IT Career Energizer

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

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

Phil’s guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Laura Klein. Laura has been an engineer, designer and product manager helping companies of all sizes learn about their users so that they can build products people enjoy using. She’s author of the books “Build Better Products” and “UX for Lean Startups” as well as co-host of the podcast “What Is Wrong With UX”. In this episode, Phil and Laura talk about the differences between job security and career security. And they discuss the importance of research and preparation as well as the growing emphasis on ethics within the industry. Laura also tells us why she is more excited about the potential of Augmented Reality than Virtual Reality.   KEY TAKEAWAYS: (2.42) TOP CAREER TIP The thing that Laura found to be really interesting and important is that there is no job security. Your job can fire you at any time, the company can go out of business at any time and so forth. Laura talks about having career security rather than job security and how you can continue to be employable. Don’t be than reliant on one job forever.   (5.11) WORST CAREER MOMENT Laura says that her first public talk in tech was a disaster. And this was in front of three hundred people. She had thought that giving a talk would be easy and similar to giving a high school talk but it was totally different. She hadn’t done enough research into what other conference talks were like. But Laura learnt from the experience and in particular to do research. She also started doing talks at much smaller venues such as meetups and hackathons.   (8.51) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Laura tells Phil how excited she was at writing and publishing two books which she’s very proud of. However Laura says that, in contrast with her worst moment, she had the opportunity to give a talk to thousands of people at Davy Symphony Hall in San Francisco. This time the talk went very well.   (10.00) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Laura says that she believes we’re in a bubble which is likely to deflate a bit. She thinks there will be some painful shake outs. However she is excited about technology being made easier for everybody in a more accessible way. And she’s also excited about Augmented Reality rather than Virtual Reality. Laura is pleased that there is now a greater focus on ethics within the industry.   (12.31) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Laura says it was initially simply a way to make money. What’s the best career advice you received? – Focus on career security not job security. What’s the worst career advice you received? – Laura was advised not to become a technology recruiter by someone who didn’t know anything about it. What would you do if you started your career now? – Laura says that she would have stuck with engineering a little longer. What are your current career objectives? – To figure out what she wants the next few years of her career to be. She’s reviewing her career and looking at how to switch up to something new. What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Writing. Laura says that there is nothing she has done or learned to do that is more effective at getting me jobs and well-known, all of which happened because I wrote stuff down. How do you keep your own career energized? – Laura has a podcast, “What is wrong with UX”. More people know Laura from the podcast than the books and the writing. What do you do away from technology? – Laura says that she has a hobby solving extremely hard puzzles for fun and sometimes in competitions.   (18.17) FINAL CAREER TIP Laura says that you shouldn’t take career advice from people like her. However she clarifies this by explaining that you should look to take career advice from people who have worked for the type of organisation that you’re interested in working for. Find people like you want to be in two to three years.   BEST MOMENTS (8.42) – Laura - “All of the things we do in design and research all of the time, apply them to the rest of your career” (13.21) – Laura - “Focus on career security not job security” (18.48) – Laura - “Find people like you want to be in two to three years”   ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.   CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at phil@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 – LAURA KLEIN Laura Klein has been an engineer, designer and product manager helping companies of all sizes learn about their users so that they can build products people enjoy using.She’s author of the books “Build Better Products” and “UX for Lean Startups” as well as co-host of the podcast “What Is Wrong With UX”.   CONTACT THE GUEST – LAURA KLEIN Laura Klein can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/lauraklein LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauraklein2 Website: https://usersknow.com

Phil’s guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Aimee Knight. She is a software architect at Tuft and Needle, specialising in JS, React and CSS. She is also a Google Developer Advocate for Web Technologies, a panellist on the JavaScript Jabber podcast and n international keynote speaker. In this episode, Phil and Aimee Knight discuss how not being afraid to fail and becoming comfortable with being uncomfortable improves your career prospects. Aimee shares how she learned as a young athlete to focus and stop wasting her mental energy. A way of working that greatly increases what you can accomplish   KEY TAKEAWAYS: (3.24) TOP CAREER TIP Become comfortable with being uncomfortable. The people who succeed in the IT industry are the ones that work outside their comfort zone. Overcoming your fear of failure is one of the greatest catalysts in your life.   (7.31) WORST CAREER MOMENT Like so many people before her Aimee ended up inadvertently deleting production data. That was even after it had gone through PR review and been approved. It was restored fairly quickly, but it was not a good career moment.   (10.49) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Landing a job at MPM was a highlight. Working on developer tooling and with a team she looked up to was for Aimee, a particularly exciting point of her career, a highlight. Other highlights have included being a keynote speaker at conferences and having the chance to mentor others.   (12.54) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The way technology is now being used to help drive decisions is especially interesting and exciting. Aimee is also pleased to see the barriers to entry into the IT industry falling away. This is leading to people from diverse backgrounds entering the field. This, in turn, is changing the directions in which the technologies go.   (15.00) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Aimee has always had a thirst for knowledge, so the fact that you had to be a constant learner to thrive in IT was attractive to her. What’s the best career advice you received? – Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Learning to do this has helped Aimee to achieve a lot in a short period of time. What’s the worst career advice you received? – To succeed in the IT as a woman you have to act like a b*.*. Aimee did not follow this advice yet has been able to progress quickly in the industry. What would you do if you started your career now? – Aimee probably would have focused on the architecture rather than the front end. What are your current career objectives? – Aimee wants to dig deeper into the architecture side of things. She is also helping with onboarding and doing more mentoring. What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Learning at an early age to make effective use of her mental energy. How do you keep your own career energized? – Aimee works at staying focused and finds that being a mentor keeps her more energized. What do you do away from technology? – Aimee runs around 40 miles per week and goes lifting, after work, with her boyfriend.   (23.31) FINAL CAREER TIP Aimee, once again, recommends getting comfortable with being uncomfortable and learning not to fear failure. Pick something and work at until you are so good that you can’t be ignored. You should develop the talents you already have to their maximum, but also not be afraid to try new things.   BEST MOMENTS (4.35) – Aimee - “People who succeed in the IT industry get comfortable being uncomfortable.” (16.22) – Aimee - “If you are learning one new thing every day, you’re making progress.” (21.41) – Aimee - “Learn to channel your mental energy. It is a finite resource, so use it wisely.” (23.43) – Aimee - “Don’t be afraid to put yourself into situations where you could fail. You will learn and grow faster.”   ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.   CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at 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 – AIMEE KNIGHT Aimee Knight is a software architect at Tuft and Needle, specialising in JS, React and CSS. She is also a Google Developer Advocate for Web Technologies, a panellist on the JavaScript Jabber podcast and international keynote speaker.   CONTACT THE GUEST – AIMEE KNIGHT Aimee Knight can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/Aimee_Knight LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aimee-knight-b268058/ Website: http://www.aimeemarieknight.com/

