IT Career Energizer

IT Career Energizer is a weekly podcast hosted by technology consultant Phil Burgess. If you’re looking to advance your career in tech, learn from over 300 industry professionals and experts about their career experiences and career development advice. Listen in to add to your skillset and invest in your own tech career success.

357: Being a Developer Advocate at ServiceNow with Chuck Tomasi 09/10/2024

356: You Need to Think Like Your Boss with Zhuoyue Wang 09/03/2024

355: You Need to Develop a Strong Work Ethic with Opemipo Disu 08/27/2024

354: How to Keep Doing the Fun Stuff with Michael Frew 08/20/2024

353: Why Hard Work Isn’t Enough for a Successful Career in Tech with Dr. Kyle Elliott 08/13/2024

352: Be Bold, Be Brave and Go with Your Heart with Al Kingsley 08/06/2024

351: Educate Develop Innovate and Inspire with Caroline Bedford 04/30/2023

351: Educate Develop Innovate and Inspire with Caroline Bedford In this week’s show, Phil talks to Caroline Bedford, the founder and creator of Digital Minds, an award-winning innovation programme. Her forte is embedding design thinking, future-focused skills and a creative mindset within traditional roles in the insurance and corporate tech worlds. Using her 30+ years of technology and specialty insurance experience, she brings to life discovery, ideation, innovation and cultural change within insurance organisations. She focuses her passion on developing career longevity and digital confidence across all ages and levels. And capability and curiosity in business practitioners of all roles. She has a deep-seated belief that to future-proof your career, an ever-agile Generalist approach to support industry and customer needs is the key to happy staff, happy leaders and happy clients Caroline talks to Phil about the value we can find in being as prepared as possible. She also discusses why it’s wise to accept opportunities when they arise and think about how to action them later. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP: We often find ourselves in situations that with a little thought, we may have been able to predict. The key to success is to be as prepared as possible for as many eventualities as possible. WORST CAREER MOMENT While working for a company, Caroline realized that she did not believe in the company itself or their product. This grated against her values, and proved that being congruent with your company’s mission is vital. CAREER HIGHLIGHT The day that EDII was incorporated was one of the biggest moments in Caroline’s career. Starting out on her own was life-changing. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Diversity and inclusion in IT is becoming far more widespread, allowing for a greater wealth of talent and skill sets to enter the sector. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – It was a challenge What’s the best career advice you received? – Don’t wait until you need a network to build one. What’s the worst career advice you received? – You’ve started so you have to finish What would you do if you started your career now? – Caroline would delve deep into psychological behavior combined with human and technology. What are your current career objectives? – To create a model and seek partners globally. What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Being able to raise great questions, improve energy and respect others How do you keep your own career energized? – Perpetual learning What do you do away from technology? – Caroline is a huge fan of science fiction. FINAL CAREER TIP If someone offers you an opportunity, always make sure you say yes first and then figure out how to do it later. BEST MOMENTS (10:31) – Caroline – “You can’t be inclusive by being exclusive” (12:24) – Caroline - “Practice your spontaneity” (13:30) – Caroline – “We need to make mistakes in order to learn” (15:10)– Caroline – “An interview is an opportunity for you to find out if they are a good fit for you” ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations 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: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Phil is also reachable by email at and via the podcast’s website, Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - ABOUT THE GUEST – CAROLINE BEDFORD Caroline Bedford is the founder and creator of Digital Minds, an award-winning innovation programme. Her forte is embedding design thinking, future-focused skills and a creative mindset within traditional roles in the insurance and corporate tech worlds. Using her 30+ years of technology and specialty insurance experience, she brings to life discovery, ideation, innovation and cultural change within insurance organisations. She focuses her passion on developing career longevity and digital confidence across all ages and levels. And capability and curiosity in business practitioners of all roles. She has a deep-seated belief that to future-proof your career, an ever-agile Generalist approach to support industry and customer needs is the key to happy staff, happy leaders and happy clients CONTACT THE GUEST – CAROLINE BEDFORD LinkedIn: Twitter: Website: /episode/index/show/itcareerenergizer/id/26682408

350: You Should Always Negotiate Your Salary Offer with Brandon Bramley 04/24/2023

350: You Should Always Negotiate Your Salary Offer with Brandon Bramley In this week’s show, Phil talks to Brandon Bramley, the founder of The Salary Negotiator. Brandon provides professional job offer and salary negotiation coaching to help IT professionals navigate the job offer negotiation process confidently and earn higher compensation. He’s coached clients through hundreds of salary negotiations with companies ranging in size from small businesses and startups to some of the largest global corporations such as Google, Meta, Apple, and Microsoft. And he has a background in strategic negotiations, having worked in professional negotiation roles for companies including Amazon and American Airlines. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP Stay away from some of the myths that surround job offer negotiations. People are made to feel that they don’t have the leverage to negotiate, but this isn’t true. WORST CAREER MOMENT After making a big career move, Brandon realized that he had made a terrible mistake and decided to return to his previous job. Through this he learned to follow his instincts and understand that not all opportunities are a great fit in the end. CAREER HIGHLIGHT Upon negotiating his very first job offer, Brandon realized that it is a viable strategy, and built a successful business centering on it as a result. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The fact that IT talent is being respected at last, and the additional benefits being brought in by companies in order to make sure that they secure the best people in their field. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Career progression took place naturally. What’s the best career advice you received? – If you’re a success then you will always follow opportunities What’s the worst career advice you received? – You should always stay at companies for a long time What would you do if you started your career now? – Brandon would look more into software engineering What are your current career objectives? – To become a better coach and negotiator, as well as provide more free resources. What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Adopting a professional and friendly approach to negotiations. How do you keep your own career energized? – Sharing insights and learnings with academic institutions and their students. What do you do away from technology? – Skiing, hiking and travelling. FINAL CAREER TIP Switching jobs should not be scary – don’t be afraid to change if something isn’t working for you. BEST MOMENTS (4:28) – Brandon – “People should be negotiating their job offers, so they make sure they’re coming in at the low end of the band” (15:29) – Brandon - “Not all opportunities are the right fit” (21:25) – Brandon – “Successful people do not turn down opportunities” (27:08)– Brandon – “I didn’t know if I could negotiate, but I jumped out and did it!” ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations 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: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Phil is also reachable by email at and via the podcast’s website, Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - ABOUT THE GUEST – BRANDON BRAMLEY Brandon Bramley is the founder of The Salary Negotiator. He provides professional job offer and salary negotiation coaching to help IT professionals navigate the job offer negotiation process confidently and earn higher compensation. He’s coached clients through hundreds of salary negotiations with companies ranging in size from small businesses and startups to some of the largest global corporations such as Google, Meta, Apple, and Microsoft. And he has a background in strategic negotiations, having worked in professional negotiation roles for companies including Amazon and American Airlines. CONTACT THE GUEST – BRANDON BRAMLEY LinkedIn: Website: Course: Total Compensation Calculator: Business LinkedIn: /episode/index/show/itcareerenergizer/id/26615922

