Let Your Inadequacies Spur you on and Learn Continually with Mark Heckler

Phil’s guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Mark Heckler. He is a Pivotal Principal Technologist and Developer Advocate, conference speaker and published author focusing upon software development for the Internet of Things and the cloud. He has worked with key players in both the private and public sector across multiple industries to develop critical capabilities on time and on budget.  He is also a frequent open source contributor as well as author/curator of a developer-focused blog. In this episode, Phil and Mark Heckler discuss how to not let the fact that the industry moves so fast that it is impossible to keep up overwhelm you.   KEY TAKEAWAYS: (2.09) TOP CAREER TIP Embrace but do not accept your inadequacy. In the world of IT, things move so fast that you are effectively losing ground every day. It is impossible to keep up and know everything. You can either let fact frustrate you or spur you on and enjoy the fact that there are always fresh challenges to enjoy. However, it is very important not to take things too far and to know when to rest. You have to maintain a good work-life balance or you neglect your family and burn out.   (6.52) WORST CAREER MOMENT Fortunately, Mark’s worst career moment lead directly to his best one.  He was working as a Java evangelist. A job he loved.  So, when, very suddenly, his team was dissolved and he was fired he was crushed. Fortunately, others in the industry understood how good Mark and his team were at what they do. Almost immediately, several companies tried to hire them.   (8.41) CAREER HIGHLIGHT Mark describes what he is doing now as being the highlight of his career. He is really enjoying working with some of the defining companies on the planet to help them to deliver mission-critical software.   (10.12) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The fact that you really can as Steve Jobs said: “Put a dent in the universe.” Is an exciting prospect and it is getting easier to do. Using the tools that are available now practically anyone can make a huge difference to people’s lives and in the future, it is going to become even easier to do so.   (12.04) THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Mark loved programming, so for him, working in IT was always the way to go. What’s the best career advice you received? – Be teachable. If you have a closed mind you end up missing out on so much. What’s the worst career advice you received? – Do what others aren’t willing to do. This approach can work, but you have to make sure that do not end up completing tasks that take your career nowhere. What would you do if you started your career now? – Focus on what you can learn rather than what you can earn. What are your current career objectives? – Mark is planning to write a solo book. What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Being able to easily get along with others. How do you keep your own career energized? – Mark ensures that he never loses the wonderment of what’s new. What do you do away from technology? – Mark travels a lot, so during his downtime, he tends to stay close to home. He really enjoys spending time with his wife and kids.   (16.36) FINAL CAREER TIP Cultivate within yourself a love of learning. If you only learn one thing per day, that is 365 new things per year. He also thinks that it is important to invest in your family. When you do those 2 things, everything else falls into place.   BEST MOMENTS (2.26) – Mark - “Don’t let your inadequacies get you down.  Instead, use them to spur you on.” (12.33) – Mark - “Be teachable, it is the only way to unleash your full potential.” (12.48) – Mark - “Filling gaps that others aren’t willing to fill is a good thing, but only if you are careful about the ones you choose.” (13.33) – Mark - “When you start your career, focus more on what you can contribute and learn rather than how much a project pays.” (16.43) – Mark - “Learn something new every day. When you do, by the end of the year you will have learnt 365 new things. ”   ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions.  Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers.  And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.   CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at phil@itcareerenergizer.com and via the podcast’s website, https://itcareerenergizer.com Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer   ABOUT THE GUEST – Mark Heckler Mark Heckler is a Pivotal Principal Technologist and Developer Advocate, conference speaker and published author focusing upon software development for the Internet of Things and the cloud. He has worked with key players in both the private and public sector across multiple industries to develop critical capabilities on time and on budget.  He is also a frequent open source contributor as well as author/curator of a developer-focused blog.   CONTACT THE GUEST – Mark Heckler Mark Heckler can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/mkheck LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markheckler Website: https://theheckers.com