IT Career Energizer

Phil's guest on the show this time is Doug Arcuri, a Software Engineering Manager for IBM who has worked in the IT industry for 15 years. His interest in computers began when his parents purchased a Gateway PC in 1998 which led to him developing a few successful game modifications for Half Life. Subsequently, Doug went on to learn engineering concepts, C++, website design and game modification tooling setting the foundation for his IT career. Doug and Phil talk about the importance of building effective business relationships over being entirely purpose-driven, and why people should be the foundations of any career. Doug also talks about why feedback should always be welcomed as a way of helping us grow and develop, instead of being seen as criticism. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP Don't be entirely purpose-driven. It's important to focus on the business and upon delivery, but we must also pay consideration to building effective, empowering relationships. WORST CAREER MOMENT After finding himself out of a job, Doug decided to not only hone his interviewing skills for the next opportunity, but to keep it going as a regular concern, meeting often ever since to further practice and develop the skills needed in order to keep sharp. CAREER HIGHLIGHT As a leader, Doug has been responsible for not only hiring, but developing his team members. Using his three stage method of making sure the direction of the team is correct, mentoring others in the team and setting boundaries, and some project management, Doug has found great success is developing people. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Doug is particularly excited by The Developer's Experience concept, which has many facets, and which shows that tools are opportunities for engineers to develop. Semantic Code Analysis, also, uses AI to gain clear feedback for code reviews, which should provide a new sense of expediency. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Doug grew up with video games, and found that he had an early knack for tweaking the experience through technical means. When he discovered a far more technical route to the same in later life, the career choice became obvious. What's the best career advice you received? – To write for the community at large. Writing helps to clarify thought, and to inspire others. What's the worst career advice you received? – To make things up. Working "off message" only leads to confusion and dissatisfaction. What would you do if you started your career now? – Doug would have nurtured the skill of building relationships with others, and sought more opportunities for collaboration. What are your current career objectives? – To become better as a software engineer manager, focusing heavily on the meta of the role. What's your number one non-technical skill? – To find the humour in conversations with software engineers. How do you keep your own career energized? – Focussing on hobbies, such as scale-modelling, helps to keep the mind sharp. It also teaches the value of success and failure. What do you do away from technology? – Spending time with family, especially in the recent lockdown period, is a great source of comfort and happiness. FINAL CAREER TIP When you receive feedback, you should view it as a gift and accept it gratefully. We tend to have problems in accepting feedback objectively, but we should endeavor to remember that it can make us better in some way. BEST MOMENTS (4:14) – Doug- "For a business to be effective, and for you to be effective wherever you are, you really need to get to know the people first" (6:01) – Doug - "In order to be successful in interviewing, it's a skill, you have to practice it" (14:23) – Doug - "Clarify your priorities with your partners and product and project management, and make sure that those priorities are clear" (19:50) – Doug - "When we receive feedback it's a gift, and you should simply say thank you, take it in, and reflect on it" ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer AB

Phil's guest on today's show is Brad Finkeldei, a former IT professional who is now on a mission to help 10,000 people-pleasers become confident, and to do what they love. He teaches his clients how to find their purpose, and how to powerfully share their stories so that they stand out in the job search process. Brad discusses the importance of listening to the voice inside that guides us from time-to-time, and why we should endeavour to find the confidence to speak out on our own behalf when opportunity knocks. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP Always speak up for yourself when you have the chance to. A missed opportunity to share ideas and put yourself out there can haunt you for a long time afterwards. It can also help to identify issues earlier, and prevent unnecessary pain later on. WORST CAREER MOMENT Brad once turned down a huge opportunity for career development because of a lack of self-belief. Sometimes the opportunities that we are given are as a result of an outside perspective that other have of us. CAREER HIGHLIGHT After arriving at a new position, Brad discovered that despite a glossy exterior, the back end was archaic, and the turnover of staff was high. Brad could see the trajectory he was about to follow and took the brave step of leaving for a new position. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Everything in IT is gradually becoming simpler and easier through refined systems and processes, and the advent of new technologies that allow us to achiever far more. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – From an early age, Brad was enthralled by the creative opportunities that technology provides, and yearned for a career there. What's the best career advice you received? – To always speak up for yourself. Far too many people never share what it is that they want. What's the worst career advice you received? – To do a job for the money and nothing else. It's far better to be happy in what we do, than to be unfulfilled in exchange for money. What would you do if you started your career now? – Brad would stick to his strong points and focus on the areas in which he works better, such as people management. What are your current career objectives? – Speaking up is Brad's current focus and doing his best to build his own business. There have been confidence issues in the past, but they are gradually being overcome. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Effective listening and always trying to discern the other person's experience. To always attempt to understand what someone may be bringing from outside the job. How do you keep your own career energized? – Service is everything. Working with people and focusing on how to make them better provides instant feedback, and boundless inspiration to do better. What do you do away from technology? – Travelling has opened up a new world in terms of perspective and cultural influence. FINAL CAREER TIP We should always listen to the instinctual voice inside and investigate why it is raising red flags. Sometimes we react to circumstances on a primal level. We should never discount this reaction. BEST MOMENTS (1:20) – Brad- "I have a passion for people, and I didn't realise that when I was in my tech career because I'd been stuck behind the computer for so long" (3:10) – Brad - "Have the guts to speak up and really share what your heart says, that needs to be said in the moment" (7:30) – Brad - "You've got this thing on top of you that's weighing you down, and it's hard to see and understand, but once you hit it, it feels great and you feel really aligned" (11:58) – Brad - "I believed that I could get a job because I knew I had the skills, and I also knew that this was not for me" (14:48) – Brad - "One of the biggest things in IT right now is not being acknowledged enough. So many systems are behind systems that are behind systems that are behind systems, and you never get the acknowledgement" ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer ABOUT THE GUEST – BRAD F

Phil's guest on today's show is Kris Howard, a Solutions Architect Manager at Amazon Web Services in Sydney, Australia. Her achievements include creating a serverless application that creates an iCal feed for tech events, and the RoaldDahlFans website which has been running since 1996. In this episode Kris shares her thoughts on mentorship, IT as part of a modern society, the importance of engaging with your local tech community and much more. Full show notes and links to related resources are available on the IT Career Energizer website - https://itcareerenergizer.com/e265

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Ramona Shaw, the former VP of a global equity firm, who now leverages her analytical, results-driven approach, personal leadership experiences and extensive research to help companies such as Google, Dropbox and Asana, to achieve success through building relationships and a strong executive presence. Ramona shares her thoughts on successful leadership, remote working and the importance of making those around you feel valued. Full show notes and links to related resources are available on the IT Career Energizer website - https://itcareerenergizer.com

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Boris Paskhaver, author of 'Pandas in Action' and a full-stack web developer who builds apps in React and Ruby on Rails. He is also an Agile consultant and online educator, with six programming course credits on Udemy, encompassing 236,000 students. Boris discusses his insights into ways of dynamically increasing your own creativity, the importance of initiative, and why we must always strive to grow. Full show notes and links to related resources are available on the IT Career Energizer website - https://itcareerenergizer.com

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Ramzi Marjaba, Senior Sales Engineer for Keysight Technologies, where he helps customers to diagnose problems and then build a vision of the required solution. He is also the creator of the website WeTheSalesEngineers and its corresponding podcast, which seeks to help other sales engineers develop and improve their careers. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (2:35) TOP CAREER TIP Although the world is headed to a more tech-driven destination, we must always endeavor to work on the human side of business, developing skills such as communication, persuasion and demonstration. (6:20) WORST CAREER MOMENT A technical error can lead to disaster, as was almost the case with a simple mouse-click for Ramzi. It's important to know the tools that you're using, and understand what the potential consequences can be. (8:19) CAREER HIGHLIGHT The bane of every sales engineer is to perform a demonstration with little information going in. Ramzi chose to forego the misinformation he'd been given on one occasion, and focused instead of the small data he did have. It led to success and a subsequent sale. (13:15) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T IT is an ever-evolving industry, being led and shaped by technological advances. If we strive to maintain our own development in this area, then we will be taken along in that growth, and find our skills energized naturally. (14:25) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Sales engineers are rewarded for being more pro-active in terms of sales, plus the projects are far more varied. What's the best career advice you received? – Make sure you never reveal too much to your customers about advances in the pipeline. It can stifle contemporary interest. What's the worst career advice you received? – Spray-And-Pray approaches to demonstrations never work. Always do your advance preparation instead of presenting irrelevant data. What would you do if you started your career now? – Go into sales engineering sooner, and do the best you can to achieve certification. What are your current career objectives? – To help as many sales engineers to become better at what they do, and to provide a wealth of resources. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Listening - the importance of listening and understanding people cannot be overstated. How do you keep your own career energized? – Always endeavor to learn from other people through conversations. What do you do away from technology? – Family time is important. When lockdown is over, physical wellbeing will be another priority. (21:35) FINAL CAREER TIP Learn how to communicate with people effectively. Approach each conversation with an objective, and figure out the best way to persuade that person to complete that objective. Always work on how to communicate in better ways. BEST MOMENTS (2:10) – Ramzi- "I'm more like the doctor who tries to understand and prescribe a solution" (7:52) – Ramzi - "I always make sure I know the tools I'm using!" (9:51) – Ramzi - "I didn't need to do that 90%. They just wanted to see the results" (12:28) – Ramzi - "The salespeople are in a hurry to sell, and the customers are in a hurry to solve their problems" (16:04) – Ramzi - "Solve the problem with what you have today, not with what might be coming down the line" ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer ABOUT THE GUEST – RAMZI MARJABA Ramzi Marjaba is a Senior Sales Engineer for Keysight Technologies where he helps customers to diagnose problems and then build a vision of the required solution. He is also the creator of the website WeTheSalesEngineers.com, and its corresponding podcast, to help other Sales Engineers develop and improve their careers. CONTACT THE GUEST – RAMZI MARJABA Ramzi Marjaba can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/WeTheSEs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramzimarjaba?originalSubdomain=ca Website: https://wethesalesengineers.com

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is David Bishop. He is a technologist, consultant, researcher, entrepreneur, and instructor with experience across telecommunications, transportation, government and utilities. He is an author of numerous books and articles as well as a frequent contributor to the IEEE's Engineering Management Review. David is also founding chair for the Atlanta chapter of the IEEE Technology and Engineering Management Society. In this episode, Phil and David Bishop discuss how to manage your manager to improve your career opportunities. They talk about the importance of focusing on the business and what it does rather than just the tech. David also talks about the challenge of selling your skills and how to do it well. As well as explaining why being happy to take risks is a good idea in the IT industry. David also briefly covers solving business problems using his Metagility approach to Managing Agile Development. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (5.30) TOP CAREER TIP Manage your manager. They are your gatekeeper. It is your manager who determines what your goals are, which opportunities you are given. As well as, to a certain extent, how you are perceived by others within the business. In the podcast, David shares several ways to do that. (7.54) WORST CAREER MOMENT In his 30s, David was set to become the chief of staff for the CIO of a big telecommunications company. He sailed through the interview stages. But, when he sat down to talk directly with the CIO, David spoke mostly about the tech, instead of focusing on what the business was all about. That switched the CIO off and he did not get the job. That experience taught him that at the end of the day everything you do at work has to be about what the business needs. The tech is just a means to an end. (11.43) CAREER HIGHLIGHT For David, starting to work for himself was a career highlight. When he did it forced him to exercise his intellectual and marketing skills as well as use his IT knowledge in more innovative ways. It pushed him to become a continuous learner and not be afraid to take on challenges. At this point, David shares what he learned about selling his skills. In particular, how to stay in the game long enough to close a deal that can take months to come to fruition. (13.44) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The fact that IT is everywhere is exciting. But, it also means that the stakes are high. A failure could lead to a plane falling out of the air or the economy being affected when a financial system goes down. (16.39) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – David started programming at 13, so for him, a career in IT was a natural progression. What's the best career advice you received? – Don't worry about what other people think. Just focus on yourself and what your needs are. What's the worst career advice you received? – Always go for the highest paying job. What would you do if you started your career now? – David would be prepared to take more risks rather than playing it safe and automatically taking a job with a big company. What are your current career objectives? – Evangelizing his Metagility approach. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Writing. It is a skill that is all too often overlooked. How do you keep your own career energized? – David constantly networks with people. In the podcast, he talks about how he is coping with doing that despite CoVid. What do you do away from technology? – David reads a lot and enjoys working on classic cars. (25.19) FINAL CAREER TIP Learn how to interview well and network well. Both skills are critical when you are starting out. BEST MOMENTS (5.37) – David - "Manage your manager. They are your gatekeeper and have a bit impact on how you are perceived." (10.02) – David - "If you want to convince someone to adopt a certain technology focus on what it can do for their business." (21.18) – David - "Go where the startups are. Get associated with some incubators. That is your best chance for long term gain." (23.10) – David - "Writing is a particularly important skill especially for people who work in the IT industry." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachab

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Broadus Palmer. He is a Google Cloud Training Architect and Cloud Career Coach. Broadus is focused on helping individuals who are strongly committed to changing their lives by advancing or transitioning careers in the cloud industry. He's an in-demand coach, specialising in hands-on coaching with the industry's hottest tools and skills along with motivation aimed at changing your mindset. In this episode, Phil and Broadus Palmer discuss how to be ready for the next big thing, so your skills are always in demand. They talk about the importance of having a plan and sticking to it. As well as how to leverage what you are learning to help others, build a community and move your career forward. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (11.41) TOP CAREER TIP Sometimes success loves speed. At times, you will need to fast track your learning to take advantage of new opportunities. To push yourself to be ready. If something new comes out and you think it is going to be hot, go for it. Learn all you can, when it takes off you will be ahead of the game and be in high demand. At this stage in the podcast, they also talk about how to improve your ability to see the whole picture and problem solve using the tech you already know. (13.18) WORST CAREER MOMENT When Broadus wanted to switch to an IT career he was advised to secure cloud certifications and was told that if he did that he would easily get a job. He secured the AWS solutions architect, developer, and sysops associate certificates. Only to realize at his first job interview that it was not enough. He could not answer most of their questions. It was pretty embarrassing and deflating. But, this did not stop him. In the podcast, he explains what he did to fix the problem. (17.00) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Building his own business and creating his first few courses, which enabled him to start helping people to change their life. (18.23) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The fact that there is always something new means it is always possible to change direction, which enables you to find your purpose. You can create whatever you want in the IT industry, there are no limits. (21.00) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – The opportunity to change my life. What's the best career advice you received? – Learn it, Lab it, Cert it. What's the worst career advice you received? – Just getting certifications is not enough to get you an IT job. They are just the start; experience matters far more. What would you do if you started your career now? – Create content and share what you are learning from the very start. It is critical to building your brand. What are your current career objectives? – Building out his cloud coaching business and help at least a 1000 people take things to the next level. What's your number one non-technical skill? – His ability to connect with people and being able to create content that helps others. How do you keep your own career energized? – Broadus is a continual learner. It keeps things fresh and gives him new material to create courses about. What do you do away from technology? – Broadus enjoys spending time with his family creating new memories and making sure they know they are important to him. (30.11) FINAL CAREER TIP Stick to your plan. Too many people jump from one thing to another. If you do that, you cannot capitalize on what you are learning and move forward. BEST MOMENTS (11.21) – Broadus - "Success loves speed. When you see an opportunity to push yourself and accelerate your learning so you can take advantage of it." (12.27) – Broadus - "When new technology comes out if you think it will be hot, learn it immediately. Get ahead of the curve." (16.14) – Broadus - "Learn to look at the problem from an aerial view. It is a skill that will make you a valuable asset regardless of your role." (16.20) – Broadus - "Get out of your silo and look at the whole picture to understand exactly what a company is doing." (22.17) – Broadus - "Learn it, Lab it, Cert it." (25.27) – Broadus - "Create content, share and help others, to build a community and your brand fast." (30.16) – Broadus - "Stick to your plan. If you keep jumping around you will just be confused and not get anywhere." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com Join the I.T. Caree

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Tom Gilb, the author of ten books and hundreds of papers on requirements, design, project management and related subjects. His ideas on requirements are the acknowledged basis for CMMi Level 4, which were based upon his pioneering book, 'Software Metrics', where he also coined that term. Tom has lectured at universities across the globe, and has been a keynote speaker at multiple technical conferences. In 2012, he was named an Honorary Fellow of the British Computer Society. Tom joins Phil today to discuss his extensive business journey, his outlook upon the analytical approach to solving problems, and why the future of IT may lie in adopting an engineering approach. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (4:08) TOP CAREER TIP Always try to volunteer to help people who may be facing a challenge. Gain permission to help, make friends and learn along the way. Even if you aren't always successful, you will mark yourself out as a useful colleague. (9:08) WORST CAREER MOMENT Tom tends not to think of his career in best or worst terms, but there have been scary moments. The most memorable involved his being asked to solve a complex problem by Israeli rocket scientists. Tom succeeded, despite his reservations, and was rewarded by having his computer confiscated! (14:15) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Working in India, Tom was able to convince the workers there to increase the quality of their workmanship instead of selling themselves as the cheapest. Soon all the workers were accredited, and competing on a global scale, which in turn changed the face of IT services in India, which became a leading force. (19:20) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T We need to do better in terms of failure rates when it comes to IT projects, which often leaves our clients disappointed. By adopting engineering principles, we can increase our agility and reduce the failure rate to rubble. It'll take time, but it is incredibly exciting. (22:42) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Being a typical nerd, Tom was attracted to IT because of the technical challenges and opportunities. What's the best career advice you received? – No matter where you are career-wise, study. Keep on educating and training yourself. What's the worst career advice you received? – What would you do if you started your career now? – Invest in learning basic skills, hone them in practice, and be more open and alert to the prospect of radical change. What are your current career objectives? – To ensure that all the lessons learned during his long and varied career, can be taught and disseminated to the next generation. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Quantification – the ability to quantify any critical variable, and any other value. How do you keep your own career energized? – Always make sure you're having fun and doing the things you love. What do you do away from technology? – Tom is an avid reader on all subjects, and tries to read around 35 books per year, as well as studying and absorbing history on television. (42:11) FINAL CAREER TIP Select the guiding books you read very carefully. There are far too many IT books out there, containing poor advice. You can filter out the not-so-helpful ones by looking for authors who use case studies and proven data that resulted in successful outcomes. BEST MOMENTS (4:44) – Tom- "I would use a combination of persistence and intelligence and creativity, and I would solve the problem that nobody else could solve" (7:58) – Tom - "Where others give up and say "It can't be done", say "Well that sounds like an interesting challenge"" (17:53) – Tom - "I was able, with simple observation, to participate in building up the whole Indian IT economy" (22:33) – Tom - "There are still this 95% of people who persist in treating a large IT system as though it's a programming problem" (33:38) – Tom - "You need people and books to help ideas survive" ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer A

