Tag: career2

Many DBAs have gotten the reputation of being difficult to work with. I think some of this is based on the impedance mismatch between developers and DBAs that seems to cause issues in many organizations. Many developers want their changes to be deployed quickly, while DBAs want extensive review and testing to be sure that no problems will occur. This prioritization of stability over enhancements by DBAs does make us seem difficult to managers, PMs, and no shortage of clients.

As the job of data professional has morphed and matured, many of us that might have been strictly DBAs or developers in the past now often need to work with many other people. We find all types and ranges of personalities that we must deal with, and I would guess many of us find other people difficult to deal with.

Learning to work with difficult people is a skill itself, and I ran across a piece that talks about a few ways that each of us might work with those we find difficult. Maybe more importantly, if we are perceived as difficult, perhaps we can learn a few things about ourselves and how we might adjust our own personality to work with others, or even perhaps we can give others ideas on how to best interact with us. The piece looks at emotional intelligence (EQ), which isn’t necessarily correlated to any other sort of intelligence, so don’t think a low EQ implies anyone is lacking technical talent.

Our interpersonal interactions are important. As important as our technical skills, if not more so. Learning more about ourselves and learning how to better work with others are important skills for us that can help ensure we have an enjoyable, as well as successful, career.

Steve Jones

The Voice of the DBA Podcast

Listen to the MP3 Audio ( 2.0MB) podcast or subscribe to the feed at iTunes and LibSyn.

How many of you have gotten up before dawn, driven to the coast, gotten on a long piece of fiberglass and paddled into the ocean before turning around to ride back to shore? It’s a great way to start your day, and I’ve been lucky enough to do this many times in my life. I look forward to getting back out there someday in the future.

Surfing is an interesting sport, because you don’t really get to pick your path. You catch a wave, and begin riding it in, altering your course based on the speed of the water, the height and structure of the wave, and even the way the current is flowing. While you move in the direction you want, your choices are limited.

This is unlike many other moving sports. While snowboarding you can stop or slow down. In many wheeled activities you can go in almost any direction. Much of the time you have more control over your motion, and can even take a break.

However waves are unique. They’re few and far between. If you want to slow down, you end up really abandoning that journey, one you’ll never get again. If you paddle back, you’re hoping you’ll get the chance for another fun ride that day. That isn’t always the case.

I saw someone post a note that working in technology is like surfing waves. As we learn and grow, we often feel that we can’t slow down, or change directions very much. If we’re a SQL Server DBA, we’re riding that wave. Trying to slow our career, or move to another technology means (often) abandoning some of what has worked well for us. We really follow the wave we’ve chosen as often as possible, usually resistant to change.

You can change, however, and if you want to do so, make some plans and look for a new wave. It will take time; it will require some investment, but it’s possible. Always remember life is short, and we want to work in order to enjoy our lives with friends and family. We don’t want to get stuck working in ways that prevent us from enjoying our lives.

Steve Jones

The Voice of the DBA Podcast

Listen to the MP3 Audio ( 2.5MB) podcast or subscribe to the feed at iTunes and LibSyn.

I believe in managing and working on your career regularly. Early in my life, I randomly went from job to job. I looked for new opportunities when I lost old ones. I took the first job I was offered. I really let my career happen, as opposed to actively trying to move it in a direction that was best for me.

One of the things I have suggested to many people is to build a blog and chronicle their career. This is a way to showcase your knowledge and allow a potential hiring manager to perform some due diligence on who you are.

However the front page of your blog, with the last 5-10 posts you’ve written on some random topics might not be the image you want to present. Perhaps you can better show yourself off and control the image that you present to the world.

I thought about this when I read a piece about a photographer assembling a portfolio of their work. I thought, this might be a good exercise for a technical person as well. Perhaps there are specific skills, posts, software that you want to show. Put the links on your resume or cover letter that build the impression you want to make. Maybe send someone to a landing page that contains the projects that you are more proud of.

Certainly this might not work, and a manager might just randomly look through your blog, but I think it’s worth a bit of time, especially for a developer. Showcase the things you are most proud of, or perhaps most applicable to the positions you’re seeking.

Above all, it might be a good chance to re-evaluate what you think of your career and relive some of your proud accomplishments.

Steve Jones

The Voice of the DBA Podcast

Listen to the MP3 Audio ( 2.0MB) podcast or subscribe to the feed at iTunes and LibSyn.