349: Invest In Communication and Be An Optimist with James Malley 10/24/2022

349: Invest In Communication and Be An Optimist with James Malley In this week’s show, Phil talks to James Malley, the CEO and Co-Founder of Paccurate. He has been working in the logistics tech space since 2009 and has helped create a variety of enterprise shipping technology. He spearheaded the design of an award-winning multi-carrier TMS (Transportation Management Software) and since 2015, he’s been evangelizing the use of AI to achieve cost-efficient and environmentally sustainable packing. James talks about the importance of investing in communication to make the innovation process easier. He also discusses the value of optimism and trying to see the best side of every situation. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP When building something new that has no precedent, it’s always best to focus more upon communication in the early stages, to make the process easier. WORST CAREER MOMENT During a joint venture with a large company, James’s work was not matched by his partner. Through this he learned to be wary of partners and what they can provide in terms of value. CAREER HIGHLIGHT Conversely, a partnership entered into after gaining experience, proved entirely fruitful, especially when it came to sustainability. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T There are always problems to be solved – innovations to be found – even when we think we’ve come as far as we can. This makes the world of IT perennially exciting and challenging. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – James found his love for IT through design and problem solving. What’s the best career advice you received? – Say yes to everything What’s the worst career advice you received? – To again, say yes to everything! What would you do if you started your career now? – James would work on problems that other people are dealing with, and not things that nobody is asking for. What are your current career objectives? – Becoming a better CEO, helping others to achieve more and finding better ways to work remotely. What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Networking. How do you keep your own career energized? – Making the supply chain more sustainable and less wasteful. What do you do away from technology? – Spending time with his three-year-old son and trying to prevent household accidents! FINAL CAREER TIP Be a micro-pessimist, but a macro-optimist. It’s easy to be pessimistic and difficult to see the best in a situation. But the best of the best can see the light in everything. BEST MOMENTS (8:08) – James – “Invest in messaging and communication” (12:05) – James - “You may look around and think every problem has been solved. The truth is that’s not the case” (12:37) – James – “Get comfortable with whatever industry you’re in. That’s where you’ll find the most valuable ideas” (18:11)– James – “Focus on solving problems, and you’ll find your niche sooner rather than later” ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations 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: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Phil is also reachable by email at and via the podcast’s website, Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - ABOUT THE GUEST – JAMES MALLEY James Malley is the CEO and Co-Founder of Paccurate. He has been working in the logistics tech space since 2009 and has helped create a variety of enterprise shipping technology. He spearheaded the design of an award-winning multi-carrier TMS (Transportation Management Software) and since 2015, he’s been evangelizing the use of AI to achieve cost-efficient and environmentally sustainable packing. CONTACT THE GUEST – JAMES MALLEY Twitter: LinkedIn: Website: /episode/index/show/itcareerenergizer/id/24778434

348: Build Your Skill Set and Have Patience with Luke Switkowski 08/29/2022

348: Build Your Skill Set and Have Patience with Luke Switkowski In this week’s show, Phil talks to Luke Switkowski, the CEO and cofounder of Kognitiv, a company that provides Workday consultancy and professional services. He has been working with Workday for more than a decade and developed an on-demand services model supporting Workday clients. Luke talks about why skill sets are at the heart of every IT career. He also discusses the value of patience when it comes to unhappiness in your career path. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP To build a career, you have to build a skill set. It takes patience and time, but everything is predicated upon this, so give it your full attention. WORST CAREER MOMENT While consulting on a project, the testing was something of a disaster. Testing showed that the systems built were dysfunctional and barely working. CAREER HIGHLIGHT Starting the Kognitiv business, and making it a success! THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The tools and capabilities available to everyone in the world of today are very exciting, and enable us to make incredible things. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – The potential to tinker and solve problems What’s the best career advice you received? – Niche down and learn your specialist area. What’s the worst career advice you received? – That degrees of education are always important to every part of your career What would you do if you started your career now? – Work in consulting What are your current career objectives? – Making Kognitiv even better What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Asking questions How do you keep your own career energized? – Working on side projects and pursuits to make the world even better What do you do away from technology? – Barbecuing and grilling! FINAL CAREER TIP If you’re not happy in a position then don’t react by quitting immediately. Look for the root cause of your unhappiness and try to fix it. BEST MOMENTS (4:51) – Luke – “Whether we like it or not, we live in a skill-based economy and a skill-based society” (11:09) – Luke - “Don’t assume that everyone will perform their roles in a project. Take more ownership of the work you have to do, and really follow through on it” (15:37) – Luke – “Find a niche area in which you’re ready to learn, and learn it to the best of your ability” (18:52)– Luke – “Ask questions and don’t be afraid to ask for help” ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations 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: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Phil is also reachable by email at and via the podcast’s website, Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - ABOUT THE GUEST – LUKE SWITKOWSKI Luke Switkowski is the CEO and cofounder of Kognitiv, a company that provides Workday consultancy and professional services. He has been working with Workday for more than a decade and developed an on-demand services model supporting Workday clients. CONTACT THE GUEST – LUKE SWITKOWSKI Twitter: LinkedIn: Website: /episode/index/show/itcareerenergizer/id/24188577