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Joe Carson. Joe is a cybersecurity professional with over 25 years' experience in Enterprise Security & Infrastructure. He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional, an active member of the Cyber Security Community, and a frequent speaker at Cyber Security events around the world. He is currently the Chief Security Scientist at Thycotic. In this episode, Phil and Joe Carson discuss how to keep your skills fresh and relevant. Joe explains that it is not just about learning new languages. He shares how he uses physical experiences to help him to identify the right way to approach projects. Joe also identifies several areas of technology that are set to take off, in the near future. They also discuss how to get started in the cybersecurity field. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (5.38) TOP CAREER TIP Never stop learning. Being a continuous learner ensures you do this and keep moving. It is now normal to have to switch roles and tech every five years or so. Knowing when to let go of a technology you love and move onto other things is important. Joe explains how he works out what the trends are and stays ahead of the curve. As you will see from the podcast, that does not always mean learning a new programming language. (11.26) WORST CAREER MOMENT In 1999, Joe was working on the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service system, which is clearly a critical system. Naturally, around that time they were preparing for the year2K switchover. So, they had to take the system down completely and restart it from scratch. When they did, the screen was blank. A truly awful, heart-stopping moment. In the podcast, Joe shares the strange reason behind that situation. (15.39) CAREER HIGHLIGHT In the early days of TEDX, Joe was asked to speak. He enjoyed the experience. But the highlight came after he had given his speech and sat back down. At that point, he looked at the list of people were speaking with him and was blown away when he realized that he was in the company of people who had achieved amazing things. Olympians and quite literally rocket scientists. Until that moment, he had not really appreciated how far he had come and what he had achieved. (18.23) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Joe is excited by the pace of change. Provided we embrace things like AI, with responsibility, he believes that our lives will improve in unimaginable ways. The other thing that Joe talks about is the way in which humans interact with technology is changing. We will soon be using our brains rather than our fingers or voice to interface with all kinds of devices. So, right now the fascinating areas of data, cognitive, and neuroscience are especially hot. (22.59) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Joe´s love of gaming is what ultimately lead him to a career in IT. What's the best career advice you received? – Don´t be a perfectionist. What's the worst career advice you received? – You need to be prepared to relocate to be successful. What would you do if you started your career now? – Joe says he would not want to change much. What are your current career objectives? – Learning more about RFID, radio frequencies, and IoT. What's your number one non-technical skill? – The ability to simplify things and explain complex things to practically anyone. How do you keep your own career energized? – Joe is always trying new things, which keeps his career energized. What do you do away from technology? – Joe enjoys photography, scuba diving, and travel. (30.27) FINAL CAREER TIP Shoot for the top. You do not necessarily have to take baby steps to get to your ultimate goal. Often, you can take a big leap and get there far faster than you think is possible. BEST MOMENTS (6.03) – Joe- "Keep moving forward and motivated. Embrace new ideas and never think it is too late to learn something fresh." (8.11) – Joe- "When creating something new, fully understand what you are trying to achieve by studying how it has to work in the physical world." (11.03) – Joe- "Dedicate blocks of time to something specific. This is the best way to deepen your understanding." (22.01) – Joe- "How we interface with technology is going to change drastically. So, that is a big growth area." (23.48) – Joe- "Don't try to be a perfectionist and don't be afraid to share and ask for advice." (31.46) – Joe- "Bypass all those small steps. Focus on your big goal, and just go for it." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacte

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Austin Belcak. He teaches people how to land jobs they love in today's market without traditional 'experience' and without applying online. His strategies have been featured in Forbes, Business Insider, Inc., Fast Company, and USA Today. His clients have landed job offers at Google, Microsoft, Amazon, and Facebook to name but a few. In this episode, Phil and Austin Belcak discuss how to land an IT job with a major company even if you do not have traditional experience or qualifications. He explains how to establish a connection, build relationships, and leverage them. They talk about how to demonstrate to your target firm that you have something that they need. They also discuss how not to fall into the trap of simply following the crowd. As well as looking at how the CoVid crisis is changing the way everyone works and lives. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (29.32) TOP CAREER TIP If you see everybody else recommending something, take a step back and ask if that is truly the best way to do things. Ask yourself why people are doing it that way. Are they getting results? If not, in all likelihood you will be able to come up with a better approach. Often, being different is a good thing. It can help you to get noticed. (31.47) WORST CAREER MOMENT For Austin realizing that graduating from university was not enough to get him a decent job was a bad moment. He ended up in an awful job that paid poorly. Worse, he had a bad boss. Yet, even after applying for hundreds of jobs online, he could not get out of the situation. In the podcast, he explains, in quite some depth, how he managed to break this negative cycle and find success. (35.24) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Landing his current job with Microsoft is Austin´s career highlight. For him, it has been life changing. During this section, he explains why that has been the case and what steps he has taken to ensure that he gets the most out of being in that position. (39.04) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The emergence of more flexibility in the workplace is exciting. It opens up all kinds of opportunities. Working from home has many potential benefits for the planet as well as for individuals and companies. Austin and Phil also talk about how easy it now is to start something on your own. (42.14) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – The fact that working online and in IT offers the best lifestyle. What's the best career advice you received? – Only take advice from people who already have what you want. What's the worst career advice you received? – Go through the traditional job application process. What would you do if you started your career now? – Austin would prioritize working on his storytelling and copywriting skills, so he could be a more effective communicator and marketer. What are your current career objectives? – Doing well at Microsoft and helping as many job seekers as possible. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Being a good copywriter, in particular, being able to write a persuasive resume or email. How do you keep your own career energized? – Austin works on projects and hobbies outside of his work life. What do you do away from technology? – Austin and his wife make their own hot source and are home brewers too. (50.00) FINAL CAREER TIP You need to be clear about what you want to do. It is important to choose one of the things you are interested in and focus on mastering that. Speak to other people who work in those fields and roles to help you to narrow down your options. Then try Austin's 30-day pilot method, which he talks about in the podcast. BEST MOMENTS (3.40) – Austin - "Step outside of traditional boundaries, get creative, demonstrate what you can do and the value you have to offer." (31.30) – Austin - "Consider zigging while everybody else is zagging. Often, it is a better way to get results." (0.00) – Austin - "Identify people who are doing the things you want to do and follow them. They have not got to be far ahead of you." (42.53) – Austin - "Only take advice from people who already have what you want." (50.00) – Austin - "The first step in anything is getting clear about where you want to go. You need to focus on one thing at a time." (52.43) – Austin - "Dip into something for 30 days. Take some courses, do a project. If you don´t like it, just move on." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/phil

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Nyari Samushonga. Nyari is the Chief Executive Officer of WeThinkCode_ where her primary responsibility is to gear the organization up for growth. She also co-founded FoldLeft, a digital consultancy that uses hypothesis-driven models to design and deliver impactful software solutions. Her expertise lies in bridging the divide between business executives and tech innovators to maximize the value of software. In this episode, Phil and Nyari Samushonga discuss the best way to make complex decisions, especially those that relate to your career. They also talk about how to successfully handle the politics that exists in most workplaces. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (4.55) TOP CAREER TIP Get good at making decisions. It is easy to be overwhelmed by the many different things that could happen as a result of your decision. You need to learn how to understand and make sense of all of that complexity. During the podcast, Nyari shares 4 important questions you need to ask yourself when making decisions that will help you to do that. (5.53) WORST CAREER MOMENT Some time ago Nyari found herself working on a project that had big issues. She realized there was no way what had been promised to the client could be delivered. So, she spoke up. When she did, everything she was doing was called into question and she was frozen out. For her, it was an awful time. In the podcast, she explains what she did about the situation and how she managed to come out the other side of it. (11.23) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Finding effective ways to enable someone who has been struggling to learn how to code to breakthrough and finally succeed has been a career highlight for Nyari. (13.25) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T It no longer matters what business you are in, you need IT. A fact that makes this a great time to be working in the industry. The opportunities are endless. It also means you can find work in any industry that interests you. Whether you enjoy finance, architecture, teaching, or agriculture you can work on transformative IT projects that are relevant to that field. Better still it does not matter where in the world you are based. (15.22) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Nyari wanted to create things and make a real difference in the world. What's the best career advice you received? – Learn to let go. Stop worrying about how the world perceives you and just try things. If you fail, let go and move onto the next thing. What's the worst career advice you received? – Don't be so argumentative. Nyari thinks it is important to be authentic and open, which sometimes ruffles feathers. What would you do if you started your career now? – Nyari would have started coding at an earlier stage in her career. What are your current career objectives? – Right now, Nyari is focusing on scaling WeThinkCode and ensuring gender parity within the company. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Her accounting skills. They have enabled her to drill down and look at the bottom line to make sure there is a good reason behind everything her company does. How do you keep your own career energized? – Nyari finds that constantly reinventing herself keeps her career energized. What do you do away from technology? – Nyari enjoys road cycling, especially when she does a 100k ride and really pushes herself. (23.59) FINAL CAREER TIP Focus on being impactful. You want everything you do to count and make a difference. To succeed at doing that you need to be clear about what you are trying to achieve and only opt to work on those projects where you can have a positive impact. BEST MOMENTS (5.29) – Nyari - "Don´t take decisions for granted. Make sure you are aware of what you are giving up and what you are gaining," (9.19) – Nyari - "Even when you strongly disagree with something, display empathy. It helps to keep the communication channels open." (14.11) – Nyari - "Take advantage of the fact that working in tech means that you can reinvent yourself more times than Madonna." (16.46) – Nyari - "If you fail, let go of that moment, then reach out and start something new." (26.03) – Nyari - "Focus on being impactful. Think about what you want to achieve, then work out how to succeed at making that change." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://f

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Bret Fisher. Bret is a freelance DevOps and Docker consultant, Udemy Instructor, trainer, speaker, and Open Source volunteer. He teaches courses on Docker and Container technology and often does live training workshops. He's also a volunteer Docker Captain and has been blogging about tech for more than 15 years. In this episode, Phil and Bret Fisher discuss the importance of holding strong opinions on things that are fact-based. While still listening, with an open mind, to what others have to say on the matter and not being afraid to change your view when appropriate. They also discuss how to effectively use even short online courses to greatly improve your career prospects. Bret also shares why employers now want to employ people who are willing and able to help others. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (4.43) TOP CAREER TIP Here Bret talks about the importance of having "strong opinions that are weakly held". It is important to know why you hold the opinions you do, but you also have to be prepared to discuss other possibilities. Even change your opinions should someone make a strong argument that proves you need to do so. This approach ensures you become a decisive person who is also able to move with the time and use other people´s ideas to improve things (9.36) WORST CAREER MOMENT Bret´s worst moment happened when, for a blog he was working on, he forgot to tick the AWS auto-scale box. So, when one of their posts went viral and was number one on the Reddit homepage, the site went down. As a result, they missed out on a ton of traffic. It was fixed within an hour, but it was an awful mistake to make. In the podcast, Bret explained how he changed the way he works to make sure it could not happen again. (13.32) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Bret describes what he is doing now as being his career highlight. In particular, being able to reach and help a huge audience through his courses and how that has helped to turn him into a popular public speaker. In this section, Bret explains how he keeps everything fresh. As well as how he keeps up with the changing needs of his audience. (17.21) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Bret and Phil discuss how the implementation of tech automation is changing the job market. As well as how people who work in the IT field can take advantage of this by seeking out and learning new stuff. Bret also discusses how you can use low-cost training to change direction and boost your career. Sometimes you only have to spend the equivalent of a few days taking a course and implementing what you learn to equip yourself to land a fantastic new job. (23.26) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Bret always liked computers, so it was a great fit for him. What's the best career advice you received? – Share everything you can. Be a fountain of knowledge for your colleagues. What's the worst career advice you received? – Go get a college degree to get your promotion. What would you do if you started your career now? – Bret would still bootstrap and learn everything from the ground up. What are your current career objectives? – Currently, Bret is focusing on how to use automation, metrics, and infrastructure as code as an effective way to manage change. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Being comfortable standing up in front of a group of people and talking about something. How do you keep your own career energized? – Helping others is what keeps Bret´s career energized. What do you do away from technology? – Bret enjoys spending time with his wife cycling, going to the beach, and exploring local eateries. (28.51) FINAL CAREER TIP Regardless of where you are on your career path, stop and think about what skills you are going to need. Then address any deficit you find. Also, do everything you can to help others and share what you know. The people who are willing and able to do this are now seen as important assets by most employers. BEST MOMENTS (6.57) – Bret - "Hold strong, fact-based, opinions. But also listen to what others think and be prepared to change your stance, when appropriate." (13.19) – Bret - "Learn how to use Q&A processes to prevent human errors from causing problems and improve workflow." (17.40) – Bret - "Seek out new stuff. When you do you will always be able to find new opportunities." (19.20) – Bret - "Take advantage of training online. It is cheap. Yet, provided you follow through, it can change your career." (23.46) – Bret - "Share everything you can. Be a fountain of knowledge for your colleagues." (29.51) – Bret - "Your value is now directly tied to how much you can share and help others." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Chani Simms. She is an award-winning cybersecurity leader and keynote speaker with more than 17 years' experience in the IT industry. Chani is an advisor and a specialist in helping organizations to understand, implement, and manage information security and privacy requirements. She is also the founder of the SHe CISO Exec. Global platform. In this episode, Phil and Chani Simms discuss how to ensure that you are always learning and why being dropped in the deep end is often a good thing. They also talk about workplace bullying and what to do about it. Chani explains how being afraid to fail holds most people back and how to overcome that fear. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (9.13) TOP CAREER TIP Try to push yourself out of your comfort zone all the time. It is the only way to ensure you are always learning new things (11.34) WORST CAREER MOMENT At one stage, Chani was bullied in the workplace by her program director. It had never happened to her before, so she did not know how to react. She was afraid of the consequences of standing up for herself, so she finished the project. In the podcast, Chani explains what happened next. She also shares some advice about what to do should you find yourself in a similar position. (15.46) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Founding Meta Defence Labs with her friends and colleagues is Chani´s career highlight, to date. They set up the company because they realized that for every project security came last, which meant that they were never able to do things properly. Setting up their own company enabled them to work the way they wanted and do things the right way. For Chani, that experience was a springboard into what she is currently doing. In the podcast, Chani shares more of her entrepreneurial journey and how she ended up providing training for others. (18.52) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The industry is changing faster than ever before, which is something that Chani expects to continue. Chani enjoys training people so that they can keep up and continue to succeed within the industry. (19.55) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Chani knew that she did not want to be a lawyer, accountant, or doctor. So, for her, a career in I.T was a great way to avoid having to take one of those jobs. What's the best career advice you received? – If you are not sure about something, don't be afraid to ask questions. What's the worst career advice you received? – Over the years, people have advised Chani not to try things because they thought she was going to fail. Most of the time they have been wrong. What would you do if you started your career now? – Chani would spend a bigger percentage of her time learning soft skills instead of just focusing on tech skills. What are your current career objectives? – Right now, Chani is focusing on security research and hacking. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Being able to communicate well using multiple formats. How do you keep your own career energized? – Staying super busy and having lots of projects on the go keeps Chani energized. What do you do away from technology? – Chani enjoys spending time with her family and cooking. She also likes swimming and snorkeling. (30.21) FINAL CAREER TIP Don't stand still. If you stay in a single position for too long you will end up stagnating. Keep challenging yourself and be sure to learn some soft skills as well as new technologies. BEST MOMENTS (8.47) – Chani - "Be creative and try new things. Even when you make mistakes you will still learn." (14.35) – Chani - "If you have a workplace issue that cannot be resolved, move on. Your sanity is more important than a big salary." (24.45) – Chani - "Learn soft skills. You will need them regardless of what technologies you end up learning and using." (30.22) – Chani - "If you are stuck in one job for many years, you're not progressing. Change jobs regularly to learn new skills." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Dan Shappir. He has been involved in software development for more than 25 years, having worked in a variety of different roles including engineer, team lead, architect, and chief technical officer. Dan is currently the performance tech lead at Wix.com where he focuses on making their 100 million hosted websites load and execute faster. He is also an international speaker as well as a panelist on the JavaScript Jabber podcast. In this episode, Phil and Dan Shappir discuss the importance of being in control of your career. As well as how to change things if you are on the wrong path. Dan also explains why he thinks his biggest career highlights are still ahead of him and where today´s emerging technologies are likely to take us. He also shares why he is more interested in hiring problem-solvers rather than just people who are familiar with a specific technology. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (5.25) TOP CAREER TIP It is up to you to determine the meaning of your own success. Always choose the career path that makes sense for you. We all tend to listen too much to what others think. For example, so many people have switched to management and ended up being extremely unhappy because their role is no longer creative enough for them. If you feel like you are on the wrong path, don´t hesitate to make a change. It is all too easy to wait too long to do that. (9.22) WORST CAREER MOMENT In one of his former roles Dan ended up working with a CEO he could not see eye-to-eye with. Things got so bad that he did not even want to go to work. At the time, he held a very senior position. So, leaving almost inevitably meant taking a step down. Fortunately, his wife was supportive, and he was brave enough to do exactly that. In the end, it turned out to be a good move for him. One that actually gave his career a boost. (12.32) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Dan has had quite a few career highlights. Working on products that millions of people use is something he has particularly enjoyed. He also enjoyed working for a small startup that ended up being listed on the NASDAQ by the time he left. In the podcast, he shares details of several more career highlights. (14.44) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The fact that every project you work on is to a large extent unique and different is not likely to change in the future. So, a career in I.T. will always be an interesting and fulfilling one. (16.17) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Dan got into computers at a young age. Almost from the start, he wanted to create, rather than play video games so an IT career was a natural fit. What's the best career advice you received? – One great developer is worth any number of mediocre developers. That advice is what pushed Dan to be the best. What's the worst career advice you received? – Just shut up and do what you are told. What would you do if you started your career now? – Dan would still be a programmer but would probably not do his master's degree in software again. What are your current career objectives? – Dan is currently working on enhancing his personal brand. In the podcast, he explains how he is doing that. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Being interested in what others are doing and having the ability to genuinely connect with them. How do you keep your own career energized? – Dan makes sure that he is always working on things he enjoys and takes an active rather than a passive role whenever he can do so. What do you do away from technology? – Dan and his wife enjoy traveling when they are not doing things with their children. They like live music too. (25.11) FINAL CAREER TIP Enjoy what you are doing. Your job is a big part of your life, so make sure that you like your job. If you don´t, take action and find something that you do enjoy. BEST MOMENTS (5.46) – Dan - "It is up to you to determine the meaning of your own success. Always choose the career path that makes sense for you." (12.14) – Dan - "If you are not enjoying the place where you´re at, don´t hesitate, make a change." (17.40) – Dan - "The key to success is to get the best people that you can to work for the company that you´re at." (23.00) – Dan - "Try to work with people you have never worked with before. It is a great way to learn new things." (25.25) – Dan - "If you are not enjoying your work, change what you do. Life´s too short not to do so." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the f

