IT Career Energizer

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/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 – AUSTIN BELCAK Austin Belcak 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.   CONTACT THE GUEST – AUSTIN BELCAK Austin Belcak can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/abelcak LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abelcak/ Website: https://www.cultivatedculture.com/      

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://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 – NYARI SAMUSHONGA Nyari Samushonga 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.   CONTACT THE GUEST – NYARI SAMUSHONGA Nyari Samushonga can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/nyarisam LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nyari-samushonga-6965523/ Website: https://www.wethinkcode.co.za/      

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 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 – BRET FISHER Bret Fisher 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.   CONTACT THE GUEST – BRET FISHER Bret Fisher can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/BretFisher LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bretefisher/ Website: http://www.bretfisher.com

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 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 – CHANI SIMMS Chani Simms 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.    CONTACT THE GUEST – CHANI SIMMS Chani Simms can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:   Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChaniSimms LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chani-simms/ Website: http://www.metadefenselabs.com/ Website: https://shecisoexec.org

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 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 – DAN SHAPPIR Dan Shappir 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.   CONTACT THE GUEST – DAN SHAPPIR Dan Shappir can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:   Twitter: https://twitter.com/DanShappir LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dShappir/ Website: https://www.quora.com/profile/Dan-Shappir-1      

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 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 – KRISTA SEIDEN Krista Seiden 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.   CONTACT THE GUEST – KRISTA SEIDEN Krista Seiden can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:   Twitter: https://twitter.com/kristaseiden LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristaseiden/ Blog: http://kristaseiden.com/ Website: www.ksdigital.co

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://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 – TOBIAS MACEY Tobias Macey 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.   CONTACT THE GUEST – TOBIAS MACEY Tobias Macey can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:   Twitter: https://twitter.com/TobiasMacey LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tmacey/ Website: https://www.boundlessnotions.com        

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 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 – SANJEEV SHARMA Sanjeev Sharma 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.   CONTACT THE GUEST – SANJEEV SHARMA Sanjeev Sharma can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:   Twitter: https://twitter.com/sd_architect LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/realsanjeevsharma/ Website: https://sdarchitect.blog/

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@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 – CHRIS FERDINANDI Chris Ferdinandi 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. CONTACT THE GUEST – CHRIS FERDINANDI Chris Ferdinandi can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChrisFerdinandi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cferdinandi/ Website: https://gomakethings.com/ Career Guide: https://gomakethings.com/career-guide Career Resources: https://gomakethings.com/itcareerenergizer/

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@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 – BOB BELDERBOS Bob Belderbos 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.   CONTACT THE GUEST – BOB BELDERBOS Bob Belderbos can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/bbelderbos LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bbelderbos/ Website: https://bobbelderbos.com