IT Career Energizer

In this week's show, Phil talks to Al Sweigart, a professional developer who teaches programming to kids and adults.

As well as being a speaker at Python conferences, he has written several bestselling programming books for beginners, including 'Automate the Boring Stuff with Python', 'Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python', 'Cracking Codes with Python', and 'Coding with Minecraft'.

Al talks about the fact that many jobs are attainable, despite the job description and list of qualifications required. Never count yourself out of the race. He also discusses why coding itself can feel intimidating, but that it's nothing to be feared.

Show notes can be found at https://itcareerenergizer.com/e289

In this week's show, Phil talks to Scott Turman, who has developed software and cryptographic systems over the last 25 years for some pretty big organisations such as NASA, Disney, Hilton and the US Department of Defence.

He is the founder of BrightRay Consulting which is a staffing and software solutions company that he formed 6 years ago.

Scott talks to Phil about making sure we achieve the worth for which we have worked by being as useful as possible and developing skills. He also discusses why we must gain mastery over our area of expertise.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

TOP CAREER TIP

Learn to be as useful as you can, and find an organization that will pay your fairly for the skills you can perform.

WORST CAREER MOMENT

Scott was interviewed by someone he looked up to, and failed during the last stages of the interview. If successful, he would have gone to work for Microsoft.

CAREER HIGHLIGHT

Scott achieved a position at NASA – his dream job. NASA's legacy runs deep in Scott's family, so to win a position there was a lifelong ambition.

THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T

IT in the past was not an agile sector. Ideas remained so until backing and technological development could be resourced. Nowadays, people can bring ideas t life on their own.

THE REVEAL

What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Scott's Atari 400 and other early computers. Scott's father encouraged simulations and other technical pursuits.

What's the best career advice you received? – No matter what they offer you, always ask for more.

What's the worst career advice you received? – To stay out of the fray and under the radar. There's no better way to be fired first than to offer the least amount of value.

What would you do if you started your career now? – Scott would specialize in security, the one area that can never be truly fully automated.

What are your current career objectives? – Scott's organisation is moving into proof-of-concept work.

What's your number one non-technical skill? – Learning to negotiate, especially in terms of salary.

How do you keep your own career energized? – Scott consumes podcasts, books and learns bout new technologies whenever possible.

What do you do away from technology? – Scott loves to spend time with family.

FINAL CAREER TIP

Pick an area of expertise that is useful and once you've done that, master it!

BEST MOMENTS

(3:11) – Scott - "Find an organisation that will pay you for your skills"

(3:52) – Scott - "Be useful, develop a skill, and be ridiculously good at it"

(9:12) – Scott – "From idea to minimal viable product can be done in a few months with the right people"

(11:49) – Scott – "If you can demonstrate your value in the world, then there's always a little bit of room for you"

(13:40) – Scott – "Wallflowers don't ever make history"

ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS

Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.

CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS

Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess

Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer

Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer

Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact

Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com

Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer

ABOUT THE GUEST – SCOTT TURMAN

Scott Turman has developed software and cryptographic systems over the last 25 years for some pretty big organisations such as NASA, Disney, Hilton and the US Department of Defence.

He is the founder of BrightRay Consulting which is a staffing and software solutions company that he formed 6 years ago.

CONTACT THE GUEST – SCOTT TURMAN

Scott Turman can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottturman/

Website: https://scottturman.com

In this week's show, Phil talks to Jeff Wald, the founder of Work Market, an enterprise software platform that enables companies to manage freelancers. He has also founded several other technology companies including Spinback, a social media sharing platform.

He is an active angel investor and start-up advisor, as well as serving on numerous public and private Boards of Directors. He is also the author of the Amazon Best Seller 'The End of Jobs: The Rise of On-Demand Workers and Agile Corporations'.

Jeff talks about the importance of resilience and why we must always push through the challenges we face. He also discusses the value of executing upon ideas, and the strength it takes in order to do so.

Full show notes and links to related resources are available on the IT Career Energizer website - https://itcareerenergizer.com/e287

In this week's show, Phil talks to Oscar Santolalla, the author of "Rock the Tech Stage" and "Create and Deliver a Killer Product Demo". After a decade and a half in the technology arena, he embarked on a mission to help people in technology companies present better, inspire others, and sell more.