347: Focus On The Value That You Can Deliver with Marcus Olson 08/22/2022

347: Focus On The Value That You Can Deliver with Marcus Olson In this week’s show, Phil talks to Marcus Olson, who discovered his love of technology by disassembling and reassembling computers salvaged from a shuttered Black & Decker office. He also taught himself Basic so that he could create his own, simple text-based games. He is now the CEO and Founder of Pliancy, a technology-enabled professional services company that helps growing start-ups scale their corporate IT. Marcus talks about why we should always focus upon the driving value behind the companies we work for. He also discusses the value of being prepared and showing up entirely, so that opportunities can be taken. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP Focus on what the value is that you drive for the companies in which you work. Often, people fall into the trap of loving their product because they love it for themselves instead of identifying the need it can serve. WORST CAREER MOMENT Marcus took a job at the government that paid okay, but the prospects were dull, and it did not allow him to follow the pursuits that interested him. CAREER HIGHLIGHT After leaving a company, many of Marcus’ clients followed him, who advised him to begin his own consulting firm, which was the ignition beneath his second chapter in life. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The IT departments are slowly driving the success of companies in general, and so are slowly becoming more and more integral to conversations about growth and direction. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – After receiving a computer as a gift, Marcus realized the potential of taking something apart and putting it together again. What’s the best career advice you received? – Be authentic. What’s the worst career advice you received? – Don’t take risks! What would you do if you started your career now? – Figure out how to get a job at a technical organization a lot earlier. What are your current career objectives? – Focusing on the progression of others. What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Communication. How do you keep your own career energized? – Keep being uncomfortable and putting yourself out there What do you do away from technology? – Spending time with dogs, architecture, design, art and other creative outlets. FINAL CAREER TIP If you show up with your whole self and you’re passionate about what you do, then opportunities will present themselves and you’ll be in great shape to take advantage. BEST MOMENTS (8:27) – Marcus – “Ultimately, technology needs to serve a goal” (15:06) – Marcus - “If you do what you love, the money will follow. If you do it long enough, more money will follow” (20:07) – Marcus – “We’re seeing a shift, year over year, of the importance of the IT department in helping drive success for companies” (26:02)– Marcus – “Do it for an exceptionally long time and be authentic while you’re doing it” ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations 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: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Phil is also reachable by email at and via the podcast’s website, Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - ABOUT THE GUEST – MARCUS OLSON Marcus Olson discovered his love of technology by disassembling and reassembling computers salvaged from a shuttered Black & Decker office. He also taught himself Basic so that he could create his own, simple text-based games. He is now the CEO and Founder of Pliancy, a technology-enabled professional services company that helps growing start-ups scale their corporate IT. CONTACT THE GUEST – MARCUS OLSON Twitter: LinkedIn: Website: /episode/index/show/itcareerenergizer/id/24122757

346: It’s All About People with Chuck Tomasi 08/15/2022

346: It’s All About People with Chuck Tomasi In this week’s show, Phil talks to Chuck Tomasi who has worked in the IT industry for 40 years. His roles have included software developer, systems administrator, project manager and technical consultant to name but a few. He has a particular interest in integrating devices and systems to increase the value of the overall solution. And he likes share what he has learned with the developer community through blogs, videos, live streams, podcasts and books. Chuck talks to Phil about the importance of remembering people skills when growing your career. He also discusses the value of putting yourself out there in order to find opportunities. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP Never forget the value of people in the IT sector. Careers flourish when results are delivered, but also because relationships are nurtured. WORST CAREER MOMENT While preparing for a conference, Chuck was working with volunteers. There was a great need for perfection, but Chuck was let down by two volunteers, which almost threw the project into disarray. CAREER HIGHLIGHT At the most recent conference, Chuck got to MC the event and connected completely with most of the attendees. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T There is a world of opportunity out there in the IT sector, and the chance to create meaningful, impactful products that can change lives for the better. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – After a computer programming course in school What’s the best career advice you received? – Trust is the ultimate currency What’s the worst career advice you received? – It’s better to beg forgiveness than ask permission What would you do if you started your career now? – Find a mentor and coach much sooner! What are your current career objectives? – Creating and maintaining relationships inside and outside of the company What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Being able to translate complex information for any audience. How do you keep your own career energized? – Knowing that his work is positively impacting lives. What do you do away from technology? – Podcasting, creating content, travelling and spending time with family FINAL CAREER TIP Even if you consider yourself to be introverted, make an effort to meet and greet people. Career opportunities almost always come from other people. BEST MOMENTS (2:56) – Chuck – “Putting your face out there helps recognition, and helps to build a community” (3:50) – Chuck - “Careers are built on two things – results and relationships” (4:22) – Chuck – “If you really want to be the hero then you need to listen to people and help them achieve their desired outcomes” (13:06)– Chuck – “Computers and programming combine the best of logical thinking and creativity” ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations 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: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Phil is also reachable by email at and via the podcast’s website, Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - ABOUT THE GUEST – CHUCK TOMASI Chuck Tomasi has worked in the IT industry for 40 years. His roles have included software developer, systems administrator, project manager and technical consultant to name but a few. He has a particular interest in integrating devices and systems to increase the value of the overall solution. And he likes share what he has learned with the developer community through blogs, videos, live streams, podcasts and books. CONTACT THE GUEST – CHUCK TOMASI Twitter: LinkedIn: Website: /episode/index/show/itcareerenergizer/id/24034503

345: Trust Yourself and Remember To Ask For Help with Tyler Rohrer 08/08/2022

345: Trust Yourself and Remember To Ask For Help with Tyler Rohrer In this week’s show, Phil talks to Tyler Rohrer, a serial entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience around end user computing. He has worked in and around the most progressive and challenging deployments in the world. And most recently, he founded Remotely INC, the world’s first Hyper Converged Console. He is leveraging his experience in the digital workspace and end user computing space to help enterprise companies contend with the daily security risks they face with remote and hybrid end users. Tyler talks about the importance of trusting your instincts when it comes to your career. He also discusses why it’s okay to ask for help and guidance when needed. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP Always trust your instincts. They are generally trying to lead you in the right direction. Listen to what your heart says to you. WORST CAREER MOMENT After hitting the wrong button, a software malfunction occurred, but it taught Tyler the value in always taking the utmost care, and to own up to your mistakes. CAREER HIGHLIGHT Tyler was instrumental in the creation of VM Ware, which was subsequently acquired. This led to his appearing at a conference in front of Michael Dell. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The unbounded nature of IT itself. This is a field in which you can literally learn about, and gain mastery over, things we never considered possible. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Tinkering with things and fixing them when broken. What’s the best career advice you received? – Take chances! What’s the worst career advice you received? – Follow the rules and DON’T take chances. What would you do if you started your career now? – Look more into automation and robotics What are your current career objectives? – To take all the lessons learned and distill them into a book What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Endurance and persistence How do you keep your own career energized? – Balance technical interests with sports and other pursuits. What do you do away from technology? – Rally driving, hiking outdoors and exploring nature. FINAL CAREER TIP Ask for help if you need it. It’s okay to not know everything, and you only learn by seeking answers from others. BEST MOMENTS (4:04) – Tyler – “We think of scale in one dimension right now” (7:00) – Tyler - “Having the confidence to bring your best self to every conversation really goes a long way” (6:00) – Tyler – “More than anything else, trust yourself” (10:50)– Tyler – “I’ve learned as much from the good ideas as the poor ones” ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations 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: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Phil is also reachable by email at and via the podcast’s website, Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - ABOUT THE GUEST – TYLER ROHRER Tyler Rohrer is a serial entrepreneur with over 30 years of experience around end user computing. He has worked in and around the most progressive and challenging deployments in the world. And most recently, he founded Remotely INC, the world’s first Hyper Converged Console. He is leveraging his experience in the digital workspace and end user computing space to help enterprise companies contend with the daily security risks they face with remote and hybrid end users. CONTACT THE GUEST – TYLER ROHRER Twitter: LinkedIn: Website: /episode/index/show/itcareerenergizer/id/23983425

