TSQL2sDay – Jack of All Trades…

Argenis Fernandez was ever so kind as to host TSQL2sDay this month and the question he asked was:

Are you specialized? On something? Or anything at all? Has that been a good or a bad thing? Why?
Are you the SQL guy at work? Or the one who does everything?
Do you code? And configure wireless routers at work also?
If you had to pick one thing to specialize on, what would it be?

So, in this installment of T-SQL Tuesday I’d like to ask you to blog about your experience. Tell us why you specialized, or why you’d like to specialize. If you don’t think that specialization is a good thing, tell us why. Discuss. Argue your point(s).

So I have known for a long time that I have a very broad but at times a somewhat shallow IT knowledge. This has in many cases worked to my advantaged but I am pretty sure it has hindered just as many things. But how would one really know.

So first let me tell you how I think that I got myself in to this situation. Of course there is a personality trait that would lend itself rather nicely;  I have always been one to keep busy and when I don’t have things to do I am bored. You can sprinkle in a little bit of being impatient and not wanting to wait on someone to do something that I could clearly figure out how to do myself. Plus one part of wanting to learn anything I can in hopes of getting ahead. Does everyone have these same traits or is it just me? Does everyone else have ADD? Or did I just really work with ID10TS and had to figure things out because nothing would of gotten done otherwise?

I guess that one needs opportunity to allow these to happen.  My first opportunity was while working at the University. I might have started out as an administrative assistant but it was that database class that allowed me to simplify one of my tasks and reduce it from 20 hours a week to 2 hours.  That started the ball rolling and got me an Application Administrator position. From there I did anything and everything. My job task there included System Administrator, SQA, Systems Analyst, Data Analyst and Report Writer and DBA but my job title never changed. I was one of 2 people on the floor who could successfully print to the plotter.  I was given root access to a Unix box, yes UNIX to do my own upgrade because no one wanted to do it or had time. I built my own load generators and load generator network across the campus. There was this cute boy down the hall once who said “you’re bored why don’t you figure out how to create a report on this shiny new SSRS server.”

So I am here and what does all this mean? Well on one hand there are pros to being that jack of all trades, I mean you can be that go to person who can swoop in and save the day. Plus having a broad base shows that you have imitative and the aptitude to learn. And being well rounded really does help you see a bigger picture and that is really important. The number of people I currently work with who know nothing outside of the one task they perform kills me. One of the down sides of all this is that job searching is tricky; it requires a serious effort into having multiple resumes to highlight what you are looking after. Something that I could just be attributing to this is that I have felt that I am under paid more times than not. Is this because I am a woman in technology? Is it because I have slid into positions rather than leave a job and negotiate for a higher salary? We might not ever know but it does make me think.

Would I want to specialize? Yes, I believe I have decided that I am on a new career path. I am on my way to becoming a BI-Bad Ass. What the hell am I doing being a Database Engineer? Well I like to think of it as my detour learning more about programming. The good news is that I have a lot to offer my team because of my broad knowledge. My understandings have earned me ++ for being a good tester and figuring how/what is broken even when it wasn’t my code or product. Would I trade the experience and knowledge that I have acquired? HELL NO! We are who we are because of where we’ve been.

So the PROs to being a “Jack of all Trades”

• Never having to wait for someone to do something for you and therefore being self-sufficient.
• New and exciting opportunities to acquire new skills are abundant.
• Flexibility in your career. Might not always matter but in a town with a tight IT market this is handy.

And the CONs

• If you are never most awesome at 1 thing how will you make more $.
• You quickly outgrow positions and don’t quite have enough knowledge to get the next one.
• Depending on the IT market in your area there could be a lack of opportunities for you.

After a long day at work I have come home to cook dinner, spend time with my family and publish this blog post. I am not sure how I feel about being a jack of all trades, but I will tell you I am really excited to read what my #sqlfamily else has to say about this.