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Krista Seiden. She is an experienced leader in the digital analytics industry. She has led analytics and optimization at companies such as Adobe, The Apollo Group, and Google. She is also a frequent conference speaker as well as a winner of 'Digital Analytics Rising Star' in 2014 and 'Practitioner of the Year' in 2015. In this episode, Phil and Krista Seiden discuss how she got into digital analytics and how she used informal mentors and social media to learn and network. She also explains how volunteering has helped her to gain new skills and she shares her thoughts on the future of IT. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (3.35) TOP CAREER TIP Use informal mentors. From the start of her career, Krista has been doing exactly that. When she saw something that interested her on social media, she would reach out to learn more. It proved to be an effective way of making connections. When she finally met them in person, after following them and reading what they had to say, she always had plenty to talk about with them. (4.47) WORST CAREER MOMENT When Krista´s team came up with a way to increase the number of people signing up for a free trial by 20%. As was customary at Google, Krista sent out an email letting everyone know. Unfortunately, it turned out that a significant percentage of the free trial conversions were from the Philippines. Most of which never became paid customers. However, their idea was still a good one, just not as effective as they had first thought. But it was still quite an embarrassing situation. Now, Krista always digs deeper into the numbers before sharing anything. (8.20) CAREER HIGHLIGHT After only 3 months at Google, Krista came up with a simple homepage that converted better than anything else. That in itself was an achievement. Better still, the stats for her idea even reached the inbox of Google´s co-founder Larry Page. Over time, her approach was widely shared and used. (12.09) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The fact that new ways of doing things are emerging all of the time means that the possibilities are endless. Better still, it is relatively easy to learn and take advantage of these new technologies. (13.20) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Krista was attracted to an IT career by the fact that you could nerd out and create something useful, fresh, and new. What's the best career advice you received? – You need to write more. What's the worst career advice you received? – You need to change who you are to fit in better. What would you do if you started your career now? – Krista says she would probably major in business and minor in computer science instead of the other way around. What are your current career objectives? – Krista is focused on growing and scaling her own analytics business. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Public speaking. How do you keep your own career energized? – Krista always finds attending the SUPERWEEK analytics conference in Hungary to be energizing for her career. It is a great way to connect with others in the industry. What do you do away from technology? – Krista enjoys spending time with her husband working on their home and looking after their new puppy. (20.39) FINAL CAREER TIP Get hands-on. The more you do the faster you learn. Volunteering is a great way to gain more experience and end up working on a variety of projects. BEST MOMENTS (3.30) – Krista - "Find informal mentors from your sector. People you can connect with and learn from." (14.25) – Krista - "Write more and write often enough for people to get to know you and your work." (15.49) – Krista - "Don´t change who you are and how you are doing things, simply to fit someone else´s idea of what you should be saying and doing." (17.59) – Krista - "Don´t be afraid of public speaking. When you put yourself out there you benefit greatly from the I.T. ecosystem." (20.39) – Krista - "You learn more by doing. So, get hands-on. Try volunteering, it is a good way to work on a variety of projects." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareeren

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Tobias Macey. He currently manages and leads the Technical Operations Team at MIT Open Learning where he designs and builds cloud infrastructure to power online access to education for the global MIT community. He also owns and operates Boundless Notions where he offers design, review, and implementation advice on data infrastructure and cloud automation. And he's the host of the weekly Python Podcast and the Data Engineering Podcast. In this episode, Phil and Tobias Macey discuss some of the assets MIT offers free of charge to the global community, including Open Courseware and the Open edXplatform. They talk about how knowing the fundamentals makes it easier to learn the latest tech. Tobias also talks about the advancements in the ability to gain insights in real-time from data and how data engineering will be the biggest driver for our global economy. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (5.06) TOP CAREER TIP Make sure that you are always learning. But, also have a deep understanding of the fundamentals. Those are the things that never change and will make learning new techologies far easier. They are the foundations on which most new tech is built. (7.44) WORST CAREER MOMENT Practically everyone that has ever worked in operations will have at one stage taken down the production system. Tobias shares an example of when he did exactly that and what the fallout from that was. As well as how he fixed it. That particular mistake taught him to put in place strong guardrails. It also taught him not to panic when things go wrong. Worrying gets you nowhere. (10.15) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Having the opportunity to run his podcasts and ask the industry's innovators interesting questions. In the podcast, Tobias shares the story of how he got started and how you can potentially do something similar. (13.16) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T As our economy and the world around us becomes increasingly digitized, the number of opportunities for everyone increases. Tobias is excited by the fact that it is now far easier for people to self-actualize and get involved in changing things. Tobias also talks about the advancements in our ability to gain insights from data and do so in real-time. As well as how data engineering is set to drastically change the way the world works. (16.04) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Initially Tobias wanted to be a physicist, but the opportunities were limited, so he tried IT instead. What's the best career advice you received? – Put yourself out there, speak to people, and build a network. What's the worst career advice you received? – What would you do if you started your career now? – Tobias would start by using free courses to learn the basics, then dive in and push himself to build something. What are your current career objectives? – Building out a viable data platform that provides clean data for analysis. As well as keeping his podcast going. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Being good at self-directed learning and knowing what questions to ask and how to ask them. How do you keep your own career energized? – Keeping an eye on other areas of the industry and running his podcast. What do you do away from technology? – Tobias enjoys spending time with his family. Right now, he is getting his kids into board games and dungeons and dragons. (22.24) FINAL CAREER TIP Stay curious. Treat challenges as if they are puzzles, especially the more difficult ones. There is always an answer, you just need to keep at it to find the answers and solve the puzzle. BEST MOMENTS (4.50) – Tobias - "Always be polite to people. You never know when they might be able to help you out, in the future." (5.06) – Tobias - "Make sure that you are constantly learning and know the fundamentals, the things that never change." (0.00) – Tobias - "When things go wrong, don´t panic. Accept the fact that a mistake was made and do what is necessary to resolve it." (11.43) – Tobias - "If there is something that you want, don´t wait for someone else to do it. Step up and be the one to provide it." (20.31) – Tobias - "Learn to ask open-ended questions, you will be surprised by how much more you will learn by doing so." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST– PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://i

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Sanjeev Sharma. He was an early practitioner and coach of the Scrum methodology and has become a world-renowned expert and thought leader in DevOps as well as a pioneer of DevOps at IBM. He has authored two bestselling books, "DevOps for Dummies" and "The DevOps Adoption Playbook" and he is now a thought leader in the emerging area of DataOps. In this episode, Phil and Sanjeev Sharma discuss the importance of not getting distracted by the tech and ending up chasing certifications. They also talk about how to achieve a proper understanding of what it is that your customer needs. Sanjeev also shares why initially you need to focus on learning how to learn and the core principles of IT. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (4.44) TOP CAREER TIP Do not get distracted by the technology, focus on the core principles. In the podcast, Sanjeev explains what they are. As well as how not to fall into the trap of chasing certifications you don´t really need. (9.58) WORST CAREER MOMENT Mid-career Sanjeev walked into a project with an overconfident attitude. He thought he knew what the customer needed and had all of the answers. Luckily, the manager from the client-side took him aside and asked Sanjeev to pause and actually listen to what they thought they needed. His doing that averted a potential disaster. But, by that point, a lot of people´s time had already been wasted. It taught Sanjeev to never make assumptions and always listen to the customer. (12.00) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Being made a Distinguished Engineer while working for IBM is Sanjeev´s career highlight, to date. Getting to that stage requires you to be reviewed and nominated by your peers. It felt amazing to get that recognition and achieve one of his biggest career goals. (14.24) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Sanjeev is more excited than ever about the potential of technology. It is pulling us together and enabling us to still be able to do important things like educating our children despite the Coronavirus crisis. The fact that every business needs technology means that the future is bright for IT professionals. (17.51) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Sanjeev chose IT because he liked it more than the idea of being a doctor or an accountant. What's the best career advice you received? – Learn computers. What's the worst career advice you received? – Don´t take a risk and change the direction of your career. What would you do if you started your career now? – Sanjeev would initially focus on learning the core engineering principles. What are your current career objectives? – Helping clients with their digital transformations. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Being a good writer. How do you keep your own career energized? – Sanjeev ensures that he talks to at least 5 other people per week about what they are working on. A habit that provides him with a fresh point of view. What do you do away from technology? – Sanjeev reads a lot. But, in a paper format rather than on a screen. He finds that this greatly reduces the chances of his being distracted. (23.38) FINAL CAREER TIP Keep reinventing yourself. But, when you do so, try to think beyond your next job. Plan to land your dream job and take steps towards that. But, be prepared to change track. In this ever-changing environment, there are untold opportunities. Don't be afraid to change direction to take advantage of them. BEST MOMENTS (5.58) – Sanjeev - "Do not get distracted by the technology, focus on the core principles." (8.04) – Sanjeev - "Don´t get distracted by the tech and end up chasing certifications just for the sake of it." (11.02) – Sanjeev - "No matter how often you have done something before, don´t just assume you know what the customer wants." (16.06) – Sanjeev - "Learn how to master new tools quickly. Things move fast, tools change, so you must learn them quickly." (23.58) – Sanjeev - "Constantly re-invent yourself. But look years ahead when deciding what to learn next." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com Join the I.

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Chris Ferdinandi. He is the author of the Vanilla JS Pocket Guide series, creator of the Vanilla JS Academy training program and host of the Vanilla JS Podcast. Chris has created JavaScript plugins that have been used by organizations such as Apple and the Harvard Business School. He also publishes a developer tips newsletter which is read by more than 8,000 developers every weekday. In this episode, Phil and Chris Ferdinandi discuss how networking enables you to find out about roles that are not public knowledge yet. He shares a bad experience that taught him the need to be cautious at the interview stage, ask the right questions and get things in writing. They also talk about why communication is a vital skill and how sharing what you know brings benefits. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (3.11) TOP CAREER TIP Meet as many people as you can and continue to network throughout your career. It is a great way to find out about roles before they are advertised. Networking will also help you to decide what you want to do next. At this stage, Chris explains the kind of questions he uses to help him to work out what skills to learn next. Questions that also enable him to further strengthen his network. (6.46) WORST CAREER MOMENT It took Chris 2 years to find his first developer job. He needed to be able to work remotely. At the interview, it was agreed they would talk about letting him do that. Yet, a few months later, they told him that it was not possible. Chris was deeply disappointed he had been misled and wasted months in a job that was not suitable for him. Naturally, he left. It taught him, to pay careful attention to what the hiring manager says. Now if something is really important to him, he gets it in writing. (11.55) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Speaking at the Artifact Conference in Texas is Chris´s career highlight, to date. He had been to the conference five years early but as an attendee. So, it felt amazing to get up on stage and speak there. (14.06) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Chris thinks that new tools, techniques and native browser methods will make all kinds of things possible, in the relatively near future. An example of this is the ability to use virtual reality features in a web environment. (15.49) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – The thrill of being able to take something from idea to something that works. What's the best career advice you received? – Network. What's the worst career advice you received? – You have to stay in a job for at least a year before you can leave. What would you do if you started your career now? – Chris would initially take some short courses. Then build something. If things went well, he would then invest more time and money into studying IT. What are your current career objectives? – As well as getting better at his job, Chris wants to expand the JavaScript education stuff he is currently doing. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Communication. In the podcast, Chris demonstrates why it is a vital skill for any developer. How do you keep your own career energized? – Helping other people keeps Chris´s career energized. What do you do away from technology? – Chris likes playing Magic Gathering and is trying to get into Dungeons and Dragons. He also loves spending time outside. (21.01) FINAL CAREER TIP Share what you know. It does not matter how you do it. Just sitting down and explaining what you know to a colleague is enough for you to cement your knowledge and take things to the next level. BEST MOMENTS (3.20) – Chris - "Meet as many people as you can and continue to network throughout your career to land the best jobs." (10.35) – Chris - "Before starting a job, get the important things in writing." (16.30) – Chris - "As soon as you know a job is not a good fit, leave. Staying will not benefit you or the firm you are working for." (21.20) – Chris - "The moment you really know how something works is when you´ve been able to explain it to someone." (21.55) – Chris - "Teaching everything you know to as many people as possible will open new doors." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Bob Belderbos. He is a software developer at Oracle, co-author of the 100 Days of Code in Python course and co-founder of PyBites, a community for those wanting to improve their Python skills. To date, Pybites has hosted 50 code challenges, published more than 100 articles and built a Python exercise platform. In this episode, Phil and Bob Belderbos discuss owning your career and how to choose the right skills to acquire. They also talk about how to turn a mistake into a positive situation. Bob also covers how the CoVid crisis, AI and automation are going to change the industry. He and Phil talk about why you need to push yourself and learn how to market yourself effectively and share what you are doing. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (2.30) TOP CAREER TIP You have to own your career. It is a mistake to rely on your manager or superior to be in charge of your development. Choose the skills you learn strategically. It is not enough to just focus on things that you feel passionate about. (3.35) WORST CAREER MOMENT In his first role, Bob made an error that caused invoicing issues. It was a serious mistake. Fortunately, he was able to quickly solve the issue. Taking ownership of his mistake and quickly finding a solution enabled Bob to turn a bad situation into a positive one. In the podcast, he explains how that can be done. (5.46) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Bob´s career highlight has been developing his blog, which led to him and his business partner, launching courses, developing a coding platform, and building a huge community. It has opened a lot of doors for him. In the podcast, Bob explains how he gained traction and shared everything with the world. (7.54) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The CoVid situation has demonstrated that working from home is viable. So, there is likely to be much more of that in the future. Bob also talks about automation and how that is likely to change the industry. As well as the role AI is going to play. (9.25) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – When Bob saw how things could be automated his interest in programming was sparked. What's the best career advice you received? – Success leaves a clue. At this point in the podcast, Bob explains what that means and how it helped him. What's the worst career advice you received? – When you find a job you are comfortable in, stay put. What would you do if you started your career now? – Bob would study marketing as well as coding. If you cannot market your skills, you will not get the most out of your work. What are your current career objectives? – Becoming an even better developer and doing more Python coaching. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Being a good communicator especially when working with people in virtual spaces. How do you keep your own career energized? – Bob makes sure that he sets career goals that stretch him. Doing that pushes him to learn and keeps him interested. What do you do away from technology? – Bob enjoys reading, in particular, mindset, business, and marketing books. He also loves spending time with his family. (20.19) FINAL CAREER TIP The best way to grow is to write out your goals and plan out what you need to do to achieve them. This keeps you focused. But it is important to look to the long-term rather than only having short-term goals. In the podcast, Bob explains how to be consistent so that you can make big changes. BEST MOMENTS (2.33) – Bob - "Own your career and choose the skills you learn strategically." (3.53) – Bob - "If you make a mistake, don´t become a victim. Instead, step up and solve the issue quickly." (11.33) – Bob - "When you want to achieve something, look at the people that have done it before and model what they did." (12.34) – Bob - "Use mentors, pay somebody to show you how to save a ton of time and money by avoiding common mistakes." (13.39) – Bob - "To grow, you need to step outside of your comfort zone. It´s scary but essential." (17.55) – Bob - "Learn to network. Plant lots of seeds, later many of them will result in new opportunities for you." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at phil@itcareerenergi