Since 2014, he has been hosting the public speaking podcast Time to Shine, for which he has interviewed more than 150 communication professionals. He works as a sales engineer at Ubisecure. And was born and raised in Peru but now lives in Finland.

Oscar talks about why we should always seek to develop our skills and grow as professionals. He also discusses why storytelling can positively impact your career goals.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

TOP CAREER TIP

There is always room to develop your skills, and no matter which stage you are at, time should always be taken to develop and grow.

WORST CAREER MOMENT

During an early presentation, Oscar found himself ill-prepared, and having to present on a subject of which he had no knowledge. This taught him the value of always being prepared, and to devote time to learning how to feel more comfortable with public speaking.

CAREER HIGHLIGHT

Switching between roles, and trying out new areas in the sector, provided Oscar with his current role, which he views as the highlight of his career so far.

THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T

IT is being called upon, more and more, to solve meaningful problems for the world. This responsibility will grow as technological advancements continue to be made.

THE REVEAL

What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – In times previous, Oscar saw the implementation of tech infrastructures, and the idea of being a part of this world appealed to him greatly.

What's the best career advice you received? – Become a problem solver.

What's the worst career advice you received? – When people tell you that hard work alone will lead to success. This is only partly true.

What would you do if you started your career now? – Oscar would be more heavily involved in building tools that protect us online and reinforce privacy.

What are your current career objectives? – Focussing upon training in order to deliver better results to clients and partners.

What's your number one non-technical skill? – Communication skills, and developing creativity in thinking.

How do you keep your own career energized? – Oscar remains energized by always learning new skills, and keeping abreast of technological advances.

What do you do away from technology? – Sports are very important, as is reading – especially fiction, which stimulates the imagination.

FINAL CAREER TIP

Work on your storytelling abilities, which remain the best way of communicating plans, ideas and thoughts to others.

BEST MOMENTS

(3:49) – Oscar - "Always invest in developing your skills at any moment in your career"

(9:45) – Phil - "At any point in time, you can provide a point of view that can be described as leadership"

(12:15) – Oscar – "We can solve the real and big problems that society has today"

(18:07) – Oscar – "You need to make sure that others see what you do and appreciate your value"

ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS

Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.

CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS

Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess

Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer

Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer

Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact

Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com

Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer

ABOUT THE GUEST – OSCAR SANTOLALLA

Oscar Santolalla is the author of "Rock the Tech Stage" and "Create and Deliver a Killer Product Demo". After a decade and a half in the technology arena, he embarked on a mission to help people in technology companies present better, inspire others, and sell more.

Since 2014, he has been hosting the public speaking podcast Time to Shine, for which he has interviewed more than 150 communication professionals. He works as a sales engineer at Ubisecure. And was born and raised in Peru but now lives in Finland.

CONTACT THE GUEST – OSCAR SANTOLALLA

Oscar Santolalla can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/osantolalla

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oscarsantolalla/

'Rock The Tech Stage' Book Website: https://rockthetechstage.com/

'Create and Deliver a Killer Product Demo' Book Website: https://www.apress.com/gp/book/9781484239537

In this week's show, Phil talks to Mark Richards, an experienced, hands-on software architect involved in the architecture, design, and implementation of microservices architectures and other distributed systems in a variety of technologies.

He has been in the software industry since 1983 and is the author of numerous technical books and videos. He has also spoken at hundreds of conferences and user groups around the world on a variety of enterprise-related technical topics.

Mark talks about the value in developing people skills and what a difference they can make to the shape of your IT career. He also discusses why careful consideration should be employed when it comes to solutions, and why you should never be caught up in the hype of a popular methodology.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

TOP CAREER TIP

Soft skills matter in any role you perform. Never discount the value in people skills, which can make all the difference.

WORST CAREER MOMENT

As a result of being abrasive in the workplace, several people left the organization. This led to a period of reflection, and several lessons learned.

CAREER HIGHLIGHT

Being able to build a development team from the ground up, and being able to manage the team closely. This was Mark's first assignment as an independent, and the experience shaped the way he worked forthwith.

THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T

The advancements in the tools, platforms and frameworks available now, is incredibly exciting in terms of seeing how these factors affect and energise the careers of new IT initiates.

THE REVEAL

What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Mark has been intensely interested in science from a young age, determined to follow his passions into discovering how science and programming can change the world.

What's the best career advice you received? – Don't follow the money – the money will come.

What's the worst career advice you received? – Perception is reality. This belief promotes the idea that many achievements are fraudulent.

What would you do if you started your career now? – Mark would focus purely on machine learning and artificial intelligence, which he sees as the true future of IT.

What are your current career objectives? – Mark is focused upon spreading the knowledge has accumulated, which he sees as truly valuable.

What's your number one non-technical skill? – Negotiations kills which Mark sees as one of the most important tools anyone can have.

How do you keep your own career energized? – Mark follows his "20 Minute Rule", which involves him devoting twenty minute periods to furthering his career in some way.

What do you do away from technology? – Reading is incredibly important, but Mark also enjoys home repairs and remodeling, as well as hiking.

FINAL CAREER TIP

Be careful not to get caught up in the hype, and always analyse the trade-offs of everything you see. Everything in software architecture is a trade-off, and solutions that are popular may not always be the most prudent.

BEST MOMENTS

(3:15) – Mark - "It's the role of a software architect to understand the political climate of an enterprise and navigate politics"

(7:55) – Mark - "Remember those soft skills – the people skills. This was my career differentiator"

(18:20) – Mark – "That creative piece of IT tends to be overshadowed sometimes when we have to deal with the mundane technology aspects of the zeroes and ones"

(26:42) – Mark – "Having negotiation skills is one of the only ways of doing your job as a software architect"

ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS

Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.

CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS

Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess

Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer

Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer

Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact

Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com

Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer

ABOUT THE GUEST – MARK RICHARDS

Mark Richards is an experienced, hands-on software architect involved in the architecture, design, and implementation of microservices architectures and other distributed systems in a variety of technologies.

He has been in the software industry since 1983 and is the author of numerous technical books and videos. He has also spoken at hundreds of conferences and user groups around the world on a variety of enterprise-related technical topics.

CONTACT THE GUEST – MARK RICHARDS

Mark Richards can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/markrichardssa

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markrichards3/

Website: https://www.developertoarchitect.com/

Book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1492043451

In this week's show, Phil talks to Kelly Vaughn, a front end developer and founder of The Taproom, a Shopify Plus agency rooted in Atlanta. She and her team have helped hundreds of Shopify merchants build successful marketing strategies, map out customer journeys that convert and provide the insight, experience and tools businesses need to keep growing.

She's passionate about all things, 'entrepreneurship'. Since building her first website for a client project at the age of 14, she has built up a strong customer base over the past 15 years and grew her solo freelance business from a team of one to an always-profitable team of ten in just one year.

And when she's not coding or co-hosting the Ladybug Podcast, you can find her traveling the world with her husband and sampling all the wine and whiskey she can get her hands on!

Kelly talks about the importance of reaching out for help when we need it, and how it can positively impact our knowledge base.

Kelly also discusses why it's so important to keep a record of your IT journey, and how it can help to not just advance you, but act as a career diary.

Full show notes and links to related resources are available on the IT Career Energizer website - https://itcareerenergizer.com/e284

In this week's show, Phil talks to Mark Herschberg, who has spent his career launching and developing new ventures at startups, Fortune 500 companies, and in academia. He helped to start the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, dubbed MIT's "career success accelerator".

At Harvard Business School, he helped to create a platform used to teach finance at prominent business schools, and most recently, he has authored "The Career Toolkit – Essential Skills For Success That No One Taught You"

Mark talks to Phil about the value to be found in incremental victories through small negotiations. He also discusses why we should all create a career plan as soon as possible.

Full show notes and links to related resources are available on the IT Career Energizer website - https://itcareerenergizer.com/e283

Laura Berman Fortgang is recognised as a pioneer in the personal coaching field and part of the founding team of the International Coach Federation. She has brought coaching to NASA, Florida's State Government and dozens of Fortune 500 companies.

