Note from Mike Walsh: When I checked in with Jared after his first couple of weeks here, I was impressed by how proactive he was in reaching out to the team to say hi, and especially by the question he asked each team member and the insights he gleaned. I said, “Man, this could be a great blog post!” and Jared took it and ran with it from there. He said he’s not a writer – I really disagree, but I’ll let you decide. Some timeless tips here for your career.
I’m not a writer, just a guy who likes to ask a lot of questions. Anyway, hello, I’m Jared. A Junior SQL Server DBA at Straight Path. I recently joined the team and have been spending my first few weeks getting to know the people I work with, their backgrounds, experiences, and career paths.
As part of these one-on-ones, I started ending each one with the same question:
“If you could go back to the beginning of your career, knowing everything you know now, what would you do differently?”
While everyone’s experience levels and paths were different, clear themes started to show up.
Curiosity
One of the most consistent themes was curiosity. Not just learning new tools and technologies but asking why things work the way they do. They say curiosity killed the cat, but they never mention how successful the cat was … alright, I’ll get back to the lesson.
Being curious can mean different things, but one way to think about it is “walking the ladder”:
- If something works a certain way, how did it get there?
- What happens next?
Instead of stopping when you get an answer, curiosity pushes you to understand the full path, the start, the middle, and the end. Being curious can mean asking deeper questions, while never being ashamed to ask what’s on your mind. Several people emphasized the importance of not stifling your curiosity or molding yourself entirely to a company’s expectations. Your curiosity is part of what makes you valuable. You see things differently than others; that perspective can shape how an entire team approaches problems.
Learning how to learn
Another common theme was Learning how to learn. Not just learning but learning with intention. Early in your career, it’s easy to feel pressure to learn everything at once. Several people shared that spreading yourself too thin can slow progress and burn you out rather than accelerate it.
A better approach is to build a broad foundation of the essentials, then choose a specific area that’s fun, something you enjoy and can get lost in. This helps your learning and helps find your niche. Learn deeply, not wide. Expertise builds momentum and skill builds confidence.
Channel Your Inner Teacher
A few people are talking about the value of doing a little extra. Writing, sharing knowledge, and teaching others.
- Write a blog
- Answer questions in a forum
- Host a lunch and learn
- Draft a 10-page thesis on quantum mechanics (lol)
Just do something that will unlock your inner teacher. Teaching forces clarity. If you can explain something simply, you probably understand it better than you think. Seriously, future you will be grateful, and so will your team members.
Bonus Advice
“Don’t be the last one to touch SQL Server if you don’t want to be a DBA.”
In other words, if you fix a database once, congratulations, you are now the de facto DBA … at least in everyone else’s mind.
Take Notes
More than one person emphasized how underrated good note taking is. Writing down what you did, why you did it, and what the outcome was, creates personal knowledge you can return to later.
Whether it’s client specifics, tickets, side learning, or your McDonald’s order for next week, detailed notes turn experience into something reusable. Over time, patterns emerge, and that’s when learning starts to stick.
Ask the Question
One of the simplest themes throughout these interviews was a simple but powerful one: ask the question. Even if you think it’s basic, even if you’re unsure of how you will sound, ask it anyway.
Growth comes from being willing to admit what you don’t know. I didn’t think I’d be quoting a philosopher today, but here we go:
“The only true wisdom is knowing you know nothing – Socrates”.
The people who progress fast are usually the ones who stay curious and challenge themselves by asking deeper questions instead of staying silent. So, ask away!
Sustainability
Finally, several people emphasized something that typically gets overlooked. Growth matters, but so does sustainability.
Learning how to manage your time, professionally set boundaries, and protecting your personal life is just as important as learning new skills. A successful career is built on consistency, not burnout.
Closing Thoughts
I asked the question because early in a tech career, deciding where to start can be overwhelming. I was surprised by the responses I received from everyone, seeing that everyone’s path was different, yet the advice seemed to remain consistent.
Reflecting on the advice, it made me realize that growth isn’t about moving as fast as possible, but about staying curious, focused, and sustainable. So, I hope, if my blabbing didn’t put you to sleep by now, these words encourage you to ask questions, stay curious, and focus on a passion that you love.
What about you? What’s your answer to that question? We would love to be inspired by your answers in the comments.