Posts by Kendra Little

Kendra Little

167 posts

My goal is for you to understand your SQL Server’s behavior– and learn how to change it. When I’m not figuring out the solutions to your database problems, you’ll find me at user group meetings in Portland, Oregon. I also love to draw.

Land a Dream DBA or Developer Job: Seven Questions to Ask

Last Updated February 9, 2017

Kendra Little

Interviewing, Professional Development

Looking back over all my years of interviewing and being interviewed, I realize that there are simple secrets to getting a great job offer. The big secret is just this: ask great questions. Interviewing Goes Both Ways Asking thoughtful questions in your interview process, from screening to salary negotiations, makes you more powerful. It shows…

Which Sessions Will YOU Send to the SQL PASS Summit?

Last Updated February 12, 2017

Kendra Little

#SQLPass

It’s votin’ time, folks. SQL PASS 2011 community sessions have been selected by the Program Committee, but there are still five slots up for grabs. Those five sessions are up to you, the community. My Potential Session – “No More Bad Dates: Best Practices for Working With Dates and Times” Vote for me and save…

Brent Ozar Unlimited® Adds Another MCM

Last Updated February 12, 2017

Kendra Little

Company News, Microsoft Certified Master (MCM)

Nope, we didn’t clone Brent. I am honored to say I’ve earned the Microsoft Certified Master SQL Server 2008 certification. Seriously honored. I feel awesome. What’s the SQL Sever MCM? “MCM” stands for “Microsoft Certified Master.” As Microsoft describes it, “the MCM program is the highest level of technical certification; it helps recognize and validate…

How To Hire Top Talent

Last Updated February 12, 2017

Kendra Little

Professional Development

You want to hire a fantastic DBA or database developer. You want someone who can hit the ground running, who you can trust to maintain your current system and tune it like a pro. Plus you want someone who can see key improvements, communicate effectively, and drive change in your system. You want it all.…

“What Were We Thinking?” Enter the Brent Ozar PLF Photo Contest

Last Updated February 12, 2017

Kendra Little

Humor

Before we set sail on SQLCruise Alaska our good friend Crys Manson ( b | t ) captured a few moments of Brent Ozar PLF together in action in Seattle. It was a normal enough afternoon for the team– there was a lot of jumping, some surfing on traffic cones, and we almost crashed a…

Your Job Isn’t To Make Your Boss Happy

Last Updated June 22, 2011

Kendra Little

You might be surprised to learn that my goal as a consultant isn’t to deliver recommendations to my customers. Instead, my goal is to deliver recommendations that help my customer’s teams be better customers to each other after I’m gone. This is a fancy way of saying my recommendations need to be practical. I don’t…

It’s a Lock: Due Diligence, Schema Changes, and You

Last Updated February 13, 2017

Kendra Little

Locking, Blocking, and Isolation Levels

It’s morning standup, and someone says, “It’s no big deal, we just need to add a couple of columns. It’s already in the build, it works fine.” The next time this happens, stop and say, “Let’s take a closer look at that.” When you write schema changes for a relational database, take the time to…