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Roberta Matuson. She has helped leaders in Fortune 500 companies, as well as small to medium-sized businesses, achieve dramatic growth and market leadership through the maximization of talent. Roberta is a leading authority on leadership and the skills and strategies required to earn employee commitment and client loyalty. She is also the author of several books including the recently released "Evergreen Talent". In this episode, Phil and Roberta Matuson discuss the importance of building strong interpersonal and people management skills. They talk about why, instead of waiting until you have acquired every skill asked for in a job advert, you should just apply. Roberta also explains how the IT job market is changing and how job hunters can adapt and benefit from the changes. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (4.16) WORST CAREER MOMENT Losing a great job, mainly because she had failed to build a good relationship with her boss and other members of higher management. As a result, when the firm let people go, there was nobody there to advocate for her so she could keep her job. That experience taught her not to just focus on managing down. She now actively works on and cultivates her relationships with her bosses. (5.36) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Landing her first executive role and starting her consultancy firm have both been career highlights for Roberta. (7.42) TOP CAREER TIP Take courses to help you to improve your interpersonal skills and your ability to communicate with non-technical people. It is also a good idea to acquire the skillset to manage your relationship with your boss. These softer skills will help you in many different ways, during your career. (9.43) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T There are not enough talented people out there. As a result, job applicants are in the driver´s seat. Unfortunately, some employers have still not woken up to that fact. At the same time, the recruitment process is becoming increasingly automated. It is now all about eliminating candidates from the list rather than searching out and nurturing talent. Applicants need to be aware of and adapt to the new reality. (10.50) THE REVEAL What's the best career advice you received? – Just go for it. Don´t wait until you tick every box. If you meet about 70% of the criteria apply anyway. What's the worst career advice you received? – Don´t worry that you are underpaid, be happy with what you get. What would you do if you started your career now? – Roberta says she would probably follow the same path. What are your current career objectives? – Roberta is focusing on working exclusively as an executive coach and a trusted advisor. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Being able to quickly build strong relationships. Business is all about relationships. How do you keep your own career energized? – Roberta stays energized by learning new skills and constantly reinventing herself. What do you do away from technology? – Roberta likes to cook, play tennis, be outside and socialize with friends. (15.40) CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR NEW BOOK AND HOW IT CAME ABOUT? Roberta´s new book shows leaders how to seed, grow and cultivate their workforce. For the majority, hiring enough talented workers is difficult. So, they have to know how to make the most of their own talents and of the ones their employees have. The book provides employees with an insight into the way their managers' minds work. It is also an excellent resource for anyone who wants to take on a management role. (17.59) FINAL CAREER TIP If you see an opportunity, don´t be afraid, just go for it. You won´t get a second chance. BEST MOMENTS (4.00) – Roberta - "You always have to be learning, reinventing yourself and staying current." (4.41) – Roberta - "Learn to manage your relationship with your boss. If you don´t, when redundancies happen you will get laid-off." (11.44) – Roberta - "If you´ve got 70% of what´s on the job posting, apply. The worst that can happen is that they say no." (14.28) – Roberta - "Learn to quickly build strong relationships. After all, business is all about relationships." (18.00) – Roberta - "When you see an opportunity, don´t be afraid, go for it. You won´t get a second chance." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Steve Kahan. He has a distinguished career. Steve has helped to grow seven startup companies from early-stage development to going public or being sold, resulting in a total value of more than $3 billion. He is currently Chief Marketing Officer for Thycotic, a cybersecurity company, which he has helped take from $10 million to over $60 million in its first three years. And late last year his book "Be A Startup Superstar: Ignite Your Career Working at a Tech Startup" was published by Wiley. In this episode, Phil and Steve Kahan discuss the benefits of working for a startup, how to pick one with a winning product and quickly track down the best jobs within the sector. They also cover how to give yourself the best chance of landing the job you want. Then what you need to do to progress quickly and take full advantage of the chance to grow your skillset. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (3.06) CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR FIRST STARTUP EXPERIENCE? Steve started by looking for startup companies in his area. He took a job with a company that was working to change the way applications were being developed. On his first day, he noticed someone taking the coffee machine away. It turned out the company could not afford to pay the bill. But, with hard work, they turned things around and the business went public. (4.54) WHY DO YOU RECOMMEND WORKING FOR A TECH START-UP OVER A LARGE CORPORATION? Startups are usually run by mavericks. People who want to do something different and are highly driven. They don't let bureaucracy stop them. Startups move fast and change the world. Someone who can deliver will quickly progress within that environment. Steve also explains why some large corporations now try to create a startup-like environment within some of their departments. (10.05) HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT FINDING THE BEST STARTUP OPPORTUNITIES? In the podcast, Steve uncovers a source of startup jobs that many IT professionals don´t know about. (13.15) WHAT SHOULD YOU LOOK FOR WHEN DECIDING WHETHER OR NOT TO JOIN A TECH STARTUP? When it comes to narrowing down his options he starts by looking for firms with quality people, who share his values. It is the people who reflect the true culture of a startup, which is why, during a job hunt, he starts from that point. Next on his list is the concept and product. In the podcast, he explains how to spot a winner. (17.26) WHAT SHOULD YOU DO TO GIVE YOURSELF THE BEST CHANCE OF JOINING A STARTUP? At this point, Steve shares a list of questions you should be asking. Questions that demonstrate that you are the right person for the job as well as uncover what you need to know about the startup. He also recommends engaging with the starters online and via social media. (19.20) CAN YOU SHARE A CAREER TIP THAT WOULD HELP SOMEONE BE SUCCESSFUL AT A STARTUP AND PROGRESS THEIR CAREER? Learn to protect your calendar, so you can achieve work-life harmony. If you have not scheduled time to do things you and your family enjoy, there is something wrong. Without that, you cannot do your best work. (22.15) THE REVEAL What's the best career advice you received? – Before accepting a new job make sure you ask enough questions to establish whether you will be truly happy in the role. What's the worst career advice you´ve ever received? – Don´t acknowledge the elephant in the room. In the podcast, Steve explains why he ignores this advice. If you were to begin your career again in today's world, what would you do? – Steve would immediately start work in the start-up world. What's the number one non-technical skill that has helped you in your career so far? – Communication. In the podcast, Steve explains how being a good communicator goes beyond just being a good listener and speaker. How do you keep your own career energized? – By being a constant learner. Steve is always looking for something new to learn. Things that enable him to deliver something extra. What do you do away from the world of tech startups? – Steve enjoys paddle boarding and learning the guitar. He has also recently started taking Cessna pilot lessons. (36.55) STEVE, CAN YOU SHARE WITH US A FINAL STORY ABOUT WHAT IT'S LIKE ON THE INSIDE OF A HIGH-FLYING STARTUP, AND WHAT MAKES THEM SPECIAL? In this section, Steve shares a story about a site security firm he worked for. He explains how they overcame what appeared to be an insurmountable problem and were able to do so at lightning speed. Something that enabled them to beat their competitors. (39.04) CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR BOOK "BE A STARTUP SUPERSTAR"? Steve´s book is all about attitudes, behaviors, and actions you need to take to be a success while working at a startup to be able to take your career to the next level. (39.36) WHERE CAN LISTENERS GET A COPY OF THE BOOK? The book can be bought from most online book retailers or from startupsuperstar.com BEST MOMENTS (6.46) – Steve - "When you work for startups, there's a better chanc

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Siddick Elaheebocus. Siddick has worked in the IT industry for 18 years. He is currently a Director and Technology Strategist for an IT services company based in the French Pacific providing vendor-agnostic digital advisory, professional services and training. Siddick is also a Chartered IT Professional, a long-standing Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT), a technology conference speaker and a mentor. He is also a former Microsoft TechIdol winner In this episode, Phil and Siddick Elaheebocus discuss how continuous self-development provides security and opens up exciting possibilities. In the podcast, Siddick goes over numerous ways you can do all of this efficiently. They discuss why having a purely technical skillset is no longer sufficient for IT professionals. As well as why failure is not a negative thing. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (6.37) TOP CAREER TIP Invest in yourself continually. Things change fast you never know when your role will change drastically or disappear, and you need to find a new one. Growing your knowledge, skills, and networking will ensure you are ready for the move. You also need to work on your soft skills and personality. (9.43) WORST CAREER MOMENT When Siddick took on his first management role he had to learn on the job. The firm he worked for did not provide any formal people management training. Unfortunately, he made a mistake. One that started to impact his professional image negatively. He could not fully fix the issue, so ended up leaving a job he loved. This experience prompted him to learn people skills. Something that Siddick found has helped his career immeasurably. (13.39) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Being involved in the launch of the first public cloud in Tahiti is Siddick´s biggest career highlight. There were a lot of challenges, but they succeeded and provided an affordable cloud service. Microsoft uses it as an example and other island nations are replicating it. (16.33) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Siddick is excited by the fact that we are on the edge of the next big tech revolution. The availability of cognitive and artificial intelligence, big data and augmented reality will all lead to huge changes. This is likely to transform the role of most IT professionals. They will still need their technical skills but will also play a far greater role in driving change through innovation. It is no longer sufficient to have only technical skills; you need an understanding of business too. (19.13) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.?– When people started to ask Siddick to repair their hardware he became curious about how PC worked which started his IT career. What's the best career advice you received?– Siddick´s dad told him - work isn´t life. What's the worst career advice you received?– There´s no room for failure. Siddick believes no failure means you are not trying anything new. What would you do if you started your career now?– Siddick would start by working in the cloud, AI or cybersecurity fields. What are your current career objectives? – Building some specialized skills in data center and cloud tech and building a stronger tech community, in his area. What's your number one non-technical skill?– Active listening. In the podcast, Siddick shares several examples of how that has helped his career. How do you keep your own career energized?– Learning from his customers and business partners and working to understand emerging technologies. What do you do away from technology? – He loves to travel and spending time enjoying the beautiful island he lives on. (26.00) FINAL CAREER TIP If you want to excel in your profession, become passionate about what you do. You will naturally become good at what you do and be inspired to carry on learning and contributing. BEST MOMENTS (6.37) – Siddick- "Invest in yourself continuously. Today, your role is important, tomorrow you might be redundant." (17.13) – Siddick- "The shift in the technology landscape means IT professionals have to become innovation agents." (19.17) – Siddick- "You need a combined knowledge of IT and business to be a real asset for companies." (20.43) – Siddick- "When you have work-life harmony, you are happy. In time, this happiness translates into better productivity." (23.33) – Siddick- "It's amazing how much you can learn simply by shutting your mouth and opening your ears." (0.00) – Siddick- "If you want to excel at what you do, become passionate about your work to fuel your career." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Derick Rethans. Derick is a PHP internals expert and author of Xdebug. He works as an independent contractor and consultant on PHP extensions and related projects. Derick has contributed to the PHP project in numerous forms and is the host of the PHP Internals News podcast as well as being a frequent speaker at conferences. In this episode, Phil and Derick Rethans discuss why asking for help is a strength rather than a weakness. Derick shares how he counters his introvert tendencies so that he can fill in his knowledge gaps and help others. They also talk about how to take on challenging roles and build new skills, while still maintaining the right work/life balance. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (3.18) TOP CAREER TIP Asking for help should be a skill that you use liberally. Doing so saves you a huge amount of time and hassle. Often, it is a mutually beneficial experience. They answer your questions and, often, will ask you a few of their own. We should all be leveraging off each other´s knowledge base. (4.47) WORST CAREER MOMENT At the start of his career, Derick was asked to fix an SEO Unix machine. He knew a bit about Linux and Unix II, but the machine he was working on used an older version. One he was not familiar with. As requested, he attempted the fix. A decision that nearly led to disaster. He explains what happened, in the podcast. From this experience, he learned not to assume you know things about technologies you have never touched before. Things are not always as similar as you might think. (7.10) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Being approached by people at conferences who say to him "It is nice to meet you; I like what you did on x project…" feels particularly good. Although, at first, it felt very weird to him. (8.23) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Derick finds the pace of change and the fact that there is always something new to learn to be exciting. For example, he has only recently started to learn new languages. He has also had a lot of fun playing a game that teaches you how to build a computer from scratch. Something he tells you about in the podcast. (10.39) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.?– Derick´s interest in the industry was sparked by the fact that, as a kid, he was allowed to play around with a computer. What's the best career advice you received?– You need to take the leap. What's the worst career advice you received?– You have to work 80 hours a week to be successful. This is not a sustainable way of working. What would you do if you started your career now?– He would focus on his language skills so that he could better communicate with others right from the start. What are your current career objectives? – Derick wants to start hiring this year, so he is focusing on building the skills he needs to do that effectively. What's your number one non-technical skill?– Being able to put himself out there by writing books, public speaking, and blogging. How do you keep your own career energized?– Pushing himself to have contact with other people keeps him energized. He explains why in the podcast. What do you do away from technology? – Derick loves walking. He walks everywhere, even if it takes a couple of hours to get there. (16.44) FINAL CAREER TIP With the help of others, actively work to teach yourself the things you are not good at. Even if you are very shy you should still push yourself to do this. Derick is naturally quite introverted. But he forces himself to talk to random people, especially at events. Doing so makes it easier to fill in the gaps in his knowledge. BEST MOMENTS (3.17) – Derick- "Asking for help should be a skill that you use liberally. Often, it is a mutually beneficial experience." (6.52) – Derick- "Don't assume that you know things on stuff that you've never touched before. It is too easy for things to go wrong." (11.26) – Derick- "Don´t be afraid to take the leap. Most of the time it will pay off." (15.42) – Derick- "Don´t keep doing the same thing for years. Instead, learn about how others are utilizing that tech." (17.09) – Derick- "With the help of others, teach yourself the things you're not great at." (17.29) – Phil- "Standing in the middle of the room, at conferences, draws others to you. So, you can learn from more people." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburges

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Stephen Woolston. Stephen is a program and service delivery consultant with an extensive background in IT infrastructure. He holds a first-class computer science degree from Nottingham University and started his career working on mainframe systems at Norwich Union. He is also a professional coach, helping people to become happier and more successful in what they do. In this episode, Phil and Stephen Woolston discuss how to quickly adapt your approach to problem-solving, in an ever-changing landscape, by using radical adaptability and positive direction-finding. How to quickly adapt to new environments, find and fix more problems effectively. As well as the importance of having confidence in your abilities. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (3.04) TOP CAREER TIP Develop radical adaptability and a positive direction finder. You need to have the ability to drop into any commercial environment and quickly figure out what is happening and how to move things in the right direction. During the podcast, Stephen explains, what he means by radical adaptability and positive direction-finding. As well as how you can develop those skills. (5.23) WORST CAREER MOMENT Stephen was once an operational planner, responsible for the governance of approving renewal costs. When he started, he was handed a cost schedule that he assumed covered everything. Unfortunately, a big expense had been left off that schedule. From this experience, Stephen learned it is not enough to simply check your work. You also need to be on the lookout for mistakes that have slipped through the net. The experience taught him that no colleague can produce flawless work every time. (9.46) CAREER HIGHLIGHT For Stephen, the highlight of his career was taking a leading role in Norwich Union´s Unix systems management. At the time, Unix was in its infancy. So, Stephen had to develop backup, recovery, monitoring and alert systems because they were not really available elsewhere. (12.56) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The fact that there are always new problems to solve is exciting. But it is also a huge challenge. You have to constantly be learning new things to keep up. Something that will also be the case in the future. (15.12) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.?– As a child, Stephen liked sci-fi, so a career in IT was a natural choice. What's the best career advice you received?– Every day you are creating your career. Things are constantly changing so you need to regularly review the direction you are going in. What's the worst career advice you received?– Get into one big, rich and powerful company and stay there. What would you do if you started your career now?– Stephen would network more and do so from the very start. What's your number one non-technical skill?– Communication skills, if yours are good you can work anywhere on any project you want. How do you keep your own career energized?– By seeking opportunities to work in new environments. What do you do away from technology? – To relax, Stephen listens to movie soundtrack music and spends a lot of his downtime coaching others. (19.40) FINAL CAREER TIP Have confidence in your abilities, don´t worry that you don´t know everything. Nobody understands a technology or subject completely. Tech moves too fast for that to be possible. No firm is running perfect systems. There is no shortage of things to fix or update, so you will always be able to contribute something important. BEST MOMENTS (3.26) – Stephen- "You cannot fit the client's problem to your solution, you have to fit your solution to the client's problem." (7.03) – Stephen- "If there is an error somewhere, find it before it finds you." (12.44) – Stephen- "With every evolution, we solve old problems, and we create new ones. They're the ones we need to focus on." (14.14) – Stephen- "Develop adaptability and positive direction-finding skills to meet the new challenges in IT." (17.36) – Stephen- "Good communication skills enable you to solve many more problems and work with far more people." (20.17) – Stephen- "Have confidence in your abilities. Don´t worry that you might not know everything about everything." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: ht

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Aslam Khan. He has more than 20 years of experience in software design and architecture, leveraging his background in Electronic Engineering. He is a regular speaker at local and international conferences on software development and agile methodologies as well as the author of Grokking Functional Programming. He says that he is convinced that software development is hard, very hard. In this episode, Phil and Aslam Khan discuss how to better understand the problems you are trying to solve for your clients so that you produce better solutions and designs. As well as why everyone needs to be prepared to take the lead sometimes. They also discuss how the IT industry is evolving into a more diverse and accessible one. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (3.24) TOP CAREER TIP Don´t change jobs simply to earn more money. It is far better to do so to learn something new. Aslam has always sought out people who can teach him something and it has greatly benefitted him to do so. (5.07) WORST CAREER MOMENT Not long after apartheid had ended, Aslam found himself leading a team of about 40 people from different ethnic, tribal and socio-economic backgrounds. The old wounds were still raw, and the team quickly divided. It got so bad that people were accusing each other of being racist, sexist and white supremacies. Aslam was young and overwhelmed by the situation. Sadly, the project failed. But he learned many lessons and started to speak publicly about what he learned from the experience. First in Europe, later in South Africa. (9.24) CAREER HIGHLIGHT For Aslam, the highlight of his career was realising that he is good at explaining complex concepts to other software developers. It took him a long time to understand that he had that talent. When he did, it led to his being able to help a lot of other developers. (11.54) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The industry relies on people innovating. It is OK to get it wrong sometimes. You are bound to when pushing the boundaries. Information Technology is an incredibly accommodating career path and will continue to be so, in the future. (15.15) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – All of Aslam´s family were doctors and pharmacists. He didn´t want to get involved in the medical industry, so he chose IT instead. What's the best career advice you received? – The compiler does not care if you are macho or not. In the podcast, Aslam explains why this curious piece of advice proved so helpful to him. What's the worst career advice you received? – He was once persuaded to stay in a job he hated because it paid well. What would you do if you started your career now? – Aslam would work and study at the same time. He feels this approach would have helped him immensely. What are your current career objectives? – Aslam is currently working on becoming a better leader. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Being self-aware and accepting critical feedback. How do you keep your own career energized? – Aslam seeks out problems that challenge him and finds people to help him to solve them. What do you do away from technology? – Aslam reads widely and occasionally watches movies to switch off. (20.45) FINAL CAREER TIP At some point, you will be asked to lead others. Don´t resist it, step up instead. When you know more or have a certain skill people will turn to you. We all have something unique to offer, so at some point, everyone ends up taking the lead. BEST MOMENTS (4.22) – Aslam- "Don't change jobs for money change jobs to learn." (11.31) – Aslam- "Becoming a public speaker is an inexpensive way to connect with others, share ideas and get feedback." (16.29) – Aslam- "What really matters is how you share your code with other people." (21.50) – Aslam- "You're not going to like it, but you will end up being a leader, so lean into it." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer ABOUT THE GUEST – ASLAM KHAN Aslam Khan has more than 20 yea

