There is no shortage of predictions that we all make every day. Long before PREDICT and the popularity of Machine Learning/R/Python and more, each and every one of us has regularly made guesses about what will happen in our world. Some of us make large predictions, like faxes will be used forever, and some of us make small ones, like it's going to snow more than the forecast tonight. Our world shows us data and we make guesses.

Many of us are data professionals and we are looking to grow our careers and improve our skills on a regular basis. At least, I hope you are. A friend mentioned to me that it's hard to decide where to focus energy and attention these days, as SQL Server grows and expands, and time is limited. Are there topics that might be better or worse for us to learn about? After all, no one wants to be the person that invested a year of their time in the next Notification Services.

I don't have any great predictions for SQL Server, but I did think about the possibilities recently. I was interviewed by Mohammad Darab, and had to answer a number of questions looking forward. As I re-read the interview, I think I waffled a bit, mostly because the world doesn't change at an even pace. Some companies will advance fast, and some slowly. I think it is important to expand your skills and consider the cloud and related technologies, but there will certainly be some companies that never move.

There are other interviews in his series, and as I read them, I think about the different perspectives. We're all close in what we think, but with perspectives that skew slightly away from each other. Most people seem to view the world as changing, but not nearly as fast as some articles and talks would lead you to believe. Grab 3 or 4 random interviews and compare them.

While I do think that data and databases, including SQL Server, will grow in importance and relevance, I also think that we will have a constantly growing opportunity of potential jobs and projects to tackle. Where I become cautious, and the reason I advocate continuing to learn, is with convenience. Will those jobs be in your company? Or your town? Will your job continue on until you retire? It's entirely possible that the world will change and potentially force you to make drastic changes in your life. Change careers, move to a new location, or endure conditions that make you unhappy.

The future has one certainty; it's uncertain. I tend to hedge my chances of minimizing disruption through education. I'd encourage you to do the same.