Latest Posts - Page 124 of 198

April 5, 2019April 8, 2019 Lessons Learned From Consulting

Researching New Tools and Technologies

Learning for our personal purposes is not the limit of what IT workers are asked to do. There are also situations where we need to learn the latest tools or technology advances. Unfortunately, these are not often tasks assigned to junior staff. However, researching new tools is an excellent way to add to our resume and general skill set. Therefore, we should take on these assignments when they become available. Researching New Tools For A Project An assignment to research technology or tools will include a deliverable. Thus, we need to develop a process and approach for accomplishing our goals and reporting the results. Fortunately, we have been doing this for years. Nearly every skill we learn includes a proof of mastery. That may... Read more

April 3, 2019April 8, 2019 Lessons Learned From Consulting

Career Advancement Through Training and Conferences

There are many ways to add to our skills and advance our career. While on-the-job learning is essential, formal learning situations can move the ball forward at a faster pace. Training and conferences fit this bill perfectly. However, the cost of one of these options can be more than our employer (or we) are willing to take on. Plan For Training and Conferences Budgeting is critical. This is true no matter if you are paying the bill or you are asking your boss for the company to cover it. There is often a suitable return on investment for taking part in a conference or training. Thus, the challenge is freeing up the funds for it. First, building these educational opportunities into... Read more

April 2, 2019April 8, 2019 Become a Better Developer

Embracing and Making the Most of the Agile Process

There is a lot that has been written about the Agile process. Thus, it has been a hot topic that all the cool kids are discussing for several years. While there is nothing wrong about that, there are still a lot of aspects of Agile to embrace outside of the buzz. This is a software development process that can improve productivity, quality, and reduce risk. It is not a silver bullet. Nevertheless, we can find many ways for it to help us build better solutions. Improve Velocity With the Agile Process The critical part of the Agile Manifesto is not a reduction of paperwork. It is a reduction in things that matter less. We have often mentioned the Pareto principle... Read more

April 1, 2019March 23, 2019 Lessons Learned From Consulting

Learning New Tech Skills On The Job

An IT career demands that we include learning new tech skills as part of our regular routine. This requirement often leads to a lot of time spent on career development. However, there are ways to make progress on this goal in our daily work. Thus, allowing us to kill two birds with one stone as the saying goes. Learning New Tech Skills – Startups The best situation for drinking from the firehose is a startup. You will have more to do than you can handle and that equates to learning. Yes, it is not the easiest way to advance your career. On the other hand, it may be the fastest way to get ahead. There is a reason so many Internet... Read more

March 29, 2019March 22, 2019 Lessons Learned From Consulting

Playing Your Professional Role as An Employee or Consultant – Career Intangibles

We all have seen situations in our career where we are asked to play a role. The role is sometimes a broader one than we are used to. However, we can also be asked to play a role that is only a piece of what we can provide. In either case, we need to fulfill the desired role and add value without overstepping our boundaries. Employees are often given more freedom in this area which can make a large challenge as a consultant. Playing Your Professional Role Is About Expectations Every member of a team (whether in sports, business or otherwise) is expected to play a role. That is the function of a team. We bring together disparate skills and... Read more

March 27, 2019March 16, 2019 Lessons Learned From Consulting

Best Practices For Travel and Related Expenses

A side hustle does not preclude travel. Thus, sooner or later you will face the question of how to handle travel and related expenses. You might not have to wait. Your employer may send you away for your day job and you will be faced with the same challenges. Where large companies often have highly detailed processes, procedures, and limits for travel, smaller ones often do not. Therefore, we are left to use our common sense and set expectations. Common Travel and Related Expenses We have to eat and expect a place to stay along with transportation when we travel. These are all standard expenses. However, we can cover these needs on the cheap, or we can live like a... Read more