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Welcome to the trailer/pilot episode of the Nerd Journey Podcast [@NerdJourney]! We’re John White (@vJourneyman) and Nick Korte (@NetworkNerd_), two VMware Solutions Engineers who are hoping to bring you the IT career advice that we wish we’d been given earlier in our careers.

Original recording date: 2018-07-11

Topics

• 01:05 – Why did we start this podcast?

  • We both came from IT Operations in the SMB space and realized our career progress was slower than it could have been (i.e. making career advancement more of a priority)
  • We’re sharing opinions and career advice we wish had been given to us along the way.
  • Career advancement does not necessarily mean moving to a different company.
  • Your career is a journey with many stops along the way.  We hope something we’ve said will help you.

 

• 03:33 – IT Conferences as IT Career Catalysts

  • Each conference is different but can bring the same benefits.
    • Spiceworld
    • Epicor Insights
    • VMworld
  • What do you want to get out of the conference?
    • Learn new skills / technologies
    • Meet new people – at random or strategically
    • How many people does John stalk on Twitter / LinkedIn to meet at conferences?

 

• 11:10 – Surviving and Thriving at IT Conferences

  • What’s your plan to get plenty of sleep?
  • Proper footwear is a must!
  • How hard is it to stay hydrated?
  • What’s your packing strategy?
  • Planning your schedule at the conference each day is a balancing act between sessions and social activities.
  • Drinking is not required to enjoy the conference.  Don’t let it be a detriment to your experience.
  •  Nick’s blog posts about surviving/thriving
    •  Podcasts about VMworld 2017
    • Nick documented his first VMworld experience in a collection of articles here

 

• 24:45 – A Preview of Upcoming Podcast Topics

  • What is it like to work for VMware?
  • Prioritizing career advancement
  • Interviewing for new positions (at your current job or elsewhere)
  • Work / life balance
  • Resume writing tips
  • Company culture and the effects on career advancement
  • Questionable career advice