Voice of the DBA

Tag: career

  • A Blogging Break

    Outside of coping tips, I’m gonna take a break from blogging. I’ve been aiming for 3 posts a week, and mostly keeping there, but it’s created a little stress and I need to handle a bit more stuff at the ranch, so not as much time outside of work for blogging.

    I also have some work work to take over. We have a surprising amount of sabbaticals this summer, and some staff changes, so I need to take on a bit more in July/August.

    I’ll likely blog here and there, but not consistently.

    Of course, I’m sure tomorrow I’ll get 10 ideas for post and this will go out the window, but look for less for a few weeks at least.

  • Goal Progress for June 2022

    I set goals at the beginning of the year, and I’m tracking my progress in these updates during 2022.

    Ugh, June was no bueno for life goals.

    In May, I was away from home for 18 days. In June, I was home for 12 days.

    Most by choice, a mix of work and personal trips, but across 7 trips, it was a disruption to my schedule and I find it hard to cope and focus on anything extra during those times.

    I’m lowering the grade because most things haven’t changed. Essentially I read a little and got a few more SQL Saturdays scheduled.

    Grade: C

    Here are the goals:

    Work

    • DP-900 – Passed
    • DP-300
      – Stated studying, practice tests around 80% correct, need to schedule
    • Demo with SQL Server – 20% – dev db set up, started on pipeline
    • Demo with PostgreSQL – 20% – Dev db set up
    • Demo with MySQL – 0%
    • Feedback book – 100% – HIGHLY Recommended
    • Good Strategy/Bad Strategy – 48%

    Personal

    I made a slight alteration here. I didn’t try to hook up to Google Sheets, but instead pasted in some data and started to try and get this moving.

    • Link Google Sheets to Power BI – 0%
    • Create Report – 40%  – I have a report working for some of my metrics.
    • Create Dashboard – 20%  – A basic dashboard up, but need to decide on what to show here.
    • Get people using it – 0%

    Community

    • Support the Colorado groups by speaking twice and helping get one event set up
      – 40%
      • CO Springs event set up
      • Meeting with Denver SQL about an event
    • Speak at 3 other user groups outside of Colorado – 66%
      • Spoke at DBA Fundamentals group
      • Spoke at Toronto SSUG
    • Support SQL Saturdays – Help get 10 events run in 2022
      • I think we’re there. With the events coming online, there are 6 scheduled in H2, 3 that have run, and 3 more that are awaiting some detail to confirm. It looks like we’ll finish the year with 12, 10 of them in person.
    • Volunteer 4 days with Habitat – 0 days
      • Not happy about this. Now with a surgery, this will be delayed for a few months.

  • Returning To An Employer

    I’ve had a number of jobs in my career. In many instances, I left on good terms, and I’d go back to the organization if there was a job that suited me. I’d like to think that many of these organizations would rehire me if I applied, as I did good work and had success. I’ve always been pleased when someone is disappointed at my resignation.

    Intel had a large layoff in 2015/2016 where over 13,000 employees were dismissed. The CEO at the time implemented a no re-hire policy, meaning those who were laid off, or I’m guessing those that quit during that time, were not eligible for employment in the future.

    That policy has been rescinded, quietly, as the company is struggling to find qualified and experienced staff. I think quite a few companies are in the same situation, and they all are competing for good employees. That’s good for us workers, if we have a good reputation, brand, and skills, and likely will lead to higher salaries.

    I see both sides here. Certainly the people that an organization decides to let go would likely be the lower performers, those that don’t get along with others, or perhaps those that make too many mistakes. However, I’ve been through layoffs, and I know that those aren’t the only people selected for termination.

    Managers dislike some people and will let them go. Sometimes managers like someone and keep them, despite them not being as high a performer as others. Workers with other opportunities, sometimes the best workers, might lobby or volunteer to be laid off and get a severance package, knowing they can easily get another job.

    I think most blanket HR policies that don’t allow for flexibility are a poor idea.  There might be some hard rules, like we don’t hire people with financial crime convictions to work with money, but there should be few of these. While most times there are valid reasons not to hire someone, we ought to review individual cases and make a decision about that person. I resigned one job in anger because of an individual (who later quit themselves). I would, however, return to the company and work with many of the other people employed there if I found a good position. Actually, the people almost always matter to me, not the job itself. I value who I work with more than what I do.

    My view is that technology is still one of the best jobs you can take, doing physically easy work for good compensation solving interesting problems. It can be stressful and a burden at times, but many other careers include those same challenges, often without a better compensation-to-effort ratio.

