I.t. Career Energizer: Phil Burgess Chats With Robert C Martin, John Sonmez, David Rael And Other Successful It Professionals

In this week’s show, Phil talks to Anna McDougall, a former opera singer and now a full-stack developer with a passion for JavaScript. She is also a tech blogger, a YouTube creator and a public speaker. Anna discusses impostor syndrome and why it’s always wise to receive feedback with the right mind-set in place. She also talks about the importance of altering your perspective when looking for a job in the IT sector.   KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP When you are faced with insecurity and constructive feedback, remember that you are never there to prove yourself to someone. Remember to keep a learning mind-set active whenever feedback of any kind is offered.   WORST CAREER MOMENT Anna gave up when she was young, which is a constant source of regret. With the passage of time, she has come to realise how skilled she was, but was held back by societal expectations.   CAREER HIGHLIGHT Anna made a career change and took on a new role, pivoting completely in terms of a career path, working hard to build her technical

In this week’s show, Phil talks to Mike Karan, the co-host of the podcast HTML All The Things and the co-founder of Digital Dynasty Design. Mike talks about why it’s important to begin networking as early as possible in your IT career. He also discusses why it’s crucial to step outside of our comfort zones in order to truly develop.   KEY TAKEAWAYS:   TOP CAREER TIP Never be afraid to start networking as soon as possible in your IT career. Put yourself out there and start making connections – even early in your IT journey. Look for your audience and develop it from the get go.   WORST CAREER MOMENT Mike was asked to choose the technology for a new application. Mike did so, but when it reached the client, it was found that the application didn’t work with the client’s devices. Mike learned that it’s vital to vet everything.   CAREER HIGHLIGHT Mike’s current position allows for a much greater sense of mentorship between himself and those around him, allowing him to create a far more intense sense of collaborati

In this week’s show, Phil talks to Tom Taulli, an author, a speaker and an advisor to startups. He has co-founded a variety of companies including Hypermart.net, WebIPO and BizEquity. And his books include ‘Artificial Intelligence Basics: A Non-Technical Introduction’ and ‘The Robotic Process Automation Handbook: A Guide To Implementing RPA Systems’. Tom talks about the importance of following your passions when it comes to your IT career. He also discusses how if you create a career based around the things you love, you’ll never be short on inspiration.   KEY TAKEAWAYS:   TOP CAREER TIP Never be so set upon lofty goals that you miss the opportunities all around you. Follow your passions and do what you instincts tell you to do.   WORST CAREER MOMENT Tom has experienced periods where he reached crossroads in his career and did not follow his passions. With age has come experience and maturity, which has led to a better understanding of what is around him.   CAREER HIGHLIGHT Tom recognized a need and provided

In this week’s show, Phil talks to Shruti Balasa, a full stack developer. She has developed and delivered more than 200 websites over the last 9 years, ranging from static to fully-fledged networking and eCommerce sites. She is now focused on creating tutorials and courses to simplify web development for beginners. Shruti talks about why we should always try to remain open to new possibilities in our IT careers. She also discusses the importance of effective networking in order to let the world know what we’re capable of.   KEY TAKEAWAYS:   TOP CAREER TIP We should be open to any opportunities, especially earlier in our IT careers. Even the pathways that may seem alien to us can often allow us to gain new skills that take us in new directions.   WORST CAREER MOMENT Shruti developed a piece of software that was subverted by a single user, who hacked the system due to a hidden backdoor. This made Shruti feel the weight of an error, but also spurred her on to be more attentive subsequently.   CAREER HIGHLIGHT At

In this week’s show, Phil talks to Don Jones, who has worked in the IT industry since the 1990s, and in that time has been everything from a software developer to a network engineer. He’s written dozens of IT books, and now focuses on helping technologists become the owners of their careers. Don discusses why you should never underestimate your value. He also talks about why we must be thoughtful about our careers, and guide them selfishly in order to create our own unique path in the world.   KEY TAKEAWAYS:   TOP CAREER TIP Never underestimate yourself, and do not under-sell yourself. Don’t let what you see influence your entire opinion about something.   WORST CAREER MOMENT Don projected his negative perspective onto an employer with which he was having difficulty. He left but found a worse experience. But it taught him not to run away from things, rather run towards better opportunities.   CAREER HIGHLIGHT Don has now found his ideal career position – a company that encourages growth and development at eve