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Kevin Kline. He is the Principal Program Manager at Sentry One, a leading provider of award-winning tools for database management and monitoring. Kevin is a founding board member and former president of the international Professional Association for SQL Server (PASS). He frequently contributes to database technology magazines, websites, and discussion forums. Kevin is also an author or co-author of several books including SQL In A Nutshell, published by O'Reilly Media which is now in its third edition. In this episode, Phil and Kevin Kline discuss how seeking out ways to actively practice your skills pays dividends. They talk about why soft skills really matter for IT professionals and how to develop them. Kevin shares his insights into the future of the IT industry. Including how automation and big data will greatly benefit everyone. Show notes for this episode can be found at https://itcareerenergizer.com/e241

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Madison Kanna. She is a software developer working at Keeper Security. Madison is also the host of the CodeBookClub, an online community with live online meetups for beginners and intermediate developers. She blogs about JavaScript and teaching yourself how to code without attending a Bootcamp. In this episode, Phil and Madison Kanna discuss how someone who is new to the industry can map out what they will learn and in what order. Madison explains how to motivate and organize yourself to acquire the knowledge you need. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (3.22) TOP CAREER TIP If you are a new developer, create a curriculum for yourself. Try to map out what you will learn. Knowing, in advance, what step you are going to take next will help you to keep momentum, so your career does not end up stalling before it has really got started. (5.41) WORST CAREER MOMENT Early in her career, Madison just did not enjoy her work. The firm she worked for did not believe in mentoring or collaborative working. So, she had to basically teach herself at night and during the weekends. It was a tough time for her. But it taught her that sometimes you just have to be your own mentor. It also made her realize that you need to recognize when something is not right for you and not be afraid to move on. (8.05) CAREER HIGHLIGHT For Madison, joining Keeper Security has been a career highlight. Working in a truly collaborative environment has helped her to grow her skillset far faster. Releasing her free JavaScript course, a couple of years ago, was another highlight. It played a big role in enabling her to figure out what she did and didn´t understand. Pushing her to learn more about JavaScript and do so in a structured way. (9.05) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Madison is excited by the current developments surrounding JavaScript. It still has a lot to offer and sites like Egghead.io are making it far easier for people to keep up with the changes. (10.05) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Madison took a coding tutorial and was hooked immediately. What's the best career advice you received? – You don´t have to be the smartest person on the team. What's the worst career advice you received? – Learn at least two more languages at the same time as learning JavaScript. What would you do if you started your career now? – Draw up a roadmap to ensure that she was on the right track from the very start and wasted no energy wondering what to do next. What are your current career objectives? – Madison wants to learn more about JavaScript, React and cryptography. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Being an effective learner. How do you keep your own career energized? – Running the CodeBookClub. What do you do away from technology? – Madison loves to work out and spending time with her family. She also reads a lot. (13.07) FINAL CAREER TIP Figure out what you are curious about and learn about that. Don`t just stick to learning the things you need for your job and the sector you work in. Learning about unrelated things that you are curious about will take you to new places and enable you to acquire fresh skills. BEST MOMENTS (4.04) – Madison - "If you want to become a developer, create a plan for what you'll learn and when you'll learn and which courses you'll take." (7.13) – Madison - "Sometimes, to prevent your career from stalling, you will have to be your own mentor." (10.50) – Madison - "Surround yourself with people who know more than you, it is the fastest way to learn." (13.05) – Madison - "Figure out what you are curious about and learn about that." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer ABOUT THE GUEST – MADISON KANNA Madison Kanna is a software developer working at Keeper Security. Madison is also the host of the CodeBookClub, an online community with live online meetups for beginners and intermediate developers. She blogs about JavaScript and teaching yourself how t

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Anna Murray. She is a nationally recognized technology consultant, speaker, and blogger as well as the owner of a successful software development company. She founded one of the earliest web-development firms, emedia, in 1996 and is a double recipient of the Stevie Award for Women in Business. She also serves as the President of the Board of the International Women's Writing Guild. In this episode, Phil and Anna Murray discuss the fact that there are a lot of roles within the industry that do not require you to have an engineering background or degree. They speak about practical ways to progress your career on a daily basis. Anna also explains why she has focused on what she wants to get out of her working life, rather than chasing after a specific job title. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (3.41) TOP CAREER TIP You need a day-to-day to-do list. But it is very important to have a second one, a career to-do list. Things that you need to do to move your career forward. For example, writing a book, completing a specific training program or landing a certain role. Don´t let your daily to-do list drown out what needs to be done to progress your career. In the podcast, Anna shares several practical ways to do this. (6.58) WORST CAREER MOMENT Very early in her career, at a young age, Anna was in charge of a massive project. But she missed something important. An error which cost about $250,000. She was horrified and paralyzed by shame and fear. But, luckily, she had a wise and understanding mentor to help her through. The experience taught her that she, nor anyone else, could be perfect. When there are issues, you need to fix the problem rather than fixing the blame. (9.39) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Having her book, The Complete Software Project Manager, published was a big career highlight for Anna. In particular when, a few years later, she met someone who told her it was so good that he keeps it on his nightstand and refers to it regularly. (11.14) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The fact that when you work in IT you are always moving the world forward is exciting. IT is an industry that has always had a big impact on the world and that is going to continue. (13.21) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Anna´s journalism major entailed working with technology, as a result of which she was drawn into the IT industry. What's the best career advice you received? – Anna´s dad once told her to focus on getting the job. But, at the same time, not to be afraid to turn it down. In the podcast, Anna and Phil discuss why this is good advice. What's the worst career advice you received? – Always speak up and get your voice heard at meetings. You need to be careful not to speak just for the sake of it. What would you do if you started your career now? – Anna would probably focus on big data. What are your current career objectives? – Anna is trying to find the time to write more. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Being able to explain something that is very technical and complex in a way that anyone can understand. How do you keep your own career energized? – Taking enough time out to relax and stimulate her mind in other ways enables Anna to stay fresh, energized and think about things in new ways. What do you do away from technology? – Anna enjoys horse riding, as well as spending time with her puppy and her family. She also travels and goes to the theatre a lot. (21.58) FINAL CAREER TIP Stop thinking so much about what position or role you want to attain. Instead, focus on what you want to get out of your work. BEST MOMENTS (4.04) – Anna - "Don´t let your daily to-do list drown out the tasks that need to be done to progress your career" (14.13) – Anna - "Get the job then turn it down. Doing this gives you the opportunity to interview and find out more about what is out there." (17.07) – Anna - "Don´t be afraid to speak up. But, learn to read your audience and deploy information effectively." (20.18) – Anna - "Understand the decision that your client has to make. This will enable you to come up with better solutions." (21.11) – Anna - "Somehow getting away from the thing you are working on for a while pours positive energy back into it." (23.35) – Anna - "Think more about what you are looking for from your work, as opposed to focusing on attaining a certain position." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitte

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Mandy Michael. She is a community organizer, speaker, writer, and developer. Mandy is currently working as a Development Manager at Seven West Media in Western Australia. Her passion is front end technology and she's a strong advocate for women in technology, volunteering at events such as She Codes and Muse JS. She is also Founder and Organiser of Fenders, a local meetup for Front End Developers, co-organizer and director of MixinConf and was named as one of the Top 20 Women in Tech in Western Australia in its inaugural year. In this episode, Phil and Mandy Michael discuss why it is worth taking the time to learn how to use organizational tools effectively. They talk about the best way to challenge decisions others make that affect you. Mandy also talks a little about variable fonts, how they can be created and what you can achieve by using them. She explains how public speaking and becoming more empathetic have both helped her career. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (4.12) TOP CAREER TIP Be organized. Mandy is not a naturally organized person, but she has found that making extensive use of tools like Asana has made a huge difference to how much she can get done. This has made it easier for her to take full advantage of the opportunities that have come her way. (6.47) WORST CAREER MOMENT A while ago Mandy switched from working exclusively on development and moved to also working on the front end. But a new boss insisted that she choose between the two. Mandy now regrets not challenging their decision, instead of just going along with things. If you feel strongly about something, it is wise to trust your instincts and speak up. In the podcast, Mandy explains why this is good for your team as well as for you personally. (11.03) CAREER HIGHLIGHT The amazing reception the variable font she made and uploaded to CodePen got is Mandy´s current career highlight. When she created it, she did not really realize that nobody had used variable fonts in that way before. Coming up with something that had such a big impact felt great. Since then, quite a few big companies, for example, Google and Microsoft have used and shared her work. In the podcast, Mandy tells the audience a bit more about variable fonts and what can be achieved using them. (14.59) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The fact that the industry does not have to be limited by what has already been created is exciting. It means that everything is still possible. If you want to do things differently you just code it to prove that your concept works. Within the IT industry, there is plenty of time and space to invent and develop new things. (17.09) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Mandy first got interested in IT by building fan sites on GeoCities. What's the best career advice you received? – Express your ideas and opinions and do it in a confident way. What's the worst career advice you received? – If you are yourself, nobody will take you seriously. What would you do if you started your career now? – Mandy comments that if she had her time over again, she would have paid more attention during science and maths classes. What are your current career objectives? – Becoming a good public speaker and using that skill to make herself a better communicator in the workplace. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Being able to pick up on other people´s behaviors and feelings. How do you keep your own career energized? – Mandy finds that creating small demos and getting them out there via CodePen and CodeSandbox energizes her. What do you do away from technology? – Mandy enjoys spending time with her dog Jello, reading comic books and watching anime. She also likes making costumes and props for cosplay. (22.03) FINAL CAREER TIP Make the most of the people around you. Mandy runs her own meetup group and volunteers at events. She finds that doing those things opens up more opportunities for her to be able to learn from others. BEST MOMENTS (5.34) – Mandy - "Be organized. Planning ahead enables you to focus, avoid overcommitting and get more done." (8.41) – Mandy - "If you feel really strongly about something, then you should trust your instincts and push for what you think is best for you." (16.38) – Mandy - "Don´t hold yourself back by trying to replicate what has already been done. Instead, try to do things differently." (17.30) – Mandy - "Express your ideas and opinions and do it confidently." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HO

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Mahdi Kafi. He started his career at Pricewaterhouse Coopers in Canada where he learned the basics of IT consulting. He now works for DXC Technology where he is an IT consultant helping HR departments to better understand how to make employees' lives easier through the use of technology. In this episode, Phil and Mahdi Kafi discuss the need to keep an open mind when it comes to your career. They talk about how the industry is opening up and finding new ways to get the most out of their employees. Mahdi also shares some methods IT professionals can use to take their career in the right direction and progress faster. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (2.14) TOP CAREER TIP Don't be afraid to change your career plans. By all means, have a plan but bear in mind that as you and the industry evolve you will have to change and update it. During the podcast Mahdi shares a personal experience that demonstrates why this is so important. (3.26) WORST CAREER MOMENT In his last job, things were slow. At points, they had very few clients. But it was not all bad. It gave Mahdi a chance to invest in himself and learn new skills. (4.19) CAREER HIGHLIGHT His new job is proving to be the best thing he has ever done, so far. The business is growing fast, so the work he is doing is having a real impact. He is ensuring that the firm's staff have the skills they need to move things along at the necessary pace. (4.47) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The fact that you no longer need a college degree to get involved in the I.T. industry means that it is changing fast. It is exciting that people from all walks of life can now have great I.T. careers. Once they have learned to code people can solve all kinds of problems. So, this new environment is really empowering people. (6.11) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – The fact that no two days are the same and the flexibility this type of work offers to those who do it. What's the best career advice you received? – In all likelihood, your first job will be really boring. But don't let it stop you from focusing on your craft so that you can keep on levelling up. What's the worst career advice you received? – Quit your job and follow your passion. What would you do if you started your career now? – Learn to code earlier, not doing that has led to Mahdi missing out on a lot of opportunities. What are your current career objectives? – In the future, Mahdi wants to work with clients who are involved in the non-profit or green industry. So, he is working towards that. What's your number one non-technical skill? – His communication and listening skills. Becoming an active listener has made his personal and work relationships a lot easier. How do you keep your own career energized? – Mahdi likes to set himself new challenges. This year, it is learning to code in Python. What do you do away from technology? – Mahdi spends a lot of his spare time helping people who are new to tech to learn and progress faster. He does that in person as well as through his Primal Career YouTube channel and website. (12.39) FINAL CAREER TIP When deciding which direction to take your career in, ask yourself what if. For example, asking yourself What if I get this job, what is next? will help you to open your mind to more of the possibilities and opportunities. Making it easy for you to plan the next step. Thinking like this will also enable you to double-check that taking on that role is right for you BEST MOMENTS (2.34) – Mahdi - "Keep an open mind about your career path. When you do, you will not miss an opportunity." (3.48) – Mahdi - "Instead of waiting for the experience to come to you, just go get the experience yourself." (7.15) – Mahdi - "IT events are great places to network and find out more about what different companies are looking for." (11.14) – Mahdi - "Regularly set yourself challenges as a way to keep your career energized." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/grou

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Simo Ahava. He is a recognised expert on customizing web analytics and tag management solutions to improve the entire "life cycle" of data collection, processing and reporting. His main areas of expertise lie with Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager, and Google has appointed him as a Google Developer Expert in these fields. He is also a partner and co-founder at 8-bit-sheep, a prolific blogger and an experienced conference speaker. In this episode, Phil and Simo Ahava discuss how helping others sharpens your skills and keeps you in touch with the fundamentals. They also talk about how compromising your personal values usually have a negative impact on your career. Simo also shares how to prepare for entrepreneurship and when to make the switch from being an employee. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (4.36) TOP CAREER TIP Find a community around a topic you are good at or would like to become good at. Share, guide and be proactive in that community. You will gain a reputation for being altruistic. This in itself comes with a big payback but helping others will also enable you to stay proficient and appreciate the importance of the fundamentals. In the podcast, Simo shares a hidden benefit of doing this. (7.01) WORST CAREER MOMENT When Simo first started public speaking, he felt he needed to get some experience under his belt. As a result, he took on work that he now regrets doing. The problems were interesting. But he was working for payday loan and alternative medicine companies. Both are industries he is extremely ambivalent about. Worse, looking back, he now realises that working for them was completely unnecessary. (10.06) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Becoming an entrepreneur instead of being an employee. At the time he made the move, he was scared out of his pants. Fortunately, it has turned out to be a great journey. Partly because he had put a lot of hard work into his career before making the move. Building a good reputation and a strong network. In the podcast, Simo explains how he prepared himself for becoming an entrepreneur. (13.14) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The fact that there will always be a new technological challenge to surmount excites Simo. There is a lot going on in virtually every field, especially quantum computing, IoT, AR, VR, AI, electric cars and autonomous vehicles. With this constantly developing blue ocean of possibilities in front of us, there will be challenges. The fact we are facing some huge problems like climate change adds even more. What is exciting is that we have the potential to solve these with computation or technology. (16.40) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – The opportunity to turn his hobby into a profession. What's the best career advice you received? – As soon as you feel you cannot learn anything else, it is time to move on. What's the worst career advice you received? – Work hard, maybe in 5 years you will be promoted to management. What would you do if you started your career now? – Simo would work towards becoming an entrepreneur faster. What are your current career objectives? – Becoming a more effective problem solver by learning even more skills. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Blogging has opened far more doors than anything else he has done. How do you keep your own career energized? – Having a healthy life. A happy family, hobbies, friends and enjoying other activities all of gives him energy. What do you do away from technology? – Simo plays board games, cooks, plays guitar and the ukulele. He loves spending time with his family. (20.53) FINAL CAREER TIP Help others. It is a really effective way to hone your own skills. You can do this in all kinds of communities, including those that cater to the tools you use. Opportunities are everywhere. BEST MOMENTS (4.50) – Simo - "Find a community for a topic you are proficient at and help others to sharpen your skills and gain a good reputation." (8.28) – Simo - "Choosing profit over your personal values is never a good idea. It leads to regrets that stay with you." (14.21) – Simo - "A career in IT could mean that you're actively and proactively taking part in solving some of the world´s biggest problems." (17.04) – Simo - "When you feel you can't learn anything new in your current position, it is time to move on." (19.27) – Simo - "I attribute 95% of my current career success and trajectory to my blog." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be c

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Stephen Kuenzli. He has designed, built, deployed and operated highly available and scalable software systems in high tech manufacturing, banking, and e-commerce sectors, for nearly 20 years. He has a B.S. in Systems Engineering and he loves working through challenging design problems and building solutions that are safe and enjoyable to use. In this episode, Phil and Stephen Kuenzli discuss the need to develop non-technical skills to be able to progress your career. Stephen shares and effective way to be a continuous learner without over-stretching yourself or letting other things slide. They also talk about the importance of sticking to your standards and refusing to be pressured into shipping a faulty product and how to do that. He also explains how to maintain the balance you need to stay successful. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (2.27) TOP CAREER TIP Be proactive about managing your career. Throughout his career, Stephen has blocked out at least 4 hours a week to be used to learn or practice a new skill. It is also important to ask for help. This is especially the case when you are trying to develop non-technical skills. Learning things like effective communication and project management skills is crucial. (5.04) WORST CAREER MOMENT Sadly, Stephen was involved in launching a product before it was ready. They knew it was buggy, but the pressure was being applied by several influential parties. Now, Stephen would simply refuse to ship a product at that stage of development. To ensure he can do this, he built up a cash buffer to make himself comfortable with standing firm on quality, even as an employee. (9.59) CAREER HIGHLIGHT His career highlight came about while fixing that flawed system that had led to his worst career moment. During the fix, they created a better way of debugging. They did not just bug fix. Instead, their focus was on improving the customer experience. As a result, that flawed product was transformed into one that the customer loved. They got the defect rate down to 0.007% of projects had issues. (12.22) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Stephen enjoys the crazy pace of change. It keeps things interesting. Currently, in terms of cloud security code, the half-life is currently around 18 months. This provides a lot of opportunities for everyone to do things better and better. He also speaks about how containerization is helping to make more things possible in the cloud. (17.57) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – The fact you can get computers to take care of the hard things you cannot do. Freeing you up to enjoy making them do even harder things. What's the best career advice you received? – His father advised him to do what you love and love what you do. What's the worst career advice you received? – Stephen says he does not remember. He doesn't really hold onto the bad stuff. What would you do if you started your career now? – Probably something on the interface of biology and technology. For example, replacement body parts and the technology needed to make them. What are your current career objectives? – Building a cloud security product that enables users to answer basic questions like who has access to each part of my data. Currently, this is far too difficult to do. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Learning to communicate and empathise with people. How do you keep your own career energized? – Relaxing and disconnecting re-energises him. What do you do away from technology? – Spending time with his family and take good care of himself and them. (23.20) FINAL CAREER TIP Learn continuously. But respect your personal and family limits. If you work too hard you will burn out. BEST MOMENTS (0.00) – Stephen - "Take a proactive approach to your career. Block out time to learn new skills." (0.00) – Stephen - "The tech industry is very dynamic. So, you can navigate to where you want to go." (0.00) – Stephen - "Remember to step back from technology and relax completely. It will keep you energized." (0.00) – Stephen - "Learn continuously, but know when to step back and relax" (0.00) – Stephen - "Respect your personal and family limits to stay happy and productive." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.co

