SSWUG.ORG Re-Launch Party!
Have you been to the launch party pages on SSWUG.ORG? Check it out here – there are special offers from our sponsors and a video about the new features, presented by the Senior Web Developer on the makeover and rebuild project. You can get a great feel for all that has changed, a look at things that are coming and get some insights into the site. You can also take advantage of the great offers, including free downloads and such, from the sponsors. Great stuff! We sure appreciate the support of the membership and our sponsors!
Thanks for all of the positive feedback too on the new site design and the new newsletter design. It’s great to see that you’re able to find things you didn’t know were there. Very cool.
You might even find a VIP code there for a discount on memberships at SSWUG and/or the vConference.
Visit the launch party page here.
Featured Article(s)
MySQL Basic SQL PartVII – Grouping WITH ROLLUP
Grouping and summing at multiple levels often takes an application to perform. Take a look at the WITH ROLLUP option of the GROUP BY statement within MySQL and perform some powerful aggregations.
Your Skills and Ideas for Looking Forward
Some feedback on the skills – first from Jeff:
"One skill set that people often talk about needing but rarely seem to consciously work on is communication skills, both written and oral. As the requirements of our various positions do change, those that can efficiently help management, users and technical staff understand those changes will stay in demand.
Some suggestions:
– Offer to present a lunch-and-learn session. I’ve never enjoyed public speaking, but the more I do it the easier I find the next presentation.
– Wander around cube-world and discuss what is going on with users and management. You’ll find out the hot topics.
– Ask for feedback on your documentation, not just content but the presentation and even grammar. I was lucky enough to work with someone that did this when I was just starting my career and I still remember his lessons and try to pass them along (“Use ACTIVE voice when writing, not passive”).
I know this is not a technical skill but I see it as a requirement on so many job postings but it’s rarely mentioned during the actual interview process."
Great points! We’ve talked before about how to better integrate the DBA role (however you define it) with the "rest" of the company. Being able to communicate is key no matter what, and can make all the difference in the world. Your presentation skills are key. More than just presenting to large groups, you need a confident means of talking about topics that come up. Discussion is a huge piece of defining a given project – discussion that borders on debate, but doesn’t cross the line to argument.
One other thing that several people wrote in about is that it can be really helpful to start learning the business side of things. Not the bookkeeping, but move out of data management generically and move into understanding how the information will be generated and consumed relative to your specific business interests. It can help point (A) above – the communication of requirements, approaches and more.
Keep those emails coming – email your thoughts here.
Featured White Paper(s)
Uncovering a Hidden SQL Server Performance Killer
So you’ve checked all the likely suspects, but your SQL Server performance is still poor. Before you put that capital request… (read more)