In this week’s show, Phil talks to Jana Axline, the CEO and Chief Project Officer of Project Genetics where she drives ideas from initiation to implementation, achieving successful outcomes for clients. She has strong skills and a passion for project management, coupled with years of leadership experience across a variety of industries.   She is also an international speaker as well as an active PMP, ACP, CSM and Scaled Agilist.   Jana talks about the importance of volunteering in order to energise your IT career. She also discusses the importance of recognizing our unique gifts, and recognizing who we are, so that we can better identify our prospective career paths.   KEY TAKEAWAYS:   TOP CAREER TIP Volunteering for tasks that fall within your skill-set, can often increase your chances of standing out, building relationships, and securing the trust of those who can help to accelerate your career goals.   WORST CAREER MOMENT After a cultural faux pas due to her non-exposure to diversity, Jana experienced a pi

In this week’s show, Phil talks to Patrick Lynott, the Head of UK Admissions & Placement at Boolean, a tech education company that teaches their students to be software engineers and then helps them to land their first job in tech. Patrick talks about why people should consider a career as a software engineer and how Boolean can help. He also discusses the positive ways in which investment is changing the shape of the tech sector in the UK, the best ways for aspiring engineers to begin their careers, and the best resources that can energise your own tech career plans.   KEY TAKEAWAYS: WHY SHOULD I CONSIDER BECOMING A SOFTWARE ENGINEER? Software engineering and coding provides a problem-solving approach and set of challenges that many with an analytical mind find appealing. The career prospects are incredible, and potential for diversity and growth is limitless.   WHAT DO I NEED TO LEARN? Begin by building a mental map of the industry itself, We can best achieve this by hearing from people in the industry

In this week’s show, Phil talks to Slater Victoroff, who has been building AI, machine learning and deep learning solutions for the enterprise for the better part of the past decade having worked with everyone from the federal government to two-person startups to the Fortune 100. He has also educated hundreds of business users in the successful implementation of deep learning through a simple framework that helps executives rapidly accelerate the adoption of the technology in their businesses. Slater talks about the importance of effective communication, and how your skills as a storyteller can inspire and motivate others. He also discusses the importance of reflecting upon the “why” that drives us onwards.   KEY TAKEAWAYS:   TOP CAREER TIP Regardless of the field that you are in, so much of your ability to drive change will depend on the way you communicate and are able to create narratives that will inspire and lead others to go the distance.   WORST CAREER MOMENT Slater was a CEO, and while he did not unde

In this week’s show, Phil talks to James Stanger, CompTIA’s Chief Technology Evangelist. James has consulted in cloud security, open source, and networking for organizations such as Northrop Grumman, Tesco, AWS, West Point, SoftBank, and Symantec. He has also developed education programs on a myriad of subjects, including security analytics, cloud administration, Linux, British Romantic literature and kayaking. In this episode James talks about the importance of interpersonal skills and why we should always remember that IT is a people business. He also discusses the value in developing your own network of people. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP Always keep on top of your power skills, especially the ability to act effectively in an interpersonal way. Remember that IT is a people business, so we must show respect for others. WORST CAREER MOMENT Early in his working life, James realized that he had spent much of his time training and gaining qualifications, only to be stuck in a job that would not pay him accord

In this week’s show, Phil talks to Seth Hammerman, a Senior Cloud Security Sales Engineer for a large Cybersecurity vendor having made a mid-career change from the construction industry into IT. He has been either a pre-sales Sales Engineer or Sales Engineer Manager for most of his IT career, but has also held roles such as Technical Sales Manager and Director of Channel Sales Enablement. Seth talks about the importance of choosing the right career in IT, and following the path towards the things you truly love. He also discusses why the great IT careers are built upon an attitude of gratitude. Check out the show notes for this episode at https://itcareerenergizer.com/e302

In this week’s show, Phil talks to Kyle Prinsloo, who helps web designers and developers to launch and grow their freelancing careers. He is a developer, consultant and course creator as well as host of The Freelancer Podcast where he shares freelancing and marketing nuggets for web developers. Kyle talks about the importance of curiosity and inquisitiveness. He also discusses the value of forging strong relationships so as to better learn from those who can teach. Show notes for this episode can be found at https://itcareerenergizer.com/e301

