I was on the Data Exposed: MVP Edition show recently, talking about SQLCMD. I’ve written a few articles on the topics as well, and a blog post about setting up a node HTTP server, which I show in the demo.
Check out the show below:
Read these articles for more info:
With some projector issues at SQL Saturday South Florida 2023, I had to lecture without demos this past weekend. I told everyone I would record the demos, so I’ve done that. The three demos are shown below, and if you download the deck, you can see where they fit into the talk.
Powerpoint: Bringing DevOps to the Database.pptx
I’ve been working with Ryan Booz a bit more and as we’ve talked over the last few weeks, he has asked me a few times if I’ve booked travel for That Conference, or if I’ve gotten my presentation ready for That Conference, or when am I going to be at That Conference.
I have to keep reminding myself it is That Conference 2023 and not that conference, as in some other event.
He wanted to go to the event and we submitted a few sessions together. We didn’t get those picked, but we did get a few others, and so I’m heading to Wisconsin in July for That Conference. It’s a fun, geeky, family event near a water park. My kids are too old to go, but my wife is coming, and I’m looking forward to visiting a new place.
This is a quite a mix of sessions, lots of developer talks and a few database ones. I’ve got a talk on Wednesday, but I’m looking forward to seeing a few other sessions during the week along with some hiking and other activities.
If you’re near Madison, or want to have some fun with your family, this summer, consider heading to That Conference with me.
For those that attended my talk at Denver Dev Days, here are the slides: BloggingFortheTechPro.pptx
A couple interesting questions that I need to add to the deck.
This could also apply to someone changing careers or fields. If you don’t have experience, does blogging help?
It does. A blog is your portfolio and it’s a good way to showcase what you are learning, have learned, what you are interested in. This gives you some way to show “experience” even if you don’t have any.
Build a project, explain how you learned something, document your journey. I might think about a wider set of topics rather than deeper on one here, as it’s hard to know what you want to do early in your journey. It’s also a time when you don’t want to limit opportunities, so showcase a lot of different things you’ve worked on.
Build a network of people you trust. Let them see drafts, get feedback, and incorporate the feedback into your writing. I would do that in two different ways:
This is an investment in your career. Doctors, lawyers, accountants, etc. need to work on their careers outside of work. Chefs, mechanics, plumbers do this as well.
Technical people can do this. Take 15-30 minutes a week to do this. Over time, it’s a great way to add richness to your resume and stand out from others.
In general, I make notes and sketches of things at work. 3-5 sentences, some bullet points. Then I would spend time outside of work fleshing out my posts. For examples of how long I spend on things, check out the SQL New Blogger series. If you’re starting out, double my times for yourself.
Voice of the DBA 