344: Focus On The Soft Skills and Read, Read, Read with Arpit Mohan 08/01/2022

344: Focus On The Soft Skills and Read, Read, Read with Arpit Mohan In this week’s show, Phil talks to Arpit Mohan, who has always been fascinated by technology, from taking apart has Tamagotchi to creating a mobile game that went viral. He is the co-founder and CTO of Appsmith, an open-source project built by engineers for engineers. It is now used by more than 1,000 teams, employs people in 8 countries and has raised over $10 million in capital. Arpit talks about the value of focussing upon soft skills such as communication and enhancing teams. He also discusses the value of reading, and how it can make you a better writer. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP Software engineers focus on the tools and the code too much, we should focus more upon the soft skills that go with the job, such as the people and the teams. WORST CAREER MOMENT Arpit ran a delete query on a database, and mistyped the command, which wiped every order in the company’s system for the previous six months. This taught him the value of quality checking every moment. CAREER HIGHLIGHT While running a mobile game company, the game they were working on went viral. The user database began to grow very rapidly. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Software and IT has endless potential to provide solutions for the world. There are numerous ways in which the physical world cannot achieve certain things, but IT and software can make these things a reality. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – The ability to create and express himself as a builder What’s the best career advice you received? – Make your manager look good What’s the worst career advice you received? – To focus on the money and compensation, and to go for the jobs that pay the best. What would you do if you started your career now? – Arpit would focus upon the internals of systems What are your current career objectives? – Trying to be a better leader, and to become a more effective communicator What’s your number one non-technical skill? – The ability to write long form formats, such as memos. How do you keep your own career energized? – Read, read, read! What do you do away from technology? – Running, fitness and spending time with family FINAL CAREER TIP Reading is incredibly important. The more you read, the better you write. BEST MOMENTS (3:16) – Arpit – “I’ve always been bedazzled by the ability to create” (6:06) – Arpit - “A lot of people end up being senior engineers, but junior humans, but it should be the other way around” (7:00) – Arpit – “What will get you ahead in life is when you build trust with your team” (16:46)– Arpit – “I’m very optimistic about careers in IT, because that’s where the future is” ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations 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: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Phil is also reachable by email at and via the podcast’s website, Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - ABOUT THE GUEST – ARPIT MOHAN Arpit Mohan is the co-founder and CTO of Appsmith, an open-source project built by engineers for engineers. It is now used by more than 1,000 teams, employs people in 8 countries and has raised over $10 million in capital. CONTACT THE GUEST – ARPIT MOHAN Twitter: LinkedIn: Website: /episode/index/show/itcareerenergizer/id/23914071

343: Make Sure Your Customers Are Your Kind Of People and Always Empower Others with Alexander Embiricos 07/04/2022

343: Make Sure Your Customers Are Your Kind Of People and Always Empower Others with Alexander Embiricos In this week’s show, Phil talks to Alexander Embiricos, cofounder and CEO of Remotion, a virtual office that brings hybrid teams to life. Before starting Remotion, he was a Product Manager at Dropbox, as well as having studied Computer Science at Stanford. Alexander talks about the value in identifying a customer base that you can relate to on a personal level. He also discusses the value in empowering others. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP In your job, make sure that the people you deal with – your customer base – are the kinds of people that you enjoy talking to. WORST CAREER MOMENT While working for Dropbox, Alexander realized that he did not have the sufficient manpower to meet an important deadline. He ended up performing the work himself, but was advised that this was not the point of project managing. CAREER HIGHLIGHT A video call with a customer, which resulted in Alexander being told how useful the Remotion tool had been to their way of working. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Seeing how the community is able to build upon the work of others, iterating products and services, and pushing to see what is possible. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Being able to build upon other people’s work. What’s the best career advice you received? –Make sure that you enjoy talking to the people you have to talk to. What’s the worst career advice you received? – Focus on what will get your promoted, and not what the customer needs. What would you do if you started your career now? – Become an engineer instead of a product manager. What are your current career objectives? – How to distribute products more effectively, and how to be a better manager. What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Being curious about what other people think or are interested in. How do you keep your own career energized? – The feeling of creating something and delivering it. What do you do away from technology? – Sports and time with friends. FINAL CAREER TIP Always do your best to empower others so that they can solve problems for themselves. BEST MOMENTS (8:57) – Alexander – “Choose a target audience and make sure that, even when things are going horribly, that you’ll feel energized about the conversation” (9:51) – Alexander - “Instead of focusing on what you’re going to build, focus on who you are going to build for” (18:10) – Alexander – “In IT, it is much easier to build upon the work of others” (21:50)– Phil – “Everyone is different, so the way you deal with one person will be different to another” ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations 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: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Phil is also reachable by email at and via the podcast’s website, Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - ABOUT THE GUEST – ALEXANDER EMBIRICOS Alexander Embiricos is the cofounder and CEO of Remotion, a virtual office that brings hybrid teams to life. Before starting Remotion, he was a Product Manager at Dropbox, as well as having studied Computer Science at Stanford. CONTACT THE GUEST – ALEXANDER EMBIRICOS Twitter: LinkedIn: Website: /episode/index/show/itcareerenergizer/id/23619593

342: Can One Person Kill an Entire Industry? ‘Once Upon Atari’ with Howard Scott Warshaw 06/27/2022