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

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

Phil’s guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Jen Looper, a Google Developer Expert and a Cloud Developer Advocate Lead at Microsoft with over 18 years’ experience as a web and mobile developer, specialising in creating cross-platform mobile apps.  She is also the founder and CEO of Vue Vixens, which is an initiative promoting diversity in the Vue.js community. In this episode, Phil and Jen Looper discuss why making connections by physically meeting people is still the most effective way to network and uncover new career opportunities. They talk about how the frontend is changing. In particular, the impact the faster frameworks like Svelte are going to have. Jen also explains why those who are new to the industry can benefit from focusing on open source.   KEY TAKEAWAYS: (2.50) TOP CAREER TIP Network as much as you can. In particular, attend user groups and meetups. It is surprising how much face time will help you. People remember you better and you make stronger connections this way. When you are looking for a job you will be surprised by how much easier it is to find one when you know more people.   (4.12) WORST CAREER MOMENT At one stage Jen worked in a workplace that was a bit rough around the edges, in general. For example, the CEO lost his temper and threw a chair at one of her female colleagues He tried to physically intimidate Jen too. But, she was taller than him so the act of her standing up and towering over him was enough to calm things down a little. Working in a place like that was awful. But, it taught Jen that if you are working in an environment where you have to use physical cues to get your point across, it is time to move on.   (5.14) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Jen and her team of Irish developers earned a Star Award for their work on an insurance application, which they did for Sun Life. It was definitely a career highlight, which felt all the better because it is unusual for remote teams to win these kinds of corporate recognition awards. She especially enjoyed seeing each team members’ careers take off after they had won the award.   (7.44) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Right now, Jen is excited about what is going on at the frontend. In particular with the new frameworks like Svelte, which are going to really simplify interfaces and improve performance. These changes will make a huge difference to people who live in areas of the world that still have slow connections.   (8.53) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – When it came to tech, Jen was an early adopter. When she realised she was good at programming working in IT was a natural step. What’s the best career advice you received? – Make a 1 year and a 5-year career plan. Jen does and she reviews them every 3 to 6 months. What’s the worst career advice you received? – From college, Jen wanted to go to Cal Berkley. But, instead of being advised how to do that, the college’s suggestion was that she explore becoming a sommelier because women had a heightened sense of taste and smell. What would you do if you started your career now? – Jen would start with open source and embrace the community around it. What are your current career objectives? – Jen has just moved into managing technical teams, so she is currently focusing on doing that well. What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Being a good networker and an active listener. How do you keep your own career energized? – Keep reading, keep following interesting people, keep building and continue to grow. What do you do away from technology? – Jen has just moved house, so has been busy making a new home. She is also enjoying learning to use Procreate app, an Apple Pencil and her iPad to create paintings, diagrams and art.   (14.25) FINAL CAREER TIP Keep learning, teach and become a mentor. When you do that you continually improve and will be helping the next generation to step up. The world is going to need a lot of people to maintain and evolve its tech. Jen is really excited to be helping people from across the world to get involved in tech, in particular, on the frontend.   BEST MOMENTS (2.58) – Jen - “Attend user groups and meetups. Meeting face to face is a very effective way to build a strong network.” (4.27) – Jen - “Avoid confrontational workplaces, the chances are you will have to leave quickly, so why put yourself through it?” (9.33) – Jen - “Make a 1 year and a 5-year career plan and review them every 3 to 6 months.” (11.28) – Jen - “Embrace open source, in particular, if you are just starting out.” (12.23) – Jen - “Cultivate active listening, to become a good communicator.” (13.18) – Jen - “Keep learning, teaching and mentoring. Doing all three will build you up and help the next generation.”   ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions.  Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their 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 – Jen Looper Jen Looper is a Google Developer Expert and a Cloud Developer Advocate Lead at Microsoft with over 18 years’ experience as a web and mobile developer, specialising in creating cross-platform mobile apps. She is also the founder and CEO of Vue Vixens, which is an initiative promoting diversity in the Vue.js community.   CONTACT THE GUEST – Jen Looper Jen Looper can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jenlooper LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-looper-3442413/ Personal Website: http://www.jenlooper.com Website: http://www.vuevixens.org  

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

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

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