Beyond Tech Skills

In our final podcast episode, we'll be talking with Dr. Douglas Scherer, author of F.O.R.G.E.D.: Six Practices of Great Leaders in Volatile Times, about what makes a great leader ... great? Turns out it’s not any one thing – instead, it’s at least half a dozen things. . Douglas talks about his philosophy of how leaders are forged, not born, and he explains what he's personally experienced and observed how leaders act during unexpected crises, unmitigated disasters, and even landing on the Moon.

Think your early career was successful? Peter Schroeder explains how he started his own communications-as-a-service venture in his late 20s, but that was only after introducing electronic dance music to Las Vegas mega-clubs as an internationally known DJ, all the while you producing his own music since his teens. And consider that was after he became a nationally-known reporter in Denmark covering stories of interest to teens and tweens at the age of ten. Peter explains his unique brand of entrepreneurship and what motivates him to constantly explore new opportunities.

After 20+ years as a high school math teacher, you're looking for a new career path. What should you do? Tiffany Teasley has the answer: Data science! She joins Liron and Jim to chat about how she plotted that new course, took action to shift her career goals, and transformed herself into a full-fledged data scientist at Lexis/Nexis.

Doctors start as residents; master builders start as apprentices; executive chefs start as sous chefs. Why not IT professionals? Our guest, Amy Simpson-Grange, talks with Jim + Liron about her IT career path in the UK that featured just that – a five-year IT apprenticeship with CapGemini – and let her deploy her twin passions, biology and psychology, to position herself for successful professional growth.

Finding the right mentor is crucial to having a full life, Jerry Thomas – IT professional, physicist, and educator – tells Jim + Liron. Jerry explains how the legendary scientist Richard Feynman mentored him at CalTech early in his life and how that set the stage for his successful career. Jerry also chats about his friendships with two Nobel Prize winners, his experience working in telecom around the world, why active listening is key to being a great mentor, and even how lock-picking skills are a metaphor for understanding difficult scientific problems.

Finding the perfect person for a key position is a noble goal, but many organizations struggle with what achieving that target actually involves. Jim + Liron talk with Dr. Ameetha Garbharran, an organizational and industrial psychologist,on how organizations often lack a deep understanding of what an unfilled position’s demands really are. Ameetha also explains how she uses scientific processes, careful observations, and accurate metrics to help organizations limit the impact of often-invisible human cognitive biases that both interviewers and interviewees encounter during the hiring process.

2022 seemed at times an unrelenting barrage on everyone's stress levels, so it's no surprise that mental health was a key element of this year's podcast. Jim and Liron chat about their favorite episodes, share some trends they observed, and reveal their upcoming lineup of guests in 2023.

Favorite episodes

Live conferences are back

Hype cycles ain’t just about cryptocurrency

Plans for 2023

- SBF’s arrest

- Elon’s cock-up at Twitter – but remember, he’s an Aspie

Veterans and active servicemembers of the United States military are often among the most qualified – and, sadly, often overlooked! - candidates for job opportunities, especially for IT positions. Jim + Liron talk with Sandy Kaider, Manager - Referral and Training Partners at Hire Heroes USA, about how servicemembers, veterans, and their spouses transfer their unique analytic skills, their devotion to teamwork, and their dedication to achieving the mission to a civilian career.

So you’re thinking about submitting a session to a user conference, but unsure if you have what it takes to speak in front of people? Or maybe you’re nervous about presenting on a topic you know well, but those butterflies just won’t go away? Guess what – even experienced speakers have impostor syndrome! Mirela Ardelean and Neil Chandler explain to Jim and Liron how the Mentor And Speaker Hub (MASH) Program helps an aspiring presenter overcome those challenges by pairing them up with experienced mentors so they can enrich and entertain their audiences with valuable knowledge.

Is it the Great Resignation, the Great Reshuffle, or something completely different? One thing's for sure: Whatever we've all experienced directly or indirectly within IT since mid-2020 may simply defy accurate definition for now. Jim and Liron chat about several perspectives, including working from home (WFH), return to office (RTO), and the latest trend: quiet quitting. And if you're still confused, be sure to check out suggestions for a support group near you as they wrap up!