342: Can One Person Kill an Entire Industry? ‘Once Upon Atari’ with Howard Scott Warshaw In this week’s show, Phil talks to Howard Scott Warshaw, a video game pioneer, an award-winning filmmaker, an innovative technologist, an author, and a Museum of Modern Art artist. He now employs this eclectic skillset as a psychotherapist in California’s Silicon Valley. His latest book, “Once Upon Atari” (subtitled How I made history by killing an industry) details his exploits at Atari and how they reshaped his life. Howard talks about why we should remember that goals are only achieved through hard work and perseverance. He also discusses the value to be found in understanding what it is that we really want in life. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP Be prepared to pay your dues when it comes to your career. Dreams are all well and good, but always recognize that hard work is required in order to achieve them. WORST CAREER MOMENT While working on Yars Revenge, Howard insisted on carving out his own path for the game but was forced to admit later that the game he’s insisted upon was not good. CAREER HIGHLIGHT While being interviewed by Steven Spielberg in order to discuss a game version of Raiders of The Lost Ark, Howard not only got to meet his hero, but also was allowed to tour the Warner Brothers Studio. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T IT is so wide open. One piece of tech can often give birth to whole new worlds and ways of thinking. The future is almost boundless when it comes to innovation. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Computers in college showed Howard a life he wanted to pursue. What’s the best career advice you received? –That the world of technology is chaotic! What’s the worst career advice you received? – That he was throwing his life away to make video games. What would you do if you started your career now? – Howard would focus more on handheld apps What are your current career objectives? – Howard enjoys taking longstanding problems and applying new ways of solving them. What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Hypervigilance. How do you keep your own career energized? – Always try new things and seek out new challenges. What do you do away from technology? – Movies, TV shows, and exploring new places in his own mind. FINAL CAREER TIP Understand what it is that you want, and the you that you really wish to be, and then start a journey that takes you, day by day, towards the version of yourself that you wish to be. BEST MOMENTS (20:13) – Howard – “Most successful products do not realise 100% of their design” (24:15) – Howard- “Success has a thousand parents, but failure is an orphan” (26:25) – Howard – “Be prepared to have your dreams corrected. The difference between your fantasy of where you’re trying to get to and the reality of being there can be harsh” (36:01 – Howard – “IT is at the forefront of the toolset that’s going to help make people’s lives better. To me that’s the most exciting thing you can do” ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations 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: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Phil is also reachable by email at and via the podcast’s website, Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - ABOUT THE GUEST – HOWARD SCOTT WARSHAW Howard Scott Warshaw is a video game pioneer, an award-winning filmmaker, an innovative technologist, an author, and a Museum of Modern Art artist. He now employs this eclectic skillset as a psychotherapist in California’s Silicon Valley. His latest book, “Once Upon Atari” (subtitled How I made history by killing an industry) details his exploits at Atari and how they reshaped his life. CONTACT THE GUEST – HOWARD SCOTT WARSHAW Twitter: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Book Website: Wikipedia: Nolan Bushnell, Founder of Atari – “If you want to understand the true story of the video game crash, I highly recommend this book” /episode/index/show/itcareerenergizer/id/23542283

341: Make Yourself Replaceable and Remember That “NO” Stands For New Opportunities with Janet T Phan 06/20/2022

341: Make Yourself Replaceable and Remember That “NO” Stands For New Opportunities with Janet T Phan In this week’s show, Phil talks to Janet T Phan, the Founder and Executive Director of Thriving Elements and Senior Technical Product Manager for Amazon’s Project Kuiper. She has a vision to develop and empower young women in STEM to make a sustainable impact and inspire the next generation of women leaders. Janet talks to Phil about the value in making ourselves replaceable in the industry. She also discusses why “no” can mean a whole new world of opportunities for you. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP Technology grows every day. If we make ourselves as replaceable as possible, then we show up for ourselves, and allow our skillsets to be easily passed on to others. WORST CAREER MOMENT In a previous role, early in her career, Janet told her manager that she had aspirations to be a manager herself. This was met with derision by her superior, and unfortunately changed her attitude towards Janet into one of negativity. CAREER HIGHLIGHT Janet was part of a huge global launch that went exceedingly well, impressing the global leadership, despite their reservations about her way of implementing it. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T IT is ever evolving and requires a universe of different backgrounds and perspectives to make its applications as universal as possible. This means that it requires inclusivity and diversity in order to function at its best. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Janet was inspired by her professor. What’s the best career advice you received? –Do now, and ask for forgiveness later. What’s the worst career advice you received? – That becoming a manager was almost impossible. What would you do if you started your career now? – Janet would focus on data analysis. What are your current career objectives? – Expanding into technical product management What’s your number one non-technical skill? – A love of people. How do you keep your own career energized? – Exploring areas where true positive impacts can be made. What do you do away from technology? – American football, snowboarding, surfing, wakeboarding and other physical pursuits. FINAL CAREER TIP Anytime you face rejection or hear the word “no”, remember that NO stands for new opportunities. BEST MOMENTS (3:57) – Janet – “Train the next generation and make opportunities for them” (15:25) – Janet- “IT is an ever-evolving field” (16:41) – Janet – “There are so many opportunities for people who are from different backgrounds. You don’t have to enjoy or love computer programming to be in it” (17:24) – Janet – “We need all personality types in order to make technology successful” ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations 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: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Phil is also reachable by email at and via the podcast’s website, Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - ABOUT THE GUEST – JANET T PHAN Janet T Phan is the Founder and Executive Director of Thriving Elements and Senior Technical Product Manager for Amazon’s Project Kuiper. She has a vision to develop and empower young women in STEM to make a sustainable impact and inspire the next generation of women leaders. CONTACT THE GUEST – JANET T PHAN Twitter: LinkedIn: Website: Book Website: /episode/index/show/itcareerenergizer/id/23464427

340: The Power Of Networking and Always Practice Self-Care with Jossie Haines 06/13/2022

