My IT Career is an Accident Johnathan w. sluder

What is an Accidental Career Accidental Career is another way of saying non-linear career path. Employer needs someone for a particular task and your job is tangentially related.

My Path So Far Formal Training Jobs I've Had Music Teacher Choir Director Desktop Support Technician Linux Administrator Novel Administrator Email Administrator Data Migration Specialist Software Developer ETL Testing Analyst

Your biggest roadblock to success is yourself Your biggest roadblock to success is yourself. If you doubt your abilities, if you have too much fear to try, you are doomed from the start. “An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field.”  -- Niels Bohr

Don't be afraid to say, "I don't Know." Don't lie! Your employer knows that you aren’t going to know all the answers off the top of your head. Even the most senior of IT professionals still encounter situations that they don’t know how to tackle.

Avoid the Research Rabbit Hole Learn the basics that you will need to complete your day to day tasks. Break your research into small manageable chunks and work on it a little at a time. Don’t go deeper than what your current need mandates.

Build a Network Get involved with a professional organization Attend local meetups. Exchange business cards Get on Twitter

Some professional organizations to consider Association for Women in Computing National Association of Programmers Agile Alliance Women in Technology Association for Software Testing

Join Online Forums Don't just ask questions. Even as a beginner, you have knowledge that can help someone else. A wrong answer can still point someone in the right direction. If you find the answer on your own, still share it. 

Study for a Certification Awesome guide for determining what skills are pertinent to your current job. Test competence in multiple areas of study.

Conduct a regular performance review on yourself Are there items you regularly deal with where you still struggle? Take a certification practice exam Don't treat this as a pass/fail

Why an "accidental" career? Not everyone fits into a linear career path. Passion can hide in unexpected places We don't always know what we don't know.

How do you set yourself up for an "accidental" career Never stop learning. Stay on top of industry trends. Don't be afraid to speak up and make suggestions. Do what others aren't willing to do.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

@SQLSlaughter https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwsluder/ https://www.sqlslaughter.com Jsluder@sqlslaughter.com