Professional Development

#SQLPASS Speakers: Here’s How to Improve Your Session

Last Updated February 12, 2017

This year there’s a couple of special challenges you need to keep in mind for projecting your beautiful knowledge out to the audience. Fixing the Contrast Levels PASS distributes a custom PowerPoint template – looks great this year – but the contrast level is extremely light. The template uses light blue and light gray text…

Career Planning for DBAs: Your Next Two Years

Last Updated May 10, 2017

Brent Ozar

Professional Development

You’ve been doing this database thing for a while, and you’re ready to get serious about it. What’s the next step? Step 1: Define your specialty in one sentence. If you say you do everything, you compete with everyone. You want to be the only one they want. That means you’re: Actively sought-after Uniquely qualified A…

“If You Can’t Do ____, You’re Not a Production DBA”

Last Updated February 9, 2017

Kendra Little

Professional Development

Recently I saw a tweet that said, “If you can’t read a query execution plan, you’re not a production DBA.” I love execution plans, and there are really great reasons to learn to read execution plans, but I disagree completely. Database Administration is not all about performance Performance is only one component to database administration. Let’s…

After You’ve Been a DBA, What Do You Do?

Last Updated February 9, 2017

Brent Ozar

Professional Development

You’ve been managing database servers for a few years. Now what? Get more technical – every time a new project comes in, sharpen your skills. Get more involved in failover clustering, storage, virtualization, or the cloud. Write technical presentations to teach your own company’s staff, and then the public. Business intelligence – if you’re constantly…

Alaska has a SQL Server User Group!

Last Updated February 13, 2014

Doug Lane

#SQLPass, Writing and Presenting

Alaska is on the PASS map! I’m really stoked to share the news: Alaska (my home state) finally has a PASS Chapter of its own! The group just got started last December, and officially welcomed into the PASS organization at the end of January. While they don’t have a Facebook or Twitter account yet, they…

You Won the Tribal Awards With Us

Last Updated February 13, 2017

Brent Ozar

Blogging, SQL Server

The Simple-Talk Tribal Award Winners are out, and we won in two categories – Blog of the Year for the Brent Ozar Team Blog, and me as the Person You’d Most Like to Have a Beer With. See, now we’re having a beer virtually. It’s almost like – no, it’s nothing like. We need real…

The Evolution of the Company Logo

Last Updated May 7, 2020

Brent Ozar

Company News, Consulting

Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed a subtle change to our site, swag, and PowerPoint templates over the last few months. Here’s the evolution as seen in our company coffee mugs: Brent Ozar Unlimited® Caffeine Delivery Devices Far left, the one with the heart, is the current one, but the transition is a funny story. Our…

How to Write a Killer SQL Server Job Description

Last Updated February 12, 2017

Kendra Little

Professional Development

Hiring managers often feel like they’re trying to find a mythical creature On September 24, we published a blog post that we were looking for a new employee. We didn’t advertise on any job listing sites (even though there are some really good ones out there). We tweeted about it a few times, but most…

You Need This One Skill to Succeed in IT

Last Updated July 12, 2013

Jes Schultz

Consulting

The ability to program in five languages, including one machine-level? Not it. Project management skills, up to and including a PMP certification? Not that either. Excellent oral and written communication skills, as noted on every job description ever? That doesn’t hurt, but can be learned. All of the best IT professionals I have worked with…

Sample SQL Server Database Administrator (DBA) Job Descriptions

Last Updated June 5, 2017

Brent Ozar

Interviewing, Professional Development

Hiring a DBA? Need to get a job description for the human resources folks? Here’s how to get started. First, decide whether it’s a production or development DBA. Think of the database in terms of a fridge. When you run a restaurant, you need at least one (and probably several) refrigerators to keep your raw ingredients…

Words DBAs Should Never Say to Developers

Last Updated February 12, 2017

Brent Ozar

Professional Development, SQL Server

Fast – When developers ask how quickly a piece of code needs to run, don’t say fast. Give them a finish line so that they can know when it’s time to move on. “This query currently does over 15mm logical reads. We don’t allow production OLTP queries that do over 100k logical reads – anything…

51 Questions About Your Conference Session Submission

Last Updated November 25, 2021

Brent Ozar

#SQLPass, Writing and Presenting

Jeremiah and I presenting in Atlanta Whether you’re just getting started writing a presentation abstract, or whether you want to double-check it, or whether you want to understand why your abstract wasn’t picked, it’s always the right time to step back and ask some big picture questions about your conference submission. The blessing and the…

Write a Note and Shoot Yourself Today

Last Updated May 2, 2013

Brent Ozar

SQL Server, Writing and Presenting

When I’m writing a presentation or blog post, I often start here: 2004 Brent It’s a photo of me in my office in Dallas, Texas in 2004. When I look at that picture, I remember everything like it was yesterday. I can talk at length about everything on the bookshelf, on my desk, in my…

Choosing a Presentation Tool

Last Updated March 29, 2013

Brent Ozar

Writing and Presenting

If your New Year’s resolution is to start presenting at user groups and conferences, congratulations! You’re about to embark on a fulfilling journey that will enrich the lives of thousands of people. It’s a blast. Now let’s put some thought into the tool you’re going to use. You’re going to be working on these same…

Why You Should Care About Lori’s New Job

Last Updated February 13, 2017

Brent Ozar

Blogging, SQL Server

Right now is an incredible time to do what you love. Take this one-minute video from Red Bull: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRWYNUvGohY It’s chock full of people doing cool, crazy stuff that they’re absolutely passionate about – skating, dancing, shooting hoops, singing – all the stuff the cool kids do. Red Bull’s logo is scattered in throughout the…

How We Write

Last Updated March 27, 2014

Brent Ozar

Writing and Presenting

The four of us were talking about the writing tricks we use, and we thought you might enjoy hearing our styles. How Brent Writes I use RememberTheMilk.com to track my blog post ideas. I can use it from anywhere via a web browser, phone app, whatever. I can tell when I’m in the mood to…

Just that it's really, really good food.

Every Consultant Needs Three Things

Last Updated February 12, 2017

Brent Ozar

Consulting, Professional Development

Tired of workin’ for the man? Want to live the glamorous life of jet setting around from place to place, working on really challenging problems, and eating at foodie restaurants? You just need three things. 1. A price. Right now, people probably don’t put a value on your time. You can’t exactly put up an…

Our PASS Summit 2012 Schedule

Last Updated February 12, 2017

Jes Schultz

#SQLPass, Writing and Presenting

Next week, the Brent Ozar Unlimited® crew will be attending PASS Summit in Seattle, WA. It’s a busy week, full of networking, learning, and teaching. Here are a few of our highlights. Want to add our sessions to your schedule, and view more information at your fingertips? PASS Summit has gone mobile with Guidebook! It’s…

Tadah! Welcome to the New BrentOzar.com

Last Updated February 12, 2017

Brent Ozar

Company News, Consulting

If you swing by BrentOzar.com today, you’ll notice that ZOMG EVERYTHING IS DIFFERENT! About six months ago, we embarked on an ambitious project to redesign the entire BrentOzar.com. We quickly picked PixelSpoke, a web design firm based in Portland, and they knocked it out of the park. PixelSpoke started by surveying our clients to find…

Conference Speakers – Check Your Room Size

Last Updated April 21, 2013

Brent Ozar

#SQLPass, SQL Server, Writing and Presenting

When you’re speaking at a conference, try to get the room schedules long before the event day. Right now, the PASS Summit conference schedule is available, and each speaker’s room is listed. Then, check out the building’s floorplan – in this case, the Washington State Convention Center’s floorplans page. Check out the seating capacity for…