The Most Experienced N00B In The Room
Today marks the start of my second week on the job with a new company in almost 11 years. I severely underestimated what that means: new connection methods, new software, new communication tools, new naming conventions, processes, and workplace methodologies. Heck, I have yet to even get exposed to new personnel/HR policies – I was just talking about the SQL Server side of things!
This is where experience works against you. You must unlearn much of what youve learned. I spent the better part of the previous week trying to work out all the idiosyncracies of the new environment and digging into my first project (of all things an SSIS solution!). Talk about learning on the job. This is a project they’ve been trying to get going for a long time and they toss it to the new guy with limited SSIS experience! It’s good knowing that I have extremely experienced friends and colleagues I can turn to though. When I run into an SSIS issue that I can’t wrap my head around and I’ve exhausted all other means I contact Andy Leonard (though I try not to do so too often!)
This goes back to what I stress about getting involved and stepping outside your comfort zone(s). In doing so you build these relationships and learn a great deal along the way. You become a resource to others as you build contingent resources along the way. This is not a concious or a planned process – you don’t wake up each morning and tell yourself you’re going to line up x number of contacts for when things fall apart though. It’s a natural by-product of engaging those with similar interests and build meaningful relationships. It’s what separates those that succeed and lead from those that simply “do”.
Now if you’ll excuse me I need to get back to my N00Bishness – but I’m only allowing myself to go by that title for a limited time.
How weird: I got back last week and walked into an SSIS project as well…
Good post. Sometimes, as I recently found, experience can work against you in getting hired. At my current contract location, there was a position open that I and one other person were qualified for and we both applied. But, ultimately, the company chose a person with absolutely no experience just a few months away from graduating college because they could then teach, or mold him, the way they wanted. They felt that an experienced person would be too set in their ways. Personally, I’m not that way. I’m open to anything because you never know if you might learn a better way of doing something.
You can always hit me up Tim! SSIS is your friend….walk into the light…..your ETL processes will finally be at peace now:)
Cheers!
AJ
I hope you’re SSIS is SQL 2008, 2005 is quirky as heck…
Coincidentally, I started my new job 3 weeks ago, after 12 years at my previous role; the role in which I learnt wrote my first stored proc and eventually built up a DB team. Now I’m in the world of contracting, in a new city, and in an only partial Microsoft environment. PostgreSQL, JBoss… massive learning curve without any real guidance, just jump in at the deep end. Once you work out that most people don’t have unrealistic expectations, it’s brilliant.