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer is James Turnbull. He is VP of Engineering at Glitch. James was previously a founder and CTO at Empatico, CTO at Kickstarter, VP of Services at Docker and a CTO in residence at Microsoft to name but a few. He is also the author of several books, including "Monitoring with Prometheus" and "The Docker Book". He is originally from Melbourne, Australia, but now resides in Brooklyn, New York. In this episode, Phil and James Turnbull discuss the need to find work that truly excites you. They talk through how to deal with the inevitable mistakes you make in a positive way. James also speaks about how adaptive technology is transforming the lives of those with disabilities. He also shares why you need to ask about onboarding at the interview. In particular, during the early stages of your career. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (02.35) TOP CAREER TIP Don't assume you're going to be doing the same job forever. You are going to evolve, and the IT industry moves fast. So, it should be easy to find work that excites you. There is no need to just settle. (3.35) WORST CAREER MOMENT Early in his career, James managed a major Casino's computer. Naturally, he scheduled maintenance to take place at the quietest time. Unfortunately, one day, he fat fingered it and shut everything down for an hour during a very busy time. He immediately told the CTO what he had done, what the impact would be and the steps that could be taken to mitigate the situation. James expected to be sacked. But the fact he had admitted his error and done all he could to solve the issue saved his job. It taught him that mistakes happen. What really matters is that you deal with them properly. (6.35) CAREER HIGHLIGHT James is most proud of the teams he has built and the fact that he has had a positive impact on the careers of other people. Not long ago, on Twitter, people were telling others about the people who had influenced them and their careers. He was touched that several people talked about him. He is also particularly proud of the app his team at Empatico built. It is currently being used by 20,000+ teachers to teach children how to be empathetic, something that will have a lasting impact. (8.05) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Interestingly, James states that the pace of change within the industry both terrifies and excites him. But overall, he is looking forward to seeing how technology will change the world. Right now, he is especially interested in the way adaptive technology is changing things for the disabled and everyone else. It is a great leveller. He is particularly excited by the difference it is going to make to the lives of the disabled in poorer countries and other more vulnerable groups. (10.36) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – The fact that you could have an interesting career and earn good money. What's the best career advice you received? – Treat everyone you work with respect, kindness, and empathy. James shares an interesting story that demonstrates why this is so important. What's the worst career advice you received? – Chase the money. Making career choices based solely on monetary gain rarely works out well. What would you do if you started your career now? – Realistically, he thinks he would probably end up as an Android or iOS developer. But infrastructure is where he would really like to be if he were to start again. What are your current career objectives? – Honing the skills that enable him to build amazing teams and products. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Listening. How do you keep your own career energized? – Writing technical books exposes James to technology he would otherwise not use. This keeps him energized and engaged. What do you do away from technology? – James likes reading, art, collects antique maps and is interested in antique coins. He also finds history and politics to be fascinating. (17.12) FINAL CAREER TIP At the interview stage always ask about onboarding. Ask if you get a mentor and how you will become a fully functioning member of the team. If they have not really thought about how they are going to do that, it is probably best to try for a job elsewhere. BEST MOMENTS (3.06) – James - "Don't fixate on a job title. Instead, fixate on jobs that excite you." (5.22) – James - "You make mistakes. What you do next and what you learn from them is what really matters." (11.56) – James - "Treat everyone you work alongside with respect and empathy. If you don´t, you never know when it will come back to bite you." (13.46) – James - "Don´t make career choices based mainly on the money. You will usually regret it if you do." (17.30) – James - "At the interview, always ask about onboarding. If they don´t have a clear plan, consider applying elsewhere." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Josh Clark. He is a UX designer and design leader who helps organisations build products for what's next. Josh is the founder of Big Medium, a New York design studio specialising in future-friendly interfaces for artificial intelligence, connected devices and responsive websites. He is the author of several books and he speaks around the world about what's next for digital interfaces. In this episode, Phil and Josh Clark talk about the need to advocate for the end-user as well as meet the needs of the business you are working for. Josh discusses the need to be persistent, but to also recognise when it is time to move on. They discuss why the next wave of I.T. innovation is going to impact the very fabric of our lives. The culture, and how vital it is for developers to make the right decisions. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (5.38) TOP CAREER TIP It is important to create a separation between you and your work. You are not your work. Remembering this helps you to cope if something you have created is not well received. The truth is that success doesn't make you a better person, nor does failure make you a worse one. (9.00) WORST CAREER MOMENT Nearly 20 years ago, Josh created a low-cost CMS system. Around the same time, blog platforms and WordPress began to offer something very similar at no cost. That was bad enough. But, what was worse was that Josh did not let go of his project and move on. He failed to recognise that there was no longer a need or market for his paid product. As a result, he wasted a lot of time and energy and ended up damaging his sense of self. Sticking with it too long had really held him back. (13.13) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Josh´s career highlight was landing Time Inc. as his first big client. They liked the fact that, at the pitch stage, he was able to present the team to them. Being a small agency without many employees that worked by pulling together a contractor team that was tailored to each project, enabled him to do this. Time Inc. liked knowing who the team would be and the fact that every person on it had said yes because they specifically wanted to work on their project. (18.05) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The focus is now moving away from mobile. Now what we can do with data is more important. Machine learning is going to unleash huge change. But. It is also a risky time for society. It would be easy to get the management of all that data wrong. To a large extent, developers are the gatekeepers. (22.32) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Josh felt constrained, especially, creatively in his filmmaking role. So, the idea that in I.T. you could create anything really appealed. What's the best career advice you received? – Look ahead, but make sure that you also draw satisfaction from what you are working on today. What's the worst career advice you received? – Do what you love. If you turn the thing that you love into work, there is a risk that you will sully it. What would you do if you started your career now? – Josh is not sure where he would start. He would probably focus on honing his research and problem-solving skills, rather than on a specific tech. What are your current career objectives? – Understanding machine learning as a design material. What's your number one non-technical skill? Being an active listener and at ease with working collaboratively. How do you keep your own career energized? – By exploring the creative process and getting to know what other people are doing. What do you do away from technology? – Josh loves going to museums. He is also passionate about running. He is the creator of Couch to 5K. (30.47) FINAL CAREER TIP Be proud of what you do, but also show humility. Share with others and ask lots of questions. Pairing together curiosity with generosity yields great rewards. BEST MOMENTS (2.09) – Josh - "Try to understand what customer needs are as well as what the business needs and find a way to stitch the two together." (6.56) – Josh - "Keep things in perspective. Success doesn't make you a better person, nor does failure make you a worse one." (12.31) – Josh - "Failure is, okay, it can be a learning experience. But, fail fast. Don't cling on too long to a failing project." (23.30) – Josh - "You never arrive, every time you meet a goal there is something new that is beyond your reach, for you to strive for" (27.46) – Josh - "Learn how to collaborate with other people. Active listening is an important part of this." (20.48) – Josh - "Remember that software shapes behavior. So, be intentional about the values you put into what you create." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Michel Weststrate. He is a trainer, speaker, micro-consultant and independent open source developer. As well as the author of MobX, MobX-State-Tree, Immer and a plethora of smaller packages. Michel is on a quest to make programming as natural as possible In this episode, Phil and Michel Weststrate discuss how to raise issues in a constructive way that greatly improves the chances of them being solved. They talk about why it makes sense to share code via OpenSource. Michel explains how he pushes himself to tackle difficult problems without running the risk of burn out. He also touches on why he thinks React Suspense is going to have a huge impact and how tech is likely to evolve over the next few years. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (2.22) TOP CAREER TIP Try to raise solutions rather than problems. It is far better to explain that there is an issue and at the same time share your preferred solution. Simply sharing the problem with your manager, who does not have the hands on experience you have usually leads to a very poor outcome. In the podcast, Michel provides an in-depth example, that explains what he means. It is a practical example that many I.T. professionals will be able to easily relate to. (4.36) WORST CAREER MOMENT During his career, Michel has found himself regularly making the same mistake. He can overthink things a little and spend too much time working on issues that may never occur. But, he has also dismissed potential problems, only for them to turn into an issue, years down the line. In the podcast, he explains how he has changed the way he works in an effort to get the balance right. (5.56) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Michel's career highlight was working on MobX to solve what initially appeared to be a relatively specialist problem, which actually ended up helping thousands of developers. (7.33) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Being a software engineer has never been easier than it is now. And it is likely to be more so, in the future. The number of technologies is also growing and will almost certainly continue to do so. Many of these will lead to ground-breaking changes. In the podcast, he provides several examples of technologies that are set to drastically shake things up. (9.42) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – The fact that as an I.T. engineer you are free to create truly remarkable things. There are very few limitations that you have to work within. What's the best career advice you received? – Have confidence in your ability to learn. Michel also explains his take on negotiating a deal that will work for everyone. What's the worst career advice you received? – You can be whatever you want to be. If you push yourself too far beyond what is feasible, you will burn out. What would you do if you started your career now? – Michel would get involved in Open Source, at an early stage. What are your current career objectives? – Facebook works at an incredible scale; they have thousands of developers. Michel wants to learn as much as he can about how such a huge team gels. What's your number one non-technical skill? Being able to communicate ideas, especially very abstract or technical concepts. How do you keep your own career energized? – Michel likes to tackle difficult problems, especially the ones he can work on at his own pace. They give him the chance to really dig deep and learn. What do you do away from technology? – Michel recently moved to London, so he and his family are getting to know the city. He loves soccer and is also active in his church. (16.42) FINAL CAREER TIP Go the extra mile to solve your problems. You may think they only affect you and a few others. But, often, when you provide a solution you will end up helping many others as well as yourself. BEST MOMENTS (2.27) – Michel - "When raising problems, share a possible solution too. The issue is more likely to be solved with that approach." (11.09) – Michel - "Have that confidence that you can learn something difficult if you really want to." (11.19) – Michel - "When negotiating, aim to make a deal where everyone is a winner. You get further that way." (16.42) – Michel - "Go that extra mile to solve your problems. When you do you will help others." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechc

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Erik St. Martin. Over the past 15 years, Erik has been a Web Developer, a Software Engineer and a System Architect. He is passionate about all things Go, Kubernetes, Containers, Distributed Systems and Information Security. Erik is currently a Principal Cloud Developer Advocate for Microsoft Azure, who is actively involved in the OSS community. In this episode, Phil and Erik St. Martin discuss the need for those who are just starting out to push through the early part of the learning curve. They also talk about the importance of networking and how to do it, including, one quite unusual approach Erik uses. He shares why he is not afraid to spend time playing with new concepts and languages. As well as why you should be prepared to push the boundaries. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (3.06) TOP CAREER TIP If you want a career in I.T. you have to persevere. In the beginning, the learning curve is very steep, which is why a lot of people give up. But, pushing through that stage brings big rewards. Most I.T. careers start slowly, before taking off, often, at a stratospheric rate. (5.09) WORST CAREER MOMENT At one stage, Erik had been burned by a couple of start-ups he had worked for. The last one had him and his team working 16 hour days, 7 days a week, for several months. When he pointed out that this was unsustainable, his boss´s response led to him leaving. In fact, things got so bad that he had planned to leave the tech industry. In the podcast, he shares why he decided to stay. (8.02) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Getting a job with Disney was huge. It gave him the chance to work with some fantastic tech and on really interesting projects, for example, Disney´s Magic Bands. But, Erik is most proud of the GOTO conference he organises. In particular, the contribution it makes to the GO programming community and beyond. (9.21) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The fact that 10 years from now, at least 100 new techs will have emerged is exciting. Erik also predicts that, in the future, far more people will be able to progress up the ladder without having to reluctantly go into management. (10.57) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – At first, I.T. was his hobby. So, when he got offered money to do it, he could not resist. What's the best career advice you received? – Never turn down an interview. Even if you are not ready to jump, you never know what will come of it. What's the worst career advice you received? – You need to go into management to be successful. What would you do if you started your career now? – When offered opportunities, Erik would say yes more often. At the start of his career, he often turned things down because he thought he was not qualified enough. What are your current career objectives? – Right now, Erik´s focus is on teaching. He does not really have hard and fast career objectives. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Creative problem-solving. Once you start doing it you will be amazed by what you can achieve. How do you keep your own career energized? – Teaching helps to motivate Erik. But, hearing about the new things developers are doing in other fields is what really excites and energizes him. What do you do away from technology? – Erik has kids, so wryly states that he mostly does what they want to do. He also plays the guitar and is taking singing classes. (17.03) FINAL CAREER TIP Don´t get hung up on deciding what you want to end up working on, especially at the start of your career. At that stage, everything you do is building a foundation for your future. What you do then is going to lead to all sorts of opportunities further down the line. So, be open to trying new things. BEST MOMENTS (3.25) – Erik - "It is easy for people to believe they are not cut out for tech. Often, to succeed, they just need to persevere." (11.20) – Erik - "Never turn down an interview, they enable you to understand what is out there and make more connections." (12.15) – Erik - "Increase your network every way you can. Attending conferences is a particularly good approach." (14.36) – Erik - "Play with new languages and enjoy them. You never know what the next big thing will be." (15.10) – Erik - "Don´t be afraid of failure. Nothing is too big for you, it is just code. You will figure it out." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linke

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Denny Cherry. He is recognised as one of the deftest and most knowledgeable cross-platform IT consultants in the world. He has been a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional since 2008 and has held the highest level certification available for each version of SQL Server since 2000. He has also published dozens of articles and is an author of multiple books as well as a popular speaker. In this episode Phil and Denny Cherry discuss why chasing money instead of pursuing something that interests you is a fast way to stall your career. As well as how being a good listener can help you to succeed. Denny also explains how he became an MVP and how others can do the same. They discuss the impact SQL Server 2019 is likely to have on the way I.T. professionals work and how it will empower end/users, like never before. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (4.54) TOP CAREER TIP Don't worry about following the career path that enables you to earn the most money. Instead, seek out work that really interests you. If you are passionate about something you will become very good at it. When that happens, you will, usually, earn a good wage. If you force yourself to do work that you are not truly passionate about, your career will likely stall. (6.44) WORST CAREER MOMENT About 15 years ago, Denny was working for a desktop monitoring company that captured screenshots, emails and chats for their clients. Unfortunately, a code glitch meant that they ran out of disk space. They came up with a solution, but it still took days to solve the problem. Denny explains why that was, in the podcast. (8.41) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Building a data warehouse for the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. A resource that now saves them around 50,000 man hours, per year. This has enabled them to save millions of dollars, every year. That cash can now be redirected into healthcare. (11.00) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The release of SQL Server 2019 is opening up all sorts of opportunities to work more collaboratively and do so in a far more effective way. In the podcast, Denny gives some examples of how gathering data together in the way it allows is going to empower users to create amazing reports. It really empowers the users. That is going to change the role of I.T. professionals. (14.51) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Denny describes himself as being literally born into I.T. His father was an executive at a computer company, so Denny always had access to PCs. What's the best career advice you received? – Just keep trying, doing new stuff and experimenting. What's the worst career advice you received? – Keep working at something even if you do not enjoy it. What would you do if you started your career now? – Denny would find something that interests him. Initially focus on that and only break out into other fields once he had made a name for himself. What are your current career objectives? – To continue to grow his business and making sure that his client´s projects are successful. What's your number one non-technical skill? Listening to customers´ needs and being able to translate them into technical requirements. Denny is able to have both sides of the conversation, which is a great skill to have. How do you keep your own career energized? – Training, attending conferences and trying out new things all help Denny to keep his career energized. What do you do away from technology? – Most of his spare time is spent riding his motorcycle and playing Xbox. (22.42) FINAL CAREER TIP Find the thing that interests you and use that to launch your career. Discovering what you are passionate about is a vital first step. You will be able to use your enthusiasm to fuel your efforts and progress fast. BEST MOMENTS (4.37) – Denny - "Becoming an MVP is mostly about community contribution and getting your voice heard that way." (5.23) – Denny - "If you simply choose jobs based on money alone, your career will stall very quickly." (6.20) – Denny - "Taking an entry-level job, for example, on a helpdesk, can help you to figure out what you want to do." (18.40) – Denny - "Don´t become too much of a generalist, doing that can make it hard for you to find work." (23.00) – Denny - "Find the thing you are passionate about, do that, success will follow." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.lin

