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 phil@itcareerenergizer.com 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 – DOUG ARCURI   Doug Arcuri is 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.   CONTACT THE GUEST – DOUG ARCURI   Doug Arcuri can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:   Twitter: https://twitter.com/dougarcuri LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglaswarcuri/ Website: https://medium.com/@solidi

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 phil@itcareerenergizer.com 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 FINKELDEI   My 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.   CONTACT THE GUEST – BRAD FINKELDEI Brad Finkeldei can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:   Twitter: https://twitter.com/bradfinkeldei LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradfinkeldei/ Website: https://bradfinkeldei.com Website: www.dontbeachickendowhatyoulove.com

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 phil@itcareerenergizer.com 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 reachable by email at phil@itcareerenergizer.com 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 – DAVID BISHOP David Bishop 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   CONTACT THE GUEST – DAVID BISHOP David Bishop can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:   Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidAnthBishop LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbishop/ Website: https://agile-worx.com/   Metagility: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07R8WGCLL/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0   The Big Brother’s Guide to Job Interviews: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079BS9FNJ/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2 Book – The Big Brother’s Guide to Networking: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0795BKFQC/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3      

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 phil@itcareerenergizer.com 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 – BROADUS PALMER Broadus Palmer s a Google Cloud Training Architect and Cloud Career Coach.  He is focused on helping individuals who are strongly committed to changing their lives by advancing or transitioning careers in the cloud industry.   Broadus is  an in-demand coach, specializing in hands-on coaching with the industry’s hottest tools and skills along with motivation aimed at changing your mindset.   CONTACT THE GUEST – BROADUS PALMER Broadus Palmer can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:   Twitter: https://twitter.com/BPalmerLA LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/levelupwithbroadus Website: https://www.levelupwithbroadus.com/

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 phil@itcareerenergizer.com 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 – TOM GILB Tom Gilb is the author of ten books, and a specialist in requirements, design and project management. He has acted as keynote speaker at technical conferences around the world, and in 2012, wwas named an Honorary Fellow of the British Computer Society.   CONTACT THE GUEST – TOM GILB Tom Gilb can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:   Twitter: https://twitter.com/imtomgilb LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tomgilb Website: https://www.gilb.com

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 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@itcareerenergizer.com 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 – JOE CARSON Joe Carson 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.   CONTACT THE GUEST – JOE CARSON Joe Carson can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/joe_carson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephcarson/ Website: https://www.thycotic.com/