Guest Editorial from Brad McGehee
With the current economic downturn, many of you may be wondering if you will still have a job by the end of this new year. Although DBAs are still in demand, especially compared to other IT positions, no DBA job is 100% immune from layoffs. There is just too much uncertainty for anyone to predict how any one business will perform, let along survive, during these troublesome times.
While it is not an uncommon reaction to worry about losing your job, worrying about something that is out of your control is a waste of time and energy. Instead of worrying, take action today that can help reduce the chance you might be laid off. While there are many different options available, my best advice for you is to boost your DBA skills. In other words, make yourself so valuable at your current job that they can't afford to be without you; or in the worst case, if you are laid off anyway, your job skills will be so great that finding a new DBA position will be child's play.
Some may argue that they don't have a training budget, so how can they increase their DBA skills? Fortunately, you don't have to spend a lot of money to increase your skills, although you will have to make an investment in time. If you have access to the Internet, and if you are reading this I assume you do, there is a wealth of free information; much more than you could possibly master, even if you had unlimited time. And if you have questions, there are a menagerie of SQL Server forums to suit all tastes, where you can ask any question you like. If you prefer reading books than reading from a screen, there are hundreds of books on SQL Server. If you prefer a more human touch, many cities offer user groups, Code Camps, PASS Community Connection Events, SQL Saturdays, and Techfests, all of which offer free training.
In other words, there's a lot to do out there, so don't sit around fretting about the economy or about possibly losing your job. Instead, take the time to invest in yourself. It won't cost you anything but time, and it will pay huge dividends your entire career.
The Voice of the DBA Podcasts
The podcast feeds are now available at sqlservercentral.mevio.com to get better bandwidth and maybe a little more exposure :). Comments are definitely appreciated and wanted, and you can get feeds from there.
or now on iTunes!
- Windows Media Podcast - 21.8MB WMV
- iPod Video Podcast - 18.1MB MP4
- MP3 Audio Podcast - 3.7MB
Today's podcast features music by Everyday Jones. No relation, but I stumbled on to them and really like the music. Support this great duo at www.everydayjones.com.
I really appreciate and value feedback on the podcasts. Let us know what you like, don't like, or even send in ideas for the show. If you'd like to comment, post something here. The boss will be sure to read it.
