The first week following on from the Christmas break is a very hectic one for us Data Professionals. Your customers are keen to get straight back to business immediately and get the year off to the best possible start, meaning your skills and services will be in high demand. To help ensure you get your [...]
Posts under ‘Professional Development’
Why Did You Start Blogging?
That’s easy, because Brent Ozar (Blog|Twitter) challenged me to…… Finding time to keep up with awesome blog content can be tough. Let me make it easy for you! Join over 500 SQL Server Professionals who already enjoy my roundup of the very best SQL blog content each week, delivered direct to your Inbox or favourite RSS Reader. It [...]
What Makes The Perfect DBA Role?
What is it that makes the perfect role for a Database Administrator? Well I can’t tell you that because you and I may not be looking for the same things in a role. What I can tell you though is what I look for, what it is that makes my ideal DBA role. Last week [...]
New Year New Job?
Are you 100% satisfied with your current job? Of course not! When given serious consideration most people will agree that there are some things that they would like to be different or change in their current role. The Christmas holiday season is a popular time for self reflection. The gift of time away from the [...]
Being an Effective DBA Remotely
Do not let the phrase “out of sight, out of mind” apply to you. As Data Professionals a lot of us either have or will have the opportunity to work remotely. It’s a trend that I am convinced is set to increase as technology continues to integrate our working world, making us more accessible and [...]
My Guide to Passing MCTS Exam 70-432
A reader wrote in to me last weekend regarding the MCTS Exam 70-432 (SQL Server 2008, Implementation and Maintenance). Hi John, I hope you are well. I am planning to take exam 70-432 and I could really use some guidance on how to go about my studies. I would really appreciate your thoughts. Thank you. [...]
Enough of the theme test posts already!
Some of you may have experienced a rather annoying volume of theme test posts in your RSS Reader yesterday. My apologies if that was the case. If you have no idea what I’m even talking about then you can completely ignore this post too Ironically in an effort to improve visitor experience to the blog website, it [...]
Outstanding DBAs Make Relationships a Priority
In our open all hours global working world, do you ever wonder if perhaps the technology that is supposed to be bringing us closer together is inadvertently creating a world that is instead becoming more isolated? As Database Administrators (DBAs) technology enables us to work and meet our responsibilities effectively from almost any location in [...]
5 Ways to Be a More Effective DBA Today
Regular readers will now that I like to talk (quite a lot) about how we can be more effective as Data Professionals. Often the advice I put out there requires a consistent effort in order to really reap the greater benefits. Take my post series 5 Days To Outstanding DBA Customer Service as an example. [...]
Look How Far You Have Come
A reader wrote to me over the weekend, seeking advice on behalf of their friend, who had been feeling deflated and lost on their SQL journey. Hi John, My long time friend ****** is a SQL DBA and he is feeling a bit down at the moment. He is trying to advance himself in the [...]