340: The Power Of Networking and Always Practice Self-Care with Jossie Haines In this week’s show, Phil talks to Jossie Haines, a software engineering leader at the forefront of emerging customer technology across Silicon Valley. She has held management roles at Apple, Zynga and American Express and she is currently VP of Software Engineering and Head of DEI at Tile. She’s also a public speaker and she coaches technology leaders on creating inclusive and diverse working spaces. Jossie talks about the importance of networking in growing your career in tech. She also discusses the value of resilience, and why we must practice self-care KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP Networking is invaluable to your career. So many people in tech are introverted, but they must try to do better to get to know others, as the positive impacts are very important. WORST CAREER MOMENT At Apple, Jossie found that being too nice was not always effective when it came to developing her leadership qualities. CAREER HIGHLIGHT Working for Tile has provided many highlights as it has allowed Jossie to make the biggest impact. During her tenure, she has successfully grown a team and implemented a more inclusive culture. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Tech has solved many convenience problems, and is now maturing into a sector that will provide life-changing issues for the world, including racial and gender diversity. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Jossie was given a Commodore 64 for Christmas What’s the best career advice you received? – It’s important to learn from your mistakes and not dwell on them. What’s the worst career advice you received? – That the first step in your career will define it forever. What would you do if you started your career now? – Jossie would not have gone to grad school. What are your current career objectives? – To positively impact women in tech through empowerment, education and retention. What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Empathy. How do you keep your own career energized? – Finding the right work life balance What do you do away from technology? – Spending time with her puppies, walking and hiking, visiting the beach, playing video games and travelling. FINAL CAREER TIP Thriving in technology is about building resilience, building your network, and practicing self-care. BEST MOMENTS (8:36) – Jossie – “I want to help empower leaders to build those inclusive and diverse teams” (9:28) – Jossie - “Networking, networking, networking! It’s invaluable to your career!” (10:29) – Jossie – “We need to have resilience in order to thrive” (12:57) – Jossie – “Niceness is something that a lot of people suffer from and it really can impact your career” ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations 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: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Phil is also reachable by email at and via the podcast’s website, Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - ABOUT THE GUEST – JOSSIE HAINES Jossie Haines is a software engineering leader at the forefront of emerging customer technology across Silicon Valley. She has held management roles at Apple, Zynga and American Express and she is currently VP of Software Engineering and Head of DEI at Tile. She’s also a public speaker and she coaches technology leaders on creating inclusive and diverse working spaces. CONTACT THE GUEST – JOSSIE HAINES LinkedIn: Twitter: /episode/index/show/itcareerenergizer/id/23399018

339: Focus On The Job and Learn The Foundational Elements Of Your Field with Adrianus Warmenhoven 06/06/2022

339: Focus On The Job and Learn The Foundational Elements Of Your Field with Adrianus Warmenhoven In this week’s show, Phil talks to Adrianus Warmenhoven, a Defensive Strategist and Threat Intelligence Manager at NordVPN. He is responsible for getting the most relevant Indicators of Compromise, malware samples and their indicators and mapping out the threat landscape for the company’s customers. He has undertaken security reviews and advised companies on how to deal with active threats and extortion. Adrianus talks about why corporate politics should be avoided in your IT career journey. He also discusses why the basics should be ingrained at the outset of your IT career journey. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP Don’t play the game of corporate politics. Focus on the job, what it gives to you in terms of satisfaction, and become the best in your field. WORST CAREER MOMENT There are no singular “worst moments” – only a general string of challenges that all add up to learnings that we can take and move forward with. CAREER HIGHLIGHT A company for which Adrianus was working was expanding into Africa. It was a more primitive time in terms of technology, and Adrianus was asked to head this innovation. It was extraordinarily challenging, but through hard work it was made possible. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T There are countless facets to IT, with so many differing sectors that branch out into all corners of life, embracing so many different pursuits. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Computers and their possibilities What’s the best career advice you received? – Always listen to, and try to understand others. What’s the worst career advice you received? – Just to blindly follow the rules. What would you do if you started your career now? – I would do exactly the same! What are your current career objectives? – Having fun and learning more at all times. What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Talking and listening. How do you keep your own career energized? – Finding new challenges and following his instincts. What do you do away from technology? – Family time and French polishing FINAL CAREER TIP When you’re young, figure out what you want to do and start with the basics. It will serve you well as your career matures. BEST MOMENTS (3:57) – Adrianus – “If you do anything about your career, make sure that it adds value to yourself” (4:51) – Adrianus - “Press every button you see. Try everything out” (5:48) – Adrianus – “You have to learn from your mistakes and own them, and don’t be afraid to make them. Otherwise you will not be moving forward at all” (16:08) – Adrianus – “Listen to people and ty to understand other people” ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations 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: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Phil is also reachable by email at and via the podcast’s website, Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - ABOUT THE GUEST – ADRIANUS WARMERHOVEN Adrianus Warmenhoven is a Defensive Strategist and Threat Intelligence Manager at NordVPN. He is responsible for getting the most relevant Indicators of Compromise, malware samples and their indicators and mapping out the threat landscape for the company’s customers. He has undertaken security reviews and advised companies on how to deal with active threats and extortion. CONTACT THE GUEST – ADRIANUS WARMENHOVEN LinkedIn: Website: /episode/index/show/itcareerenergizer/id/23272844

338: Learn More Than You Need To Know and Keep Your Eyes Open with Mark Angle 05/30/2022

338: Learn More Than You Need To Know and Keep Your Eyes Open with Mark Angle In this week’s show, Phil talks to Mark Angle the Chief Cloud Operations Officer at OneStream, having previously held leadership positions in areas including data centre operations, service desk, enterprise architecture and service delivery. His passions lie at the intersection of technology, science, and nature but he gets his in-office adrenaline rush leading collaboration discussions or presenting to a customer. Mark discusses why we should always go further when it comes to self-development and learning. He also talks about why we should always keep our eyes open to spot new possibilities and opportunities. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP We excel when we push past the boundaries of what we need to learn, and take on more information. This pushes us to grow more and be ready when opportunities arise. WORST CAREER MOMENT While managing a group of engineers, Mark plugged some of the patch cabling in, which wasn’t labelled. There was a malfunction, and the result was that a large corporate network across the country was taken offline. CAREER HIGHLIGHT Growing into the position he currently holds at OneStream. It was a journey that involved working hard and ascending the ladder gradually. But the rewards have paid off handsomely. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T There are countless facets to IT, which means that those with a creative mind and the will to apply themselves, will always find a route through their chosen pursuit. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Through experimentation during youth. What’s the best career advice you received? – Always be moving in your career, and stay on the bleeding edge. What’s the worst career advice you received? – To stay in a job that will take you nowhere. What would you do if you started your career now? – Mark would start up a new technology company of his own. What are your current career objectives? – Continued rapid growth for OneStream, gaining a foothold in the market, and expansion. What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Gaining a broad sense of business knowledge. How do you keep your own career energized? – Training, learning and pushing to develop more. What do you do away from technology? – Outdoor pursuits and flying his own airplane FINAL CAREER TIP Make sure you continue to learn, remain progressive, and keep your eyes open. If opportunities present themselves, take the chance and follow your instincts. BEST MOMENTS (2:57) – Mark – “Learn more than what you need to” (4:56) – Mark - “Technology exists not just for the sake of technology. It exists so that we can enable the business” (13:52) – Mark – “If you want to get into technology, I can’t think of a better time to do it” (15:01) – Mark – “Stay on the bleeding edge!’ ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations 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: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Phil is also reachable by email at and via the podcast’s website, Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - ABOUT THE GUEST – MARK ANGLE Mark Angle is the Chief Cloud Operations Officer at OneStream, having previously held leadership positions in areas including data centre operations, service desk, enterprise architecture and service delivery. His passions lie at the intersection of technology, science, and nature but he gets his in-office adrenaline rush leading collaboration discussions or presenting to a customer. CONTACT THE GUEST – MARK ANGLE Twitter: LinkedIn: Website: /episode/index/show/itcareerenergizer/id/23261747