    I am a big believer in finding a great job in your career field that suits you. Doing that takes work, and it takes regular effort to both improve your skills and your brand. Networking matters, whether looking for a new job or avoiding a layoff (or asking to be laid off). Showcasing who you are helps, especially when many other candidates might want the same position you do.

    Whether we are in a labor market of high demand or high supply, you want to give yourself the best chance to land that dream job. Work on your skills, your brand, and actively manage your career. With a little luck, you’ll wind up with an amazing job for you, just like I did.

    Steve Jones

    Listen to the podcast at Libsyn, Stitcher, Spotify, or iTunes.

  • My Incredible Journey With Your Help

    At Techorama, I saw a keynote from Derek Martin of Microsoft. The talk was called Pain, Grief, Perseverance, and Technology, and it’s worth seeing if you can find it live or recorded. David talks about his growth in life from a young man to a Principal Program Manager at Microsoft, husband, and father of six or seven. All the while dealing with a mental illness and learning to ask for help and to manage his busy life.

    It’s a great talk, though one I only lightly relate to. My life has been mostly easy and wonderful. Not always, but mostly. My problems are often minor ones. As I write this, I had surgery this morning to repair a painful ankle I’ve been dealing with for a few years. Things went smoothly and I expect rehab to be the same.

    My challenge with this issue? Scheduling it when I had a hole in my schedule to get cut and then a follow up. As it is, I arrived home from Brussels yesterday with a little stress about the COVID test and airline delays in getting back. I now fly to Germany in 3 days and then come back next week to see the doctor. I know, life is hard for me. My wife “gets” to come along and help carry my bags on a trip to Europe.

    Did I mention my life is amazing?

    I’ve had a lot of success in my career. I’m not an expert on tuning like Grant or Erik. I don’t know all the ins and outs of Power BI like Patrick or the deep Azure tricks that Denny and Joey constantly amaze me with. I don’t make the great presentations that Brent does or the business success of Stacia or the impressive credentials of Dr. Holt. I’ve learned from all these people and more. They’ve been there to give me help, whether with a technical problem or guidance in some area of life.

    I work hard. I’ve worked many weeks in my career and at my career beyond the standard 40, or even the common tech 50. I grind away at times, but I’ve also learned to say no and find balance. My wife and Andy remind me that babies aren’t dying because I take time off and that I need to take time off. Tjay provides the inspiration to do that more. I’ve learned to do that more as I age, balancing a busy work schedule with my coaching hobby. I’ve been lucky enough to work with some wonderful young ladies the last six years and travel with them to various cities to watch them compete, laugh, cheer, cry, and work as hard as I’ve ever worked at my career. In a sense, I have two amazing careers.

    My kids are healthy and happy. I’m proud of their journeys through life as two of them work on careers and one grinds through university. They are strong and dependable. They find a better balance between work and life, but don’t shy away from work and are accountable and responsible. This week, they’re taking over the cooking for me and horse chores for my wife as we travel in Europe.

    Again, life is wonderful here.

    My Mom praises my work ethic in getting through college and finding jobs that grew my career because of my hard work, and the effort I made to build SQL Server Central with Andy and Brian and then sell it to Redgate. All true, but that’s not the whole story. I had luck in people giving me opportunities, supporting me, even helping with the workload at times. I had lots of opportunities, and I took advantage of them. I also had plenty of help.

    I helped build something that Redgate and many of you have appreciated and used over the years. SQL Server Central, SQL Saturday, the Networking Dinner at the Pass Summit, and a few other things. However, you all helped me with those things. Many of you took a chance on posting a question or coming to the event. Plenty others of you participated with answers, articles, presentations, volunteer efforts, and more. You have helped me in my journey and I appreciate your efforts alongside my own.

    We’ve been a team, and I thank you for being there alongside me.

    I’m on an amazing journey in life, and I’m trying to enjoy more of it even as I keep busy at living it. My “problems” are first world ones, minor bumps on one a road I could never have imagined traveling when I was younger. I work hard, but I know many of you are there to help me often. Sometimes you help me when I don’t ask or think I need assistance.

    You can find an amazing life for you. Work at life, work at your attitude, work at your balance, work at your skills, and work at asking for help. I, and many others, are also here to help you. We don’t achieve anything on our own, but we do work to find success. Remember there is always someone else willing to provide an assist when you need it. Sometimes we don’t even realize how others help us, but they do.

    My life is perfect, thanks to us.

    Steve Jones

    Listen to the podcast at Libsyn, Stitcher, Spotify, or iTunes.