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Nils Hofmeister. He is an Engineering Director working at Xing. He started his career as a software engineer, working on virtual reality projects and computer games. And after spending some time on DevOps projects, he now focuses on helping cross-functional development teams to succeed. In this episode, Phil and Nils Hofmeister discuss the challenges of managing remote working and how his team overcomes them. They speak about why it is best to work for organizations that encourage collaboration. As well as the benefits of employing people that are more knowledgeable than you. Nils also talks about AI and how close it is to replicating what real life forms can do. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (4.02) TOP CAREER TIP Karma works. Nils admits that may sound a little naive. But, he has found that taking the time to help others has really paid dividends for him. Most people do their best to return the favour. But, if your organisation does not reward that behaviour, it can backfire and become a zero-sum game. You should always try to work somewhere that appreciates collaboration. (7.16) WORST CAREER MOMENT Unfortunately, when Nils became head of development, the first job he had to do was to lay off 20 members of his team. It was a bad situation, that, naturally, created issues. Nils has never forgotten how awful it all was. So, now, he is very cautious about hiring. He does everything he can to reduce the chances of his having to lay people off again. (8.36) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Nils does not have a specific career highlight. For him, the large, complex projects he has worked on have been the ones that bring him the most satisfaction. Seeing something grow and evolve into something that is even better than was first conceived is very satisfying. (9.56) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Technology is driving every aspect of our lives. So, now is a great time to work in I.T. Whatever you are working on is likely to make a huge difference. Nils is also looking forward to seeing what happens when AI comes closer to being able to do what real life forms can. A day that he believes is actually not that far away. (11.54) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – As a kid, he always wanted to be able to create his own computer games. That led to him learning C++ What's the best career advice you received? – Between stimulus and response there is a space. That space is our power to choose our response. In the podcast, Nils explains what this means and how he learned to put that advice into action. What's the worst career advice you received? – If you want to be a good leader you have to play that role. What would you do if you started your career now? – Nils would network right from the start. What are your current career objectives? – Right now, he is focused on bringing the two big projects he is working on to fruition. What's your number one non-technical skill? Being a good communicator, in particular, being able to adapt what he says to appeal to and make sense to the audience he is speaking to. What do you do away from technology? – Nils is a keen collector of Star Wars LEGO sets and enjoys sports. He also describes riding his motorbike as being like meditation for him. How do you keep your own career energized? – Nils networks a lot. At least once a year or so, he applies for new jobs and goes through the hiring process. He explains why he does this in the podcast. (18.11) FINAL CAREER TIP Work on your soft skills, especially on communication. It does not matter if you are a genius if you cannot explain things to others it will be far harder for you to get things done. BEST MOMENTS (4.15) – Nils - "Help out other people in your organisation. Because usually, at some point, they will return the favour" (6.10) – Nils - "Don't be afraid of hiring people who know more than you and letting them make decisions." (9.05) – Nils - "From the beginning connect with people from other companies and disciplines." (16.30) – Nils - "In the end, it's about communication. If that doesn't work, nothing gets done." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at phil@itcareerenergi

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Jamie Maguire. He has a keen interest in web development, code, machine learning, psychology, business, and start-ups. Jamie has been writing code since he was a kid, often typing out magazine code listings and then changing the code to see how they behaved. He's currently a Microsoft .NET Senior Developer, a Microsoft AI Most Valuable Professional and a STEM ambassador. In this episode, Phil and Jamie Maguire discuss how working on a social media API eventually led to his working in AI. Jamie demonstrates that the barrier to entry to the AI field has now all but disappeared and how anyone can now get involved in that field. Jamie explains how he copes with the frenetic rate of change within the IT industry. They also talk about how a research project led to Twitter, then Microsoft picking up on what he had to offer. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (6.33) TOP CAREER TIP Find ways to learn fast. Apply what you learn and adapt if you need to. In today's job market this is essential. There is a lot of disruption tech that means things are now changing really fast. (7.38) WORST CAREER MOMENT At one stage in Jamie's career, he was working in a highly politicised environment, trying to complete his master's degree, a research project and cope with a serious family situation. It was awful, but, it taught him that with enough grit and determination, you can get through anything. He also learned the importance of looking after your health and making time for yourself to disconnect, no matter what. (10.42) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Jamie entered the side project he was building into Twitter's Promote initiative and they liked it. He was invited to the States and asked to demo it. Unfortunately, he did not win, but he did get access to some of their private and beta APIs. In time, what started out as a side project, led to him winning the MVP award in AI. It taught him the importance of sharing what you know and that putting your work out there is the best way to get noticed. (14.42) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T AI is definitely hot, right now. It is now much easier to break into the field. Gradually, it is becoming easier for you to just pull what you need off the shelf, for example, through Cognitive Services or IBM Watson. For very little money you can build a product, document what you are doing and get noticed. When you do that you automatically end up with a great portfolio. (17.15) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Hacking games for the Spectrum was what ignited Jamie's passion for coding and all things I.T. What's the best career advice you received? – Evolve and adapt quickly. What's the worst career advice you received? – Just smash it into production. Terrible advice, you have to test stuff no matter what the time constraints are. What would you do if you started your career now? – Jamie would start a blog immediately instead of waiting like he did. What are your current career objectives? – Showing developers how they can integrate AI into what they are doing and finding innovative ways to use AI on big social platforms. What's your number one non-technical skill? Being able to take a step back, think about all the moving parts, identify the key components and spot the patterns. Jamie has two other very important skills that he also talks about. How do you keep your own career energized? – Following other developers on Twitter and seeking out development initiatives. Doing this sparks all kinds of ideas. What do you do away from technology? – Jamie is very much a family man. He also goes to the gym 3 or 4 times a week and disconnects completely from tech, at least once a month. (25.43) FINAL CAREER TIP Get a domain name and use it to share your thoughts and what it is you are doing. Ignore what everyone else is doing and just run your own race, everyone has something to contribute. BEST MOMENTS (7.00) – Jamie - "Get comfortable with learning new skills. In today's job market, it is essential that you do." (9.36) – Jamie - "When all hell's breaking loose, keep a cool head, create your own stability and take care of your health." (15.39) – Jamie - "For very little money, anyone can build a product, document what they are doing and get noticed." (18.39) – Phil - "Keep your mind open to alternatives, to different ways of thinking about the same problem." (28.50) – Jamie - "Get a domain name, share what you are doing and what your thoughts are." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHI

EPISODE DESCRIPTION: Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Damian Brady. He is a Microsoft Cloud Advocate who specialises in DevOps and MLOps. He has been a programmer and consultant for more than 20 years across a broad range of industries and he regularly speaks at conferences and other events around the world. In this episode, Phil and Damian Brady discuss the way MLOps is developing. They talk about how to choose the career path that is right for you. Damian also shares how his writing and public speaking helped him to land h job at Microsoft. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (3.39) TOP CAREER TIP Pay attention to what you do and don´t like. Doing that will help you to settle on a career path earlier and ensure that you end up doing something that you actually enjoy. Damian noticed that he wanted to know what had happened to his code once it went into production. This made him realise that DevOps was likely to be a good fit for him. (5.44) WORST CAREER MOMENT When Damian had just taken on his first project management role, a big customer wanted to discuss an issue. So, he got on the phone. But, asked a more experienced client manager to listen in. Unfortunately, he failed to tell the customer that there was a 3rd person on the call. When they found out, they were very angry. His lack of transparency nearly lost them the account. (9.03) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Being approached by Donovan Brown, who was at the time the DevOps Manager at Microsoft, and being asked to join his team is his career highlight. Damian was surprised but very pleased to be noticed and recognised in this way. That is when his writing and public speaking work really paid off. (11.18) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Damian does not see any sign that the pace of change within IT is going to slow. So, working in IT will always be interesting. There will always be something new to discover and learn. (15.05) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – When Damian was 10, his father gave him an Amiga 500.When he realised he could change a game just by editing two pieces of text he was hooked. What's the best career advice you received? – Know when it is time to move on. What's the worst career advice you received? – Stick it out, it´ll be fine. What would you do if you started your career now? – Get involved in meetups and user groups at an earlier stage. It is a great way to jump-start any IT career. What are your current career objectives? – Exploring the world of machine learning even more. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Public speaking. How do you keep your own career energized? – Damian is lucky enough to work with people who are real experts in their field. Learning about what is going on in their fields helps to keep Damian energized. What do you do away from technology? – Damian´s 1-year-old keeps him busy. He also enjoys travel and surfing. (21.15) FINAL CAREER TIP Get involved in user groups and events. Also, expand your wings a bit beyond your day-to-day work and explore more of what you enjoy the most. BEST MOMENTS (4.02) – Damian - "Pay attention to what you like and don't like, when choosing your career path." (12.34) – Damian - "There's a good chance that the job you'll have in five years time doesn't exist yet." (15.58) – Damian - "Know when it's time to move on. If you are not enjoying your work, you need to leave." (17.04) – Damian - "You don´t have to follow the accepted path. If you don´t want to go into management, just say no." (21.18) – Damian - "Get involved in user groups and events, especially early in your career." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. In 2017, Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer ABOUT THE GUEST – DAMIAN BRADY Damian Brady is a Microsoft Cloud Advocate who specialises in DevOps and MLOps. He has been a programmer and consultant for more than 20 years across a broad range of industries and he regularly speaks at conferences and other events around the world. CONTACT THE GUEST – DAMIAN BRADY Damian Brady can be contacted

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Jeremy Keith. He is a web developer at Clearleft, a design agency that he co-founded, in 2005. He is the author of several books about web design and is a regular speaker at conferences across the world. He is also an organiser of events, including the recent Patterns Day 2 in Brighton. In this episode, Phil and Jeremy Keith discuss how writing improves your spoken communication skills and builds your career. They also talk about how to get through difficult career phases. Jeremy shares his take on the future of the industry as a whole including some of the concerns he has about the direction web development is going in. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (2.36) TOP CAREER TIP As you learn something and progress in your career, write about it. You could just keep a record for yourself or put it all on a website. That approach has served Jeremy well. This really enhances your communication skills. You soon become good at explaining complex things in writing and using speech. Writing is also a great way to be noticed. (6.14) WORST CAREER MOMENT Having to let some staff go, because of the financial situation his company was in, was gut-wrenching for Jeremy. However, it taught him that no matter how hard things get, life goes on. The people he had to let go now have decent jobs, so they are now in a good situation. That experience also changed the way he handles company finances. As a result, they have not had any financial issues since. (9.21) CAREER HIGHLIGHT CoolSiteoftheDay.com has been highlighting the best sites and apps, since 1994. Keith was a fan from day one and set himself the goal of getting one of his sites selected as the coolest site of the day. Naturally, he was thrilled when that is exactly what happened. (11.05) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Keith is worried about some aspects of the industry. Websites have become too bloated and slow, especially in light of the needs of emerging markets. He is concerned that the process of creating sites is becoming so complicated that the majority of people are not be able to easily learn the skill. Nevertheless, he is still optimistic. The web design and development communities are still willing to share and work closely together. Once someone figures something out, they share it a way of working that benefits everyone. (14.02) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – The fact that something he made in his bedroom could be seen by anyone in the world who wanted to view it. What's the best career advice you received? –If you are supposed to be somewhere or do something, show up. What's the worst career advice you received? – Invest in this or that technology. Usually, following that advice turns out to be wrong. Instead, you need to learn the underlying principles. What would you do if you started your career now? – He would probably go down the self-taught route and focus on learning the underlying principles rather than focusing on just one tech discipline. What are your current career objectives? – Helping others is what brings Jeremy the most satisfaction, so that is his current focus. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Writing. It has enabled him to become a good public speaker and communicator. How do you keep your own career energized? – Jeremy has been lucky to find new tech that has interests him enough to keep him energized. What do you do away from technology? – Music is still his first love. He also enjoys reading, but he is careful to read non-fiction as well as fiction, which keeps things interesting. (20.07) FINAL CAREER TIP Build your own website and use it to learn to write well, share what you know in different ways and track your career. BEST MOMENTS (4.42) – Jeremy - "Develop the skill of being able to explain things well." (12.39) – Jeremy - "Share what you know once you have figured something out. This is good for everyone." (14.57) – Jeremy - "If you are supposed to be somewhere, or on a call, at a certain time, be there." (15.52) – Jeremy - "Don't invest in just one tech. Instead, learn the underlying principles. You can apply those to anything." (20.14) – Jeremy - "Have a website of your own where you share things and track your career." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. In 2017, Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: h

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Laura Klein. Laura has been an engineer, designer and product manager helping companies of all sizes learn about their users so that they can build products people enjoy using. She's author of the books "Build Better Products" and "UX for Lean Startups" as well as co-host of the podcast "What Is Wrong With UX". In this episode, Phil and Laura talk about the differences between job security and career security. And they discuss the importance of research and preparation as well as the growing emphasis on ethics within the industry. Laura also tells us why she is more excited about the potential of Augmented Reality than Virtual Reality. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (2.42) TOP CAREER TIP The thing that Laura found to be really interesting and important is that there is no job security. Your job can fire you at any time, the company can go out of business at any time and so forth. Laura talks about having career security rather than job security and how you can continue to be employable. Don't be than reliant on one job forever. (5.11) WORST CAREER MOMENT Laura says that her first public talk in tech was a disaster. And this was in front of three hundred people. She had thought that giving a talk would be easy and similar to giving a high school talk but it was totally different. She hadn't done enough research into what other conference talks were like. But Laura learnt from the experience and in particular to do research. She also started doing talks at much smaller venues such as meetups and hackathons. (8.51) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Laura tells Phil how excited she was at writing and publishing two books which she's very proud of. However Laura says that, in contrast with her worst moment, she had the opportunity to give a talk to thousands of people at Davy Symphony Hall in San Francisco. This time the talk went very well. (10.00) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Laura says that she believes we're in a bubble which is likely to deflate a bit. She thinks there will be some painful shake outs. However she is excited about technology being made easier for everybody in a more accessible way. And she's also excited about Augmented Reality rather than Virtual Reality. Laura is pleased that there is now a greater focus on ethics within the industry. (12.31) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Laura says it was initially simply a way to make money. What's the best career advice you received? – Focus on career security not job security. What's the worst career advice you received? – Laura was advised not to become a technology recruiter by someone who didn't know anything about it. What would you do if you started your career now? – Laura says that she would have stuck with engineering a little longer. What are your current career objectives? – To figure out what she wants the next few years of her career to be. She's reviewing her career and looking at how to switch up to something new. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Writing. Laura says that there is nothing she has done or learned to do that is more effective at getting me jobs and well-known, all of which happened because I wrote stuff down. How do you keep your own career energized? – Laura has a podcast, "What is wrong with UX". More people know Laura from the podcast than the books and the writing. What do you do away from technology? – Laura says that she has a hobby solving extremely hard puzzles for fun and sometimes in competitions. (18.17) FINAL CAREER TIP Laura says that you shouldn't take career advice from people like her. However she clarifies this by explaining that you should look to take career advice from people who have worked for the type of organisation that you're interested in working for. Find people like you want to be in two to three years. BEST MOMENTS (8.42) – Laura - "All of the things we do in design and research all of the time, apply them to the rest of your career" (13.21) – Laura - "Focus on career security not job security" (18.48) – Laura - "Find people like you want to be in two to three years" ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at phil@itcareer

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Aimee Knight. She is a software architect at Tuft and Needle, specialising in JS, React and CSS. She is also a Google Developer Advocate for Web Technologies, a panellist on the JavaScript Jabber podcast and n international keynote speaker. In this episode, Phil and Aimee Knight discuss how not being afraid to fail and becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable improves your career prospects. Aimee shares how she learned as a young athlete to focus and stop wasting her mental energy. A way of working that greatly increases what you can accomplish KEY TAKEAWAYS: (3.24) TOP CAREER TIP Become comfortable with being uncomfortable. The people who succeed in the IT industry are the ones that work outside their comfort zone. Overcoming your fear of failure is one of the greatest catalysts in your life. (7.31) WORST CAREER MOMENT Like so many people before her Aimee ended up inadvertently deleting production data. That was even after it had gone through PR review and been approved. It was restored fairly quickly, but it was not a good career moment. (10.49) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Landing a job at MPM was a highlight. Working on developer tooling and with a team she looked up to was for Aimee, a particularly exciting point of her career, a highlight. Other highlights have included being a keynote speaker at conferences and having the chance to mentor others. (12.54) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The way technology is now being used to help drive decisions is especially interesting and exciting. Aimee is also pleased to see the barriers to entry into the IT industry falling away. This is leading to people from diverse backgrounds entering the field. This, in turn, is changing the directions in which the technologies go. (15.00) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Aimee has always had a thirst for knowledge, so the fact that you had to be a constant learner to thrive in IT was attractive to her. What's the best career advice you received? – Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Learning to do this has helped Aimee to achieve a lot in a short period of time. What's the worst career advice you received? – To succeed in the IT as a woman you have to act like a b*.*. Aimee did not follow this advice yet has been able to progress quickly in the industry. What would you do if you started your career now? – Aimee probably would have focused on the architecture rather than the front end. What are your current career objectives? – Aimee wants to dig deeper into the architecture side of things. She is also helping with onboarding and doing more mentoring. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Learning at an early age to make effective use of her mental energy. How do you keep your own career energized? – Aimee works at staying focused and finds that being a mentor keeps her more energized. What do you do away from technology? – Aimee runs around 40 miles per week and goes lifting, after work, with her boyfriend. (23.31) FINAL CAREER TIP Aimee, once again, recommends getting comfortable with being uncomfortable and learning not to fear failure. Pick something and work at until you are so good that you can't be ignored. You should develop the talents you already have to their maximum, but also not be afraid to try new things. BEST MOMENTS (4.35) – Aimee - "People who succeed in the IT industry get comfortable being uncomfortable." (16.22) – Aimee - "If you are learning one new thing every day, you're making progress." (21.41) – Aimee - "Learn to channel your mental energy. It is a finite resource, so use it wisely." (23.43) – Aimee - "Don't be afraid to put yourself into situations where you could fail. You will learn and grow faster." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer ABOUT THE GUEST – AIMEE KNIGHT Aimee Knight is a software architect at Tuft and Needle, specialising in JS, React and CSS. She is also a Google Developer Advocate for Web