337: Continually Learn and Never Settle For Less with Don Pezet 04/11/2022

337: Continually Learn and Never Settle For Less with Don Pezet In this week’s show, Phil talks to Don Pezet, the CTO and Lead Edutainer at ITPro.TV. He has been working in the IT industry since 1997 and has been training others since 2001. He is a certified trainer with many vendors including Microsoft, CompTIA, Google and Cisco. His combination of real-world experience, textbook knowledge, and a questionable sense of humour have helped him to entertain and educate thousands of people. Don talks about why it’s vital that we are continually learning throughout our IT journey. He also discusses we should never settle when it comes to our IT career. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP Always do your best to be continually learning and developing, even in your spare time, which can provide a fun and experimental time. Make IT your passion and always look at what is possible. WORST CAREER MOMENT Don worked with a student who did not correctly implement a server and its functionality. This led to a huge loss of data. CAREER HIGHLIGHT Don has overseen the implementation and creation of many systems from scratch, taking advantage of new technologies and helping to found new ways of working that have lasted. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The stability of the IT sector. IT is not going away, and will only ever grow stronger and more robust as a sector. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – The potential for experimentation and creativity. What’s the best career advice you received? – To apply for jobs you’re not qualified for. What’s the worst career advice you received? – TO get out of IT as it’s not stable. What would you do if you started your career now? – Don would focus on cybersecurity as it’s become far more important. What are your current career objectives? – Making the training product that he wished had existed when he first began in IT What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Reading and communication. How do you keep your own career energized? – By always learning something new. What do you do away from technology? – Reading and experimenting with technology. FINAL CAREER TIP Never settle when it comes to your career. Some find a comfortable niche and don’t like to be challenged. But the world of IT is one that provides endless possibilities in areas you’re passionate about. BEST MOMENTS (6:55) – Don – “It used to be enough to say that you wanted to get into IT – now there are all types of specialisations” (8:14) – Don - “A good IT pro is always learning!” (16:50) – Don – “We’re constantly having to evaluate the field to determine if we’ve got the right training to set people up to be successful” (19:36) – Don – “What’s exciting about IT is the experimentation – that you can try different things” ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations 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: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Phil is also reachable by email at and via the podcast’s website, Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - ABOUT THE GUEST – DON PEZET Don Pezet is the CTO and Lead Edutainer at ITPro.TV. He has been working in the IT industry since 1997 and has been training others since 2001. He is a certified trainer with many vendors including Microsoft, CompTIA, Google and Cisco. His combination of real-world experience, textbook knowledge, and a questionable sense of humour have helped him to entertain and educate thousands of people. CONTACT THE GUEST – DON PEZET Twitter: LinkedIn: Website: /episode/index/show/itcareerenergizer/id/22743518

336: Always Follow Up and Take Control Of Your Career Path with Greg Edwards 03/28/2022

336: Always Follow Up and Take Control Of Your Career Path with Greg Edwards In this week’s show, Phil talks to Greg Edwards, a technology entrepreneur since 1998. Before founding CryptoStopper, he started Axis Backup, a backup and disaster recovery company for the insurance industry. In 2015, Axis backup was acquired by J2 Global, enabling the creation of CryptoStopper which focuses exclusively on cybersecurity. Greg talks about the importance of following up when it comes to the recruitment process. He also discusses the value in taking control of your own career plans. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP Always follow up when you’re looking for a company you’d like to work with. Never be afraid to chase your application, or to pursue a hiring manager about vacancies. WORST CAREER MOMENT Greg lost a huge client to a competitor, which drastically hit his company’s revenue. He initially thought it would be catastrophic, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it allowed his company to grow and scale. CAREER HIGHLIGHT After performing well, early on in his career, Greg was rewarded with a trip, which left a huge impression on him as a youngster. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The tech sector is exploding with possibilities, including machine learning and the advances it brings are growing exponentially. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Necessity! What’s the best career advice you received? – Be your own boss. Take control and accept control of your own career path. What’s the worst career advice you received? – I’ve always ignored bad advice! What would you do if you started your career now? – Focus on cybersecurity much earlier, and learning how to be a hacker, using that knowledge for good. What are your current career objectives? – Growing the company to an annual $10m revenue level as well as find great people.. What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Being able to identify talent in people. How do you keep your own career energized? – Mental and physical exercise. What do you do away from technology? – Using his private pilot license to fly planes. FINAL CAREER TIP Determine what you want your career to look like, and plan for the career course that means the most to you. BEST MOMENTS (4:32) – Greg – “Identify the company you want to work for and then don’t be afraid to follow up” (11:30) – Greg - “There are so many opportunities that I see coming over the next twenty years” (14:09) – Greg – “The democratization of currency is already happening and I think that’s going to proliferate and ultimately be a positive” (15:45) – Greg – “Accept control of your own career path” ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations 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: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Phil is also reachable by email at and via the podcast’s website, Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - ABOUT THE GUEST – GREG EDWARDS Greg Edwards is a technology entrepreneur since 1998. Before founding CryptoStopper, he started Axis Backup, a backup and disaster recovery company for the insurance industry. In 2015, Axis backup was acquired by J2 Global, enabling the creation of CryptoStopper which focuses exclusively on cybersecurity. CONTACT THE GUEST – GREG EDWARDS Twitter: LinkedIn: Website: /episode/index/show/itcareerenergizer/id/22577645

