SQL Aloha

Please Provide PASS with Feedback on its Speaker’s Resource Pages

The PASS Program Committee is gearing up for the 2010 PASS Community Summit “Call for Speakers”, and it would like your feedback on its Speaker’s Resource and its Online Speaker Resources web pages. (Yes, I know the names of these pages are confusing, and this is something that will be fixed). I’m a member ...read more

How Not to Write a Resume Cover Letter

Although I am not currently a hiring manager, I occasionally receive unsolicited resumes from people looking for work. I just received a resume attached to an e-mail with the following cover letter. I have masked some of the content so that it is not personally identifiable, but otherwise, I have not made any changes to ...read more

Should DBAs be Paid Overtime?

For the past several weeks, I have been running a poll on www.bradmcgehee.com, asking visitors if they thought that DBAs should be paid for off-hours work? With 259 votes, its very clear (see the graph below) that most DBAs think they should be paid overtime. Unfortunately, this is usually not the case.

Most DBAs work on ...read more

Where Do You Look on the Internet for SQL Server Jobs?

I recently had a SQL Server DBA write to me that they were going to be laid off, and they asked me if I had any special insight into what are the best websites to look for SQL Server-related jobs. I haven’t looked for a SQL Server job in a long time, so I didn’t ...read more

Adventures in Webinar Presentations

Over the past several years, I have given 2-3 live web presentations a year, and I have always found them to be an adventure. In other words, there always seems to be one problem or another.
Sometimes the meeting software used is not very cooperative, connection speeds vary (or drop), recordings don’t record as expected, and ...read more

Free SQL Server Training Webinar Series

SQLServerCentral.com, PragmaticWorks, and Wrox Press are sponsoring a series of free SQL Server webinars in February. Called the SQL Server 101 Series, the sessions include:

Introduction to Managing a SQL Server Database with Jorge Segarra
Beginning T-SQL with Patrick LeBlanc
The Modern Resume with Steve Jones
How to Become an Exceptional DBA with Brad McGehee
Fundamentals of SQL Server Integration ...read more

Questions About SQL Server Backups

SQL Server backups are a “funny” topic to talk about. If you are talking with experienced DBAs, the topic of backups rarely surfaces, as this is a fundamental skill most DBAs learn early in their career. On the other hand, there are thousands of part-time, accidental DBAs who are tasked with making backups, and they ...read more

But We Have Always Done It That Way

I recently ran across the following scenario. A SQL Server instance had been upgraded from SQL Server 2005 to SQL Server 2008. At the same time, the older physical hardware had been replaced by newer hardware. The DBA who had set up and configured the older server was no longer at the organization, and a ...read more