I almost missed this month, so this is also a good #SQLNewBlogger post. I thought about it for a few minutes as I ate breakfast at my desk and then knocked this out.
This is the monthly T-SQL Tuesday blog party. I manage the site at tsqltuesday.com, trying to keep the party going. I have a lot of help from hosts each month running the topic, and I appreciate their efforts. Join in an write, and then host a month. Lots of people have done it.
Past Advice
I struggle with this, as I’ve had a great life. I wouldn’t change anything, given where I am today, 33 years after my first data job. However, knowing I’m not changing my life in some time travel way, this is something I wish I’d have known about in my early 20s.
Network and help others in the community.
I’ve done this lightly in my first few jobs, but mostly within organizations. As I’ve grown and changed jobs, I’ve seen tremendous power in people getting together to talk, to get to know each other, to share problems and solutions, to present their knowledge and learnings with others.
User groups were a core part of this, and out of them grew the PASS organization and Summit, the SQL Saturdays, and the amazing community we have. It’ s far different than other communities, and many of them see it as well. They wish their world was like the data platform world.
The power of networking is amazing. The rich world that comes from community is something special.
It’s still there today and it’s worth joining, no matter where you are in your career.