In this week’s show, Phil talks to Jan Muhlfeit, who has a proven track record in building and leading successful teams which he acquired through an extensive, 22-year career at Microsoft Corporation where his last role was that of Chairman for Europe. Since leaving Microsoft in 2014 he has been coaching individuals and teams on how to uncover their personal strengths and find the best in people. He also coaches high-level executives, Olympic games winners and artists from different countries and continents. And he still manages to find the time to be a highly-regarded global speaker, having spoken at Harvard, MIT and Cambridge to name a few. Jan talks about the importance of self-awareness, and why discovering ourselves can lead to better understanding of others. He also discusses why having a growth mindset will allow us to become the best version of ourselves. Show notes and links can be found at https://itcareerenergizer.com/e300

in this week’s show, Phil talks to Deenita Pattni. Deenita is a leading expert on LinkedIn marketing and has been helping her clients gain more visibility on LinkedIn, be seen as an authority and generate opportunities. This episode gives you opportunity to listen in to parts of a longer interview recorded for the Transform Your Career podcast, due to be launched in July 2021.

In this week’s show, Phil talks to Jeff Perry, Jeff helps engineering and software professionals develop soft skills to unlock hidden potential and remove self-imposed roadblocks. This includes Leadership Training & Development, Career & Mindset Coaching and Personal Branding. He is the founder of More Than Engineering and the host of The Engineering Career Coach podcast. In this episode Phil and Jeff talk about the importance of increasing your awareness, why we can sometimes over value career stability & much more. Check out the episode's show notes at https://itcareerenergizer.com/e298

In this week’s show, Phil talks to Nancy Hammervik, the Executive Vice President for Industry Relations at CompTIA, as well as CEO of CompTIA’s Tech Careers Academy, where she is responsible for elevating the association’s public profile among its member and across the IT industry. Prior to joining CompTia (in 2011) Nancy had a 25 year career with United Business Media’s Everything Channel. In this episode Nancy and Phil discuss the best ways in which aspiring professionals can launch their career in technology, and the many ways in which they can improve and develop. Check out the episode's show notes at https://itcareerenergizer.com/e297

In this week’s show, Phil talks to Peter Johnson, a QA engineer. He has contributed to test automation on a variety of software projects in embedded systems, web services and satellite communication software. Peter talks about setting realistic goals, and how to stay on track with them. He also discusses the importance of persistence in achieving success. Show notes for this episode can be found at https://itcareerenergizer.com/e296

In this week’s show, Phil talks to Neil Thompson, the founder of Teach The Geek, helping STEM professionals to communicate effectively by developing their public speaking skills. Prior to Teach The Geek, he was a biomedical engineer, a freelance writer and a product development engineer as well as a professional speaker. Neil talks about why we should always nurture and develop the soft skills that can make our IT careers far more compatible with those without engineering or technical backgrounds. He also discusses the importance of leveraging out the tasks you’re weaker at. Show notes for this episode can be found at https://itcareerenergizer.com/e295

In this week’s show, Phil talks to Mads Brodt, a front-end engineer from Copenhagen. He designs, creates and supports websites and applications for clients and for fun. And he loves using modern technology to create exceptional user experiences, always striving to create high quality products. Mads discusses the importance of practical experience and how it can energise your career. He also talks about why finding your niche can invigorate your interest in IT in general. Show notes and links discussed in this episode can be found at https://itcareerenergizer.com/e294

In this week’s show, Phil talks to Mike Williams, the founder of BuildLab, a digital development and automation studio and the co-founder and CTO of SharpSeat, an Event Ticket Marketplace. He is also a full-stack web developer with an emphasis on front-end-development & design and process automation. Mike talks about the importance of focusing on things your passionate about so as to remain motivated. He also discusses why it’s crucial to begin your career as soon as possible. Check out the show notes for this episode at https://itcareerenergizer.com/e293

In this week’s show, Phil talks to Eric Matthes, author of Python Crash Course, the world’s best-selling guide to the Python Programming Language, published in 2015. He is also the author of Python Flash Cards for learners of all ages as well as a completely non-tech book, The Road to Alaska. Eric talks about always remembering that people are interested in having problems solved, rather than technical brilliance displayed. He also discusses the importance of reflection, and how we should take time regularly to realign and build on our successes. Show notes can be found at https://itcareerenergizer.com/e292