of the things that caused some HR groups to eliminate candidates.

    These days there is competition for jobs, and if you find the job you really like, do you want to diminish your chances because of a few colorful words? You have the freedom in the US to say what you want, and I support that, but you also get the responsibility of handling the consequences. I’d argue a few colorful words aren’t worth giving someone a reason to choose another equally qualified candidate over you?

    Steve Jones

    The Voice of the DBA Podcasts

    We publish three versions of the podcast each day for you to enjoy.

  • Big Data Jobs

    big data
    Big Data opportunities are growing.

    If I asked you to give me five industries where Big Data jobs are likely to be growing, what would you say? Everyone’s data is growing, but a few places may grow faster than others. One survey lists banking, retail, pharmaceuticals, government, and insurance as the top growth areas, which makes sense. Despite the slowdowns in the worldwide economies, retailers and banks have improved their systems to gather more and more data. There’s no shortage of government growth with regards to the data being collected, and the drug companies see more data analysis as the way to reduce the costs of introducing new drugs.

    What if I asked you to pick the places in North America where there will be lots of new Big Data jobs? According to the same report these cities lead the way with job openings: San Francisco, CA, Maclean, VA, Boston, MA, St Louis, MO, and Toronto in Canada. These are all areas with large concentrations of organizations from the industries with the most Big Data jobs.

    I’m not surprised at the list, though there are plenty of other places that are likely just below these five in terms of jobs. I wouldn’t look to move to any of these places just for the Big Data job, but if you are looking to work in this field, you might think about checking out various recruiters and contracting companies’ sites to see where there are lots of jobs.

    As slow as the worldwide economies seem to be moving these days, our fields of technology and data seem to be growing, with plenty of companies looking to improve their systems and tackle new initiatives that might improve their ability to take advantage of the all the data they store. There are lots of jobs out there, and with some work you might find one is a great fit for you.

    Steve Jones

    The Voice of the DBA Podcasts

    We publish three versions of the podcast each day for you to enjoy.