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Michael Hunger. Michael is the Caretaker General of the Neo4j Developer Community. For the past few years he has been working with Neo Technology on the open source Neo4j graph database. He likes to help Neo4j users to be successful with their use cases & projects and he is the project lead of Spring Data Neo4j. He is also an author of several books as well as a regular conference speaker. In this episode, Phil and Michael discuss behavioural career tips, why patience, understanding and compassionate are so important and why you shouldn't be afraid to be a contributor. They also talk about making the most of every day and how opportunities can open up to you when you expand your horizons. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (3.10) TOP CAREER TIP Michael talks about the book Apprenticeship Patterns which is a collection of behaviours that are suitable to people joining the industry. It includes tips and tricks from experienced practitioners and is a book that Michael often returns to. Michael provides the example of learning to share what you have just learnt. This could be a blog post or a talk. Mentorship and continuous learning are two other examples from the book. (5.22) WORST CAREER MOMENT Michael describes a time when he was frustrated with someone. However instead of taking the time to find out what the reasons for this were, he responded by email to vent his frustration. He learnt that there are often legitimate reasons as to why people do what they do and not to be so impulsive. Another learning from this was that email and written communication has its limitations and is no substitute for conversation. (7.36) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Open Source has been had the greatest impact on Michael's career and his life. Working on Open Source projects has opened up career opportunities as well as connections with really great people. Working on one Open Source project led to Michael attending a conference where he heard the founder of Neo4J give a talk. This, in turn, led to Michael joining Neo4J. (10.28) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Teaching kids and, in particular, girls to code is something Michael very much supports. Having a development skillset gives you an understanding that will be helpful to your career, even if you don't work in I.T. later. Michael also talks about the importance of diversity in I.T. Other things that excite Michael include the possibilities that technology offers and the potential of machine learning. (13.40) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Michael started writing computer programs on paper before he had a computer. Computers fascinated him from an early age and it's what he loves to do. What's the best career advice you received? – Make every day a day where you learn something new. What's the worst career advice you received? – Focus only on your own career advancement. What would you do if you started your career now? – Be much more active in travelling around the world and learning from different people with different backgrounds. What are your current career objectives? – Helping team members to grow, giving them feedback and making sure that they have everything they need. As well as learning how to delegate and make difficult decisions. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Michael has learnt how to ask the right questions and elicit information from people. How do you keep your own career energized? – Read a lot and listen to podcasts, both technical and non-technical. Also attending conferences which helps to generate new ideas. What do you do away from technology? – Spending time with his daughters and family, playing board games. Michael has also started meditating. (25.36) FINAL CAREER TIP Don't be afraid to contribute to projects, ask questions and talk to people at conferences. Michael says that he would rather ask for forgiveness than permission. BEST MOMENTS (4.09) – Michael - "If you learn something new, write it up and publish it as a blog post" (8.47) – Michael - "Open Source is such a great way of collaborating, showing what you can do" (15.32) – Michael - "Make every day a day where you learn something new" ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: https://itc

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Dave Malouf. Dave a Consultant, Coach and Educator. His mission is to help designers and design teams reach their value potential for the organisations they work with. He has been a designer, a design leader, and a former professor of design. And brings this to bear with frameworks and methods to help professionals level up. He is a co-founder of the Interaction Design Association, the co-founder of several conferences as well as a writer, a globally sought after speaker and workshop facilitator. In this episode, Phil and Dave discuss the likelihood of having multiple careers, why you can unintentionally become a zealot and why having an insatiable curiosity can drive your career forward. Dave also talks how significant a part of your life your career is and why understanding people is such a useful skill. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (5.19) TOP CAREER TIP You will have multiple careers in your life. Being open to that reality helps you craft your story for yourself. It's important to acknowledge that you will have those career shifts. Dave believes that he has had multiple careers even though they are all broadly within the digital product and service design field. (6.41) WORST CAREER MOMENT Dave talks about his first real management moment. This was at a time when he was shifting from being a web designer and learning about more traditional design practices. Dave feels that, although not deliberately, he was becoming zealot due to having passion for what he was learning whilst leading a team. However he wasn't taking his team along on the learning journey with him. He learnt that it's important to make it meaningful to them and help them to join the journey. (9.36) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Dave says that the greatest success in his career is happening right now. He has managed to find a voice for himself and at the right time. Amplifying his voice and story has been successful for him as well as finding his strengths through understanding himself better. (13.00) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Dave says that it's a digital world, for good and for bad. You can work in the field of information technology in any shape or form and impact any part of the world. Dave then talks about working in cloud computing for Rack Space and the volume of e-commerce running on their servers. However he subsequently learnt that organisations as varied as Cern and Notre Dame University were also using their platform. (15.21) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – It wasn't a conscious decision. Dave discovered the world of computers in the early 1990. He bought his first laptop and was thrown into the world of CompuServe and AOL and became addicted to it. What's the best career advice you received? – Go to where you're going to find joy in your life because work is a significant part of your life. Also find the right manager that will help you to develop your career What's the worst career advice you received? – Dave says that he has received criticism about having a number of short term engagements on his resume. However he doesn't believes that it has been a strength of his career, providing learning opportunities and a range of experience. What would you do if you started your career now? – Go for a Design MBA, providing a formal background to business. Dave says that he is particularly interested in business operations. What are your current career objectives? – Stabilising his relatively new consultancy practice and making it a solid business What's your number one non-technical skill? – It's all about people and understanding who people are. Dave applies it to building relationships and navigating politics. How do you keep your own career energized? – Conferences is a big part of this. Attendance, creation and teaching are all factors What do you do away from technology? – Dave says that he loves to travel, which being a consultant and a conference speaker enables him to do. (26.44) FINAL CAREER TIP Stay curious. The mentees he loves the most are those who have an insatiable curiosity. They apply it to skills about also to learning about themselves. BEST MOMENTS (5.27) – Dave - "You will have multiple careers in your life. Being open to that reality helps you craft that story for yourself" (8.01) – Dave - "No matter how impassioned you are about something, you can't lead people by pulling them" (11.22) – Dave - "Sometimes we need to be true to our strengths to become really successful" (15.11) – Dave - "What excites me about a career in I.T. is that you get to decide where you want to have an impact in the world" (18.05) – Dave - "Don't look for a job, look for a manager" ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil start

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Jen Looper, a Google Developer Expert and a Cloud Developer Advocate Lead at Microsoft with over 18 years' experience as a web and mobile developer, specialising in creating cross-platform mobile apps. She is also the founder and CEO of Vue Vixens, which is an initiative promoting diversity in the Vue.js community. In this episode, Phil and Jen Looper discuss why making connections by physically meeting people is still the most effective way to network and uncover new career opportunities. They talk about how the frontend is changing. In particular, the impact the faster frameworks like Svelte are going to have. Jen also explains why those who are new to the industry can benefit from focusing on open source. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (2.50) TOP CAREER TIP Network as much as you can. In particular, attend user groups and meetups. It is surprising how much face time will help you. People remember you better and you make stronger connections this way. When you are looking for a job you will be surprised by how much easier it is to find one when you know more people. (4.12) WORST CAREER MOMENT At one stage Jen worked in a workplace that was a bit rough around the edges, in general. For example, the CEO lost his temper and threw a chair at one of her female colleagues He tried to physically intimidate Jen too. But, she was taller than him so the act of her standing up and towering over him was enough to calm things down a little. Working in a place like that was awful. But, it taught Jen that if you are working in an environment where you have to use physical cues to get your point across, it is time to move on. (5.14) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Jen and her team of Irish developers earned a Star Award for their work on an insurance application, which they did for Sun Life. It was definitely a career highlight, which felt all the better because it is unusual for remote teams to win these kinds of corporate recognition awards. She especially enjoyed seeing each team members' careers take off after they had won the award. (7.44) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Right now, Jen is excited about what is going on at the frontend. In particular with the new frameworks like Svelte, which are going to really simplify interfaces and improve performance. These changes will make a huge difference to people who live in areas of the world that still have slow connections. (8.53) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – When it came to tech, Jen was an early adopter. When she realised she was good at programming working in IT was a natural step. What's the best career advice you received? – Make a 1 year and a 5-year career plan. Jen does and she reviews them every 3 to 6 months. What's the worst career advice you received? – From college, Jen wanted to go to Cal Berkley. But, instead of being advised how to do that, the college's suggestion was that she explore becoming a sommelier because women had a heightened sense of taste and smell. What would you do if you started your career now? – Jen would start with open source and embrace the community around it. What are your current career objectives? – Jen has just moved into managing technical teams, so she is currently focusing on doing that well. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Being a good networker and an active listener. How do you keep your own career energized? – Keep reading, keep following interesting people, keep building and continue to grow. What do you do away from technology? – Jen has just moved house, so has been busy making a new home. She is also enjoying learning to use Procreate app, an Apple Pencil and her iPad to create paintings, diagrams and art. (14.25) FINAL CAREER TIP Keep learning, teach and become a mentor. When you do that you continually improve and will be helping the next generation to step up. The world is going to need a lot of people to maintain and evolve its tech. Jen is really excited to be helping people from across the world to get involved in tech, in particular, on the frontend. BEST MOMENTS (2.58) – Jen - "Attend user groups and meetups. Meeting face to face is a very effective way to build a strong network." (4.27) – Jen - "Avoid confrontational workplaces, the chances are you will have to leave quickly, so why put yourself through it?" (9.33) – Jen - "Make a 1 year and a 5-year career plan and review them every 3 to 6 months." (11.28) – Jen - "Embrace open source, in particular, if you are just starting out." (12.23) – Jen - "Cultivate active listening, to become a good communicator." (13.18) – Jen - "Keep learning, teaching and mentoring. Doing all three will build you up and help the next generation." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their c

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Joe Natoli. Joe is a UX consultant, author and speaker. He has nearly three decades of experience consulting with and training the product development teams of some of the world's largest organisations. He has taught over 140,000 students through his online courses and is a regular keynote speaker and lecturer at events across the globe. In this episode, Phil and Joe Natoli discuss how dogmatically sticking to processes or methodology can lead to failure. They talk about how reliance on process stops you from thinking about and solving the real problem. Joe explains how mentoring helps him and why he does not mind failing sometimes and likes to be pushed out of his comfort zone. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (5.00) TOP CAREER TIP Dogmatic adherence to process or methodologies, of any kind, is not a good thing. If you are not careful it can end up painting you and the company you are working for into a corner. The real world is messy, so insisting that things be done in a certain order every time is not viable. In the podcast, Joe gives a real world example and demonstrates how inflexibility is disrupting their workflow. (8.03) WORST CAREER MOMENT Joe was working as a consultant for a very large company. His recommendation was to replace a mix of legacy systems with an entire software lifecycle system. Unfortunately, prior to making this decision, he had not been allowed to talk to the guys who were running the current system. When he did he realised that replacing the entire system would send shock waves through the company and cause a lot of damage. In the podcast, Joe explains how he works today to make sure that sort of issue never occurs again. (11.19) CAREER HIGHLIGHT The fact that he has been able to help so many other people to progress their career has been a bit highlight for him. It feels good when someone he taught emails him and tells him they are doing well and thanks him for his guidance and support. (13.12) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The fact that everything chances so fast is exciting. It keeps you on your toes and keeps you sharp. Joe likes to be pushed out of his comfort zone. For those who work in the UX field the challenges continue to evolve. The fact that human beings are so idiosyncratic means that the work is never likely to get boring. AI and machine learning are going to mix things up even more. (15.06) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Joe always enjoyed designing things and has always had an interest in human nature. He can engage in both these passions through his IT career. What's the best career advice you received? – His father told him to speak clearly and plainly. Using jargon and technology only confuses people. Joe explains how that advice advanced his career. What's the worst career advice you received? – Business is business, personal is personal. If you remove the personal part when you create things they won't be any good at all. What would you do if you started your career now? – Joe would learn everything he could about everything he could. What are your current career objectives? – Right now, Joe is trying to take on less work. He is still trying to master the skill of time management. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Resilience. At some point things are going to go wrong, it is inevitable. SO, being able to weather those storms is the only thing that will keep you moving forwards. How do you keep your own career energized? – Joe finds that switching off completely, on a regular basis, helps him to stay energised in his career. What do you do away from technology? – Joe enjoys spending time with his family. He is also an artist and musician. (22.54) FINAL CAREER TIP Be willing to be wrong and give yourself space to be wrong. There is no need to put pressure on yourself to always be the smartest person in the room. Nobody knows everything. Just keep trying, accept the fact that sometimes you will be wrong. Give yourself enough time to try again. BEST MOMENTS (5.00) – Joe - "Dogmatic adherence to process or methodologies, is not a good thing. It can paint everyone into a corner." (12.43) – Joe - "Help others to get past their sticking points. You will be making a positive difference in the world." (13.58) – Joe - "Don't fear change. It keeps you on your toes and keeps you sharp." (16.07) – Joe - "Speak clearly and plainly. Jargon and terminology have no place in communication." (18.12) – Joe - "You should never stop learning. Learn about culture and people as well as tech." (23.04) – Joe - "Be willing to be wrong and give yourself to be wrong. Trying and maybe failing is the only way we learn." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Mark Heckler. He is a Pivotal Principal Technologist and Developer Advocate, conference speaker and published author focusing upon software development for the Internet of Things and the cloud. He has worked with key players in both the private and public sector across multiple industries to develop critical capabilities on time and on budget. He is also a frequent open source contributor as well as author/curator of a developer-focused blog. In this episode, Phil and Mark Heckler discuss how to not let the fact that the industry moves so fast that it is impossible to keep up overwhelm you. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (2.09) TOP CAREER TIP Embrace but do not accept your inadequacy. In the world of IT, things move so fast that you are effectively losing ground every day. It is impossible to keep up and know everything. You can either let fact frustrate you or spur you on and enjoy the fact that there are always fresh challenges to enjoy. However, it is very important not to take things too far and to know when to rest. You have to maintain a good work-life balance or you neglect your family and burn out. (6.52) WORST CAREER MOMENT Fortunately, Mark's worst career moment lead directly to his best one. He was working as a Java evangelist. A job he loved. So, when, very suddenly, his team was dissolved and he was fired he was crushed. Fortunately, others in the industry understood how good Mark and his team were at what they do. Almost immediately, several companies tried to hire them. (8.41) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Mark describes what he is doing now as being the highlight of his career. He is really enjoying working with some of the defining companies on the planet to help them to deliver mission-critical software. (10.12) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The fact that you really can as Steve Jobs said: "Put a dent in the universe." Is an exciting prospect and it is getting easier to do. Using the tools that are available now practically anyone can make a huge difference to people's lives and in the future, it is going to become even easier to do so. (12.04) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Mark loved programming, so for him, working in IT was always the way to go. What's the best career advice you received? – Be teachable. If you have a closed mind you end up missing out on so much. What's the worst career advice you received? – Do what others aren't willing to do. This approach can work, but you have to make sure that do not end up completing tasks that take your career nowhere. What would you do if you started your career now? – Focus on what you can learn rather than what you can earn. What are your current career objectives? – Mark is planning to write a solo book. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Being able to easily get along with others. How do you keep your own career energized? – Mark ensures that he never loses the wonderment of what's new. What do you do away from technology? – Mark travels a lot, so during his downtime, he tends to stay close to home. He really enjoys spending time with his wife and kids. (16.36) FINAL CAREER TIP Cultivate within yourself a love of learning. If you only learn one thing per day, that is 365 new things per year. He also thinks that it is important to invest in your family. When you do those 2 things, everything else falls into place. BEST MOMENTS (2.26) – Mark - "Don't let your inadequacies get you down. Instead, use them to spur you on." (12.33) – Mark - "Be teachable, it is the only way to unleash your full potential." (12.48) – Mark - "Filling gaps that others aren't willing to fill is a good thing, but only if you are careful about the ones you choose." (13.33) – Mark - "When you start your career, focus more on what you can contribute and learn rather than how much a project pays." (16.43) – Mark - "Learn something new every day. When you do, by the end of the year you will have learnt 365 new things. " ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebo

Phil's guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Steph. She is a Security Analyst with a background in journalism and web hosting. She is the creator and editor of StephAndSec.com which is a blog focused on technology, inclusion and lifetime learning. She's also a chapter lead for Women In Security and learning as much as she can about anything and everything. In this episode, Phil and Steph discuss what it takes to work in the IT security industry. They talk about why getting started in the sector is not as hard as people say it is. Steph shares insights into the future of IT security. She also talks about how to know when it is time to move on to another opportunity. KEY TAKEAWAYS: (9.11) TOP CAREER TIP If you want to work in security you need to be a curious and passionate person. Slight paranoia helps too, as does having good attention to detail. But, teams need a mix of traits and skills to be able to be effectively, so potentially anyone can work in the industry and be successful. A lot of industry veterans make it seem difficult to start a career in IT security. It is actually a lot easier than you think. So, don't let them put you off of getting involved. (13.25) WORST CAREER MOMENT Steph knew she wanted to work in IT security from a early stage in her career. But, making the transition was a big struggle. She finally got into a position where the security team at the firm she was working for green-lit her to work with them. Sadly, she was not allowed to move out of her current team. She explains why that was and how she handled the situation, in the podcast. (18.21) CAREER HIGHLIGHT For Steph, this entire year has been one long highlight. So, was landing her first job in IT security. Better still she loves the work she is doing. All of that time and effort turned out to be worthwhile. (21.14) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The future is not as predictable as you think which is exciting. The industry moves at a phenomenal rate, especially within the security sector. As does how things are done in the rest of the industry. The security side of things has had to move fast to to keep up. This is one of the reasons it is so exciting to be involved in IT security. (23.09) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – It was her mum that suggested she take her love of computers and turn it into a career. What's the best career advice you received? – Fire your boss. If your boss is not compatible with you, life can be miserable and limit the scope of your career. In that situation, it is best to leave. What's the worst career advice you received? – Find your passion. If like Steph you have not long started working in a sector you need to find your feet before deciding what area you will focus on. What would you do if you started your career now? – Steph would worry less about what others think of the way she does things and how she fits in. What are your current career objectives? – Right now, Steph is focusing on writing and finishing up school. Her aim is to become a Chief Information Security Officer (CSO). What's your number one non-technical skill? – Being a good conversationalist. It helps her to draw people out and find out what they really need from her. Also, being a good writer. How do you keep your own career energized? – Last year, Steph experienced burn out. That prompted her to focus on working for her community. It has helped her no end and keeps her energized. What do you do away from technology? – Spending time with friends and family. She also enjoys writing in a non-tech format and reading. (30.57) FINAL CAREER TIP There is a saying if you are alone you can go fast, but if you are with people you can go far. Steph has found this to be true. It is important to build good connections with others and be a part of your work community. BEST MOMENTS (12.53) – Steph - "Good attention to detail and a curious nature make you an ideal candidate for working in IT security." (24.42) – Steph - "If you are working for someone who is not compatible with you don't hesitate to leave." (25.56) – Steph - "When you start work in a new sector take the time to look around before deciding what to focus on." (31.05) – Steph - "Once you find your community the journey to what you want to do in tech is not as daunting." ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburg