IT Career Energizer

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...

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, ...

GUEST BIO:

My guest on today’s show is the founder of Cloudskills.io, a technical advisor, author and a mentor for people ramping up on cloud technologies. He has worked for tech giants Microsoft and Amazon and has founded two consulting companies of his own.

And as well as having published four books and creating multiple online courses, he is often seen speaking from the stage at events around the world.

EPISODE DESCRIPTION:

Phil’s guest on today’s Career IT show is Mike Pfeiffer. He is a 20 year IT veteran and entrepreneur.

Over the years, Mike has worked for large companies like Microsoft and Amazon Web Services. More recently, he founded Cloudskills.io consulting, with the aim of helping more people to take advantage of cloud technologies.

Mike is passionate about teaching others and helping them to progress in their tech career. He runs his own blog and podcast, as well as providing training courses. Mike is the author of 4 tech books and a prolific conference speaker.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

(1.07) – Can you please tell us more about your background and a bit about Cloudskills. Mike explains that he started Cloudskills.io after he left Amazon Web Services. At first, the team focused on consulting helping people to work out how to use the cloud and Azure. But, since then things have evolved and now they spend 70% of their time delivering cloud training.

(1.53) - What was the attraction of cloud in particular for you? Mike saw that working in the cloud was the future, so wanted to get as deeply involved, as possible.

It is important to see the big picture. To look up from the work you are doing, see what is going on and recognize when it is time to change direction. You need to give yourself the necessary leverage to be able to pivot when you want to.

(31.14) – Can you please share a unique career tip with the I.T. career audience? Mike’s main tip is to look at your career as a business or as some people do as a sport.

There is a difference between your job and your career. Your job belongs to your employer, but your career belongs to you.

Spending a little time off the job ramping up your knowledge and getting yourself known will always pay dividends. But, you have to work at it, so you can leverage the opportunities in the job market.

(4.39) Do you think that is something that has changed in the job market? Or do you just think more of us have become aware of the need to do that? The fact that the lifespan of jobs is much smaller has lead to people having to be ready to change roles more often. So, being, open-minded, agile and moving with the times is essential.

(5.29) – Can you tell us about your worst career moment? And what you learned from that experience. In the past, Mike was a bit over ambitious. He had a tendency to take on too much.

Once, due to pressure, he took on a development project for which he did not have enough time. His plan was to work on it over the weekends and in the evenings. That project burned up a lot of his time and energy. It turned out to be one of the worst career decisions he had ever made.

(6.55) - Did you feel sort of obligated almost to say yes? It was early in Mike’s career, so he felt he could not turn down an opportunity. Plus, he did not fully appreciate how much work would be involved.

(7.58) – What was your best career moment? About 10 years into his career, Mike started networking and working collaboratively. That change in approach that had a positive impact on his career.

He began speaking at conferences, blogging and building up his social media profiles. Eventually, this led to book deals, paid speaking gigs, online courses and a much higher profile for Mike.

Helping people who were coming up behind him has also been very beneficial. It was the catalyst for him starting his own business.

(9.05) – Please tell us about the books you have written. Mike has already published 4 books. He is currently co-authoring a 5th.

The first 4 books were all about shell scripting, specifically PowerShell. The one he is working on, at the moment, is related to Azure architecture and some of the certifications revolving around that. They are all available from Amazon.

(9.49) – Can you tell us what excites you about the future of the IT industry and careers? The fact that the possibilities and opportunities are endless is exciting. Cloud computing, has been and, will continue to be a great enabler.

At the click of a button, any company can get the infrastructure they need for any project or idea, in place. So, all kinds of interesting business and job opportunities can now come to fruition.

Mike is excited to see young people going straight into the IT business. Boot camps have made this possible for so many more people.

(11.49) – What first attracted you to a career in IT? Mike says that he kind...

GUEST BIO:

Chris is the author of the award-winning Wahl Network Blog and host of the Datanauts podcast. Chris focuses on creating content that revolves around virtualization, automation, infrastructure and evangelizing products and services that benefit the technology community. He is also co-author of “Networking for VMware Administrators”, has published hundreds of articles and a conference speaker.

EPISODE DESCRIPTION:

The guest on today’s show is Chris Wahl who has been working in the IT industry for over two decades. He is the host of the Datanauts podcast and the author of the Wahl Network Blog, both of which have won awards. His focus is on using his experience to give others the expertise they need to create the data centres of the future. Chris specializes in workflow automation and building operational excellence and the successful adoption and integration of new technology.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

­­­(1.07) – So Chris, can you expand on that brief introduction and tell us a little bit more about yourself? Chris said that he spent most of his career rising through the ranks. Three years ago, he set up Rubrik, which is already a market leader in Cloud Data Management. He now runs a fairly large team. The change from individual contributor to a full-time kind of manager has been a blast.

(1.45) – Did you make the decision to change in terms of moving more into a management role? Chris said, yes, kind of. But, he tends to gravitate towards new things that push him to learn. For him, it is an effective way of managing the “imposter syndrome” that most of us experience. He also realized that if he continued to work as an individual how much he could achieve would be limited. On your own you can only get so much done. With a team you can build in more capacity to get things done, move the technology forwards and complete large projects. Chris has found that creating a team has enabled him to pursue some passion projects.

(2.34) – Phil asks Chris for a unique IT career tip. Chris explains that it is important to push yourself out of your comfort zone. It ensures you continue to learn to keep up with the fast pace of technology. Chris has what he calls a “fear compass”. When he finds something that makes him go wow and take a step back initially, he usually dives in instead of backing away. You cannot afford to become stagnant or stale.

(4.18) – Chris is asked to share his worst career moment. For Chris that happened early on. He was working for an IT shop that had a call centre type of operation to assist customers and keep the business running. One day Chris did an update and rolled it out without thoroughly testing it. Unfortunately, he had accidentally put a wild card in the script which nuked everyone’s system 32 folders. Leading to the operating system failing. On that day, 200 terminals went down. Chris could have tried to sweep his mistake under the carpet. But, he didn’t. Instead he was transparent, which enabled him and his team to get things back up and running as normal, very quickly. He felt really guilty about it. But, since then he has never broken the “test first” rule, which has helped him to deliver excellent solutions and propel his career forwards.

(7.95) – Phil asks Chris what his best career moment was. Chris says that moment goes in tandem with his worst IT experience. On another job, a client asks him to do an upgrade at 11 am on a Wednesday. One of the busiest times of the week, so he warns them this is not a good idea and documents the fact. Yet, they insist he does it and everything goes down. Immediately, Chris was surrounded by the whole team, very upset and all panicking. Despite the pressure Chris was able to remain cool and quickly solve the problem. His worst career moment had helped him to understand the importance of remaining calm at moments of crisis and give him the chance to practice that skill. So, he was ready and able to deliver his best career moment.

(9.26) – Phil wants to know what excites Chris about the future of the IT industry. Chris says the fact that the way we deal with IT is changing to a more collaborative way of working is exciting and important. Chris calls it the DevOps blend. He also likes the fact that everything is becoming more workflow and process driven. It is also good to see automation being utilized more.

(11.19) – Phil asks Chris what drew you to a career in IT. Chris was only about 3 or 4 when he started playing computer games. He was programming by the time he was 8. He said that IT chose him rather than him choosing it.

(12.18) – What is the best career advice you have been given? Surround yourself with the right people and success will follow. Positive people who challenge you and are great to work with will always drive you forwards.

(13.04) – Phil asks Chris if he has ever been involved in Masterminds. Chris says not exactly. But, whether he is...

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 ...