I wrote an editorial recently asking if people thought they should invest in their own careers. I was pleasantly surprised to see most people agreeing with me that you must make that investment. As much as you might not want to, I think the responsibility for your own growth rests on your own shoulders, not your employer's. By just visiting SQLServerCentral, you're doing that. You read articles, ask or answer questions,  and you test your knowledge with the Question of the day. Based on the feedback, and the success of the site, I think it's working.

I think I have a great job, a great employer, and great benefits, but I don't see this job as my great passion.  Unlike my wife, who truly loves her horses and wants to make that her full-time job, this often is a grind for me. It's a repetitive process of editing, scheduling, creating the same types of SQL Server content over and over. It gets hard at times, and I struggle to keep up with the work when I'm not interested in it.

So what DO I like about this job?

The writing is interesting. Being creative and expressing myself about the SQL Server platform is great. I hope to continue doing it for a long time, and I fondly look back at 6 years worth of daily editorials. However it's not really the writing.

It's you people. It's the interaction, the feedback, and even the criticisms. I learn from you, and I appreciate your views and thoughts. I like meeting you at events, shaking your hands, and engaging with you as a fellow SQL Server professional.  I am better for having known you.

It's your community, and I am honored to steward it.  That's why I run SQLServerCentral.

Steve Jones

Podcasts

Today we don't have a podcast as my laptop died and I temporarily lost video and audio editing capabilities. I hope to have the podcasts back later this week.