She has made appearances on Oprah, Good Morning America and CNN, amongst others, as well as publishing five best-selling books including 'Now What? 90 Days to a New Life Direction' and 'The Little Book On Meaning'. And in 2015 she gave a TEDx talk titled 'How to Find Your Dream Job Without Ever Looking at Your Resume' which has been viewed more than 1.5 million times.

Laura joins Phil to discuss why the roadmap to your future is never in your current resumè. Laura also talks about why we should trust our instincts when it comes to shaping our IT career.

Full show notes and links to related resources are available on the IT Career Energizer website - https://itcareerenergizer.com/e282

Phil's guest on today's show is Shawn Livermore, a software engineer, a consultant, a software architect and a tech startup founder, managing to raise venture capital investment six times.

He has also authored several books on software and business including the recently released 'Average Joe: Be the Silicon Valley Tech Genius'.

Shawn talks to Phil about why it's important to choose carefully when applying to companies for work, and how career dreams can become horror stories if you aren't careful.

He also discusses the importance of having a pursuit, one that holds our passion and drives us onward.

Full show notes and links to related resources are available on the IT Career Energizer website - https://itcareerenergizer.com/e281

Phil's guest on today's show is Raffi Jamgotchian, the founder of Triada Networks. He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional and a member of both Infragard and the US Secret Service's Joint Electronic Crimes Task Force.

Raffi talks to Phil about why starting at the bottom is a good thing for anyone new to the world of IT as it provides experience and knowledge.

He also discusses the value of staying curious and why without curiosity, we may sometimes stagnate.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

TOP CAREER TIP

Don't ever be afraid to do the "unsexy" jobs. Starting in support or the equivalent is always a good place to start as it provides you with a broad range of experience and understanding.

WORST CAREER MOMENT

Raffi gave notice at a job as he had received a verbal offer of a new one. However, he failed to get this offer in writing, and subsequently the new job fell through. Luckily it all worked out.

CAREER HIGHLIGHT

After 9/11, Raffi oversaw a stringent series of systems and processes designed to withstand future outages. This was put to the test during a blackout, and again later during Hurricane Sandy. Each time, these new systems stood up to the test.

THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T

The tech world today is changing in so many revolutionary ways, and so rapidly. If you are curious, then being in IT is a wonderful world to work in as the possibilities for innovation and creation are endless.

THE REVEAL

What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Money was the initial hook, but also the freedom that IT allows in shaping one's destiny and future.

What's the best career advice you received? – Stay curious!

What's the worst career advice you received? – Don't go into business for yourself. Starting his own business has been one of the most rewarding things in Raffi's life.

What would you do if you started your career now? – Raffi wishes he had spent more time on experimentation rather than going to the book to learn.

What are your current career objectives? – Growing the company they have built, and focusing on training and mentoring new members of the team.

What's your number one non-technical skill? – Honesty. People are drawn to this quality, so always tell the truth.

How do you keep your own career energized? – Always make sure you're learning through whatever means possible.

What do you do away from technology? – Raffi is a political junkie, as well as a cyclist

FINAL CAREER TIP

Stay curious and don't be afraid to try new things. It separates stagnation from progression.

BEST MOMENTS

(4:00) – Raffi - "Ultimately we're supporting the business, we're not in the business of technology, necessarily"

(9:19) – Raffi - "You never know what is going to happen. The best you can do is plan"

(13:43) – Raffi – "Testing things – ultimately that was where I learned the most, rather than a formal training class"

(14:28) – Raffi – "Let the chips fall where they may. Ultimately you will be rewarded because of your believability"

ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS

Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions. Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers. And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.

CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS

Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess

Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer

Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer

Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact

Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com

Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer

ABOUT THE GUEST – RAFFI JAMGOTCHIAN

Raffi Jamgotchian is the founder of Triada Networks. He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional and a member of both Infragard and the US Secret Service's Joint Electronic Crimes Task Force.

CONTACT THE GUEST – RAFFI JAMGOTCHIAN

Raffi Jamgotchian can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/triadanet

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raffijamgotchian/

Website: https://triadanet.com/

Book: https://triadanet.com/cybersecuritybook