So I’d planned to already have this done and published before the new year rolled around, but life got in the way… and I mean that in a good way! I’ve said this before but it bears mentioning again that creating and sharing a list of goals helps to serve as a reminder and a means of accountability for meeting…
I received a notification e-mail earlier this morning that I’ve been selected as a Microsoft MVP for SQL Server! I’m both surprised and honored by this distinction. This is my first MVP award, so I’m still trying to wrap my head around it, but one thing is for certain – I’m in good company. The SQL Server community just rocks….
Late last year, I blogged about some goals I had set for myself to accomplish during 2009. No goal-setting session is complete until you spend some time reviewing your completion of, or progress toward, those goals. To that end, I’ll address those goals and how well I did for each of them during the past 12 months. Presenting: I give…
I have a sad story to tell you. Sit down and grab a tissue. It was 10pm on a cool night in September 2005. Somewhere in Grapevine, Texas, a junior SQL Server professional was sitting alone in a hotel room watching TV. He was tired but not exhausted, having spent all day learning his trade at the Super Bowl of…
If you are a blogger and you post product reviews on your blog, you may have to answer to the FTC starting in December. An article in the New York Times earlier this week outlines a new Federal Trade Commission regulation currently under review which, if approved, would tighten the rules of disclosure that must be followed by those who…
In a couple of previous posts (Part One and Part Two), I shared some thoughts about starting a career path as a database professional, including some notes from my own journey. In this final segment, I’ll share a few discrete tips that will hopefully be useful to those interested in this field. Build Your Foundation: You’re going to need some…
In a previous blog post, I began writing about how one might start a career as a database professional, and agreed to share my own experience in doing so. Since every person and every situation is different, I don’t declare my experience to be a recipe for success, but I’m happy to share it in hopes that someone can learn…
I read a post on Brent Ozar’s blog last week that discussed employers’ expectations when hiring new team members. Though the story was specific to database professionals, the same principles apply to almost any hiring situation. The moral of Brent’s story is that when hiring, just like in real life, you have to compromise what you may really want to stay within…
When I talk to other SQL Server professionals, I’m often surprised at how many do not have any involvement in their local SQL Server user group. As best I can tell, the problem is not limited to SQL Server types – many technical pros do not even know that there are user groups in their area, much less participate in…
I’ve seen a good deal of coverage recently that is geared toward those who have recently begun a career as a database professional. Brad McGehee posted this week about some potential topics for a book for new SQL Server developers, and Craig Outcalt is publishing a series of articles on SQLServerCentral.com aimed at new DBAs. Brent Ozar also has a…