Finding the perfect date… um, I mean, job

I'm not sure whether or not this analogy is politically correct, but I also can't think of an analogy that's more perfectly apropos: finding a job is like dating. It's a matter of finding the right match. I started thinking about this after seeing a Facebook memory not long ago, saying that I had been …

#PASSDataCommunitySummit and keeping myself sane

The PASS Data Community Summit Call for Speakers has been open for a few weeks now (the deadline is April 10). Usually, I'd be all over it on the first day that submissions are accepted. However, I will admit that I'm on the fence this year. I've spoken at PASS Summit for four years. I've …

Upcoming speaking engagements (as of 3/11/2024) #UserGroup #STCSummit #DevOpsDays

My 2024 presentation schedule is starting to shape up, so I figured this'd be a good time to post my upcoming speaking schedule update! So far, I have three confirmed events where I will be speaking, Although not all specific speaking dates are set yet, these are the events where I'm confirmed to be speaking. …

I’ve been selected for #STCSummit — again!

The hits keep coming! A week after hearing that I was selected for DevOpsDays Montréal, I received word that I have been selected to speak at STC Summit in Minneapolis on May 17-19! I will be doing my networking presentation, which is one of my favorites! Now the hard part begins: travel planning. These two …

Adjustments

When I was in grad school, I once wrote in a paper that "Ben Franklin had it wrong. There are not two sure things in life; there are three: death, taxes, and change." As I recall, my professor loved that quote, and even asked me if he could use it. The fact is, change happens. …

An open letter to young people entering the job market

This is aimed mainly toward young people who fall into any of the following categories: has graduated from college within the past five years and is actively job searching, has graduated from high school (maybe also within the last five years) and is looking to enter a trade, is still in school (high school, college, …

Business trip or pleasure? Why not both?

I have a friend who is able to work remotely to the point that he can go wherever he wants and is still able to be productive. He has taken full advantage of that perk, and has traveled to parts of the world and experienced things that many of us only dream about. Granted, he's a single …

Mentoring Month

This morning, I received two emails from two different organizations that talked about mentoring, including one that talked about an online discussion tomorrow and one that mentioned National Mentoring Month. I wasn't aware that there was a National Mentoring Month, so I Googled it to see what came up. I've been (and am still) involved in …

Goals for 2024

As I write this, we're already a few days into 2024. I hope everyone had a happy, festive, and safe holiday -- whatever holiday you celebrate -- as well as an equally festive New Year's celebration. For me, personally, New Year's Eve was a quiet evening in my living room along with my wife, and New Year's …

What is an “expert?”

Years ago, Chris Bell, one of my friends on the SQL Saturday circuit, gave me a piece of advice that has stuck with me for years. He told me (and I'm paraphrasing here), "the definition of an expert is someone who knows something that you don't." When someone says someone is an "expert," most people conjure …