335: Look For The Opportunities To Grow and Don’t Doubt Yourself with Kirk Marple 03/21/2022

335: Look For The Opportunities To Grow and Don’t Doubt Yourself with Kirk Marple In this week’s show, Phil talks to Kirk Marple, a customer-focused technology leader. He is the CEO and Founder of Unstruk Data and has more than 25 years of experience developing media management pipelines, leading DevOps at venture backed companies and structuring successful exits. Kirk talks to Phil about how taking risks and looking for opportunities can often provide the most growth. He also discusses the importance in looking past negative feedback and shaking off self-doubt when it arises. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP You are the one responsible for your career. Look for ways to take chances. By doing so, you will achieve far more growth and development. WORST CAREER MOMENT Kirk has experienced what it is to be along some way in a project, only to find that the team are not fulfilling their potential, leading to some strained conversations. CAREER HIGHLIGHT Working for Public Broadcast Systems, Kirk enacted and created a product that made its way into mainstream society. This was a source of great pride. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The world of IT is never-ending. The jobs and responsibilities are constantly evolving and developing, leading to infinite possibilities in the space. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Kirk first trained as a chef but found a greater aptitude for IT while programming in his spare time. What’s the best career advice you received? – Show empathy and try to see problems from others’ points of view. What’s the worst career advice you received? – The only times bad advice has come, has been when people refused to believe in Kirk. What would you do if you started your career now? – Kirk would focus on Python, Linux and Javascript stacks. He would also focus on videogame development. What are your current career objectives? – Juggling technical with the CEO side of operations. What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Writing ability and communication skills. How do you keep your own career energized? – Staying current, keeping up to date with new technologies and innovations. What do you do away from technology? – Spending time with family and cooking. FINAL CAREER TIP Don’t doubt yourself. Everyone gets negative feedback from time to time. Learn to see the value in it, and don’t let it dissuade you from your goals. BEST MOMENTS (5:05) – Kirk – “No one is going to look out for your career as much as you are” (8:06) – Kirk - “Be sure that you have good people around you, but also give them more responsibility” (11:05) – Kirk – “There’s always something new, there’s always another problem to solve, there’s always something new to learn” (13:45) – Kirk – “Think about things from other peoples’ perspectives, even at a technical level” ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations 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: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Phil is also reachable by email at and via the podcast’s website, Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - ABOUT THE GUEST – KIRK MARPLE Kirk Marple is a customer-focused technology leader. He is the CEO and Founder of Unstruk Data and has more than 25 years of experience developing media management pipelines, leading DevOps at venture backed companies and structuring successful exits. CONTACT THE GUEST – KIRK MARPLE Twitter: LinkedIn: Website: /episode/index/show/itcareerenergizer/id/22507646

334: Broaden Your Knowledge Base and Continually Learn with Craig Goodwin 03/14/2022

334: Broaden Your Knowledge Base and Continually Learn with Craig Goodwin In this week’s show, Phil talks to Craig Goodwin, the co-founder of Cyvatar.ai, a game-changing cybersecurity firm that makes cybersecurity simple for businesses by providing fully managed, customer-centric security solutions. He is a Certified Chief Information Security Officer and a Certified Information Systems Security Professional, having held the role of Global Chief Security Officer for a number of large public and private sector organisations. Craig talks about why we should go wide instead of deep when it comes to knowledge. He also tells us why it’s okay to admit when we don’t know the answers. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP Always go wider rather than deeper. If you have aspirations in your chosen branch of the industry, try to broaden your knowledge base rather than specializing too much. WORST CAREER MOMENT During a lull in his personal life, Craig found himself struggling to deliver at his best. His biggest regret was allowing this to continue. As a result, his reputation suffered, but it has led him to realise that honesty is important. CAREER HIGHLIGHT After enjoying a successful corporate career, Craig was given an incredible chance to grow a security business into a powerful concern, allowing him to utilize his creativity and imagination. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Technology is changing the face and the operation of every single business type in the world. This means a huge uptick in opportunities available to people. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Gaining a background in the defense world and seeing how essential it is. What’s the best career advice you received? – You don’t know everything. What’s the worst career advice you received? – That specializing is crucial. What would you do if you started your career now? – Craig would look for hot industries and look for more experience-related growth. What are your current career objectives? Craig’s current objectives are much more business-focussed, including seeing to it that his people are well taken care of. What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Communication. How do you keep your own career energized? – Keep moving forward, and always be learning – professionally and personally. What do you do away from technology? – Fitness and healthy pursuits, such as cycling, running and exercising. FINAL CAREER TIP Stay wide in your knowledge, continually learn and never be afraid to admit you don’t know something. BEST MOMENTS (6:40) – Craig – “It’s incredibly important to know a bit about a lot of different things” (12:15) – Craig - “Having an openness with a team, and with a group of people is really powerful” (14:04) – Craig – “The digitalization of everything is growing exponentially” (14:41) – Craig – “Anyone that comes into the tech or IT world now has an opportunity to be in every single sector – to influence and change the very fabric of the way society is being run” ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations 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: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Phil is also reachable by email at and via the podcast’s website, Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - ABOUT THE GUEST – CRAIG GOODWIN Craig Goodwin is the co-founder of Cyvatar.ai, a game-changing cybersecurity firm that makes cybersecurity simple for businesses by providing fully managed, customer-centric security solutions. He is a Certified Chief Information Security Officer and a Certified Information Systems Security Professional, having held the role of Global Chief Security Officer for a number of large public and private sector organisations. CONTACT THE GUEST – CRAIG GOODWIN Twitter: LinkedIn: Website: /episode/index/show/itcareerenergizer/id/22431881

334: Broaden Your Knowledge Base and Continually Learn with Craig Goodwin 03/14/2022

333: Keep A Growth Mindset and Question Everything with Maura Charles 02/28/2022

333: Keep A Growth Mindset and Question Everything with Maura Charles In this week’s show, Phil talks to Maura Charles, the founder of Keep it Human, a digital innovation consultancy. She has 25 years of experience working in digital transformation and digital product management for beloved brands like Bloomingdale’s, Real Simple, and the New York Philharmonic. She loves helping teams get unstuck by finding the right digital processes to build bridges between the technology side and human side so that they can work together. She uses a human-focused approach that helps companies both connect with their customers and prioritize their own people. Maura talks to Phil about the value in keeping a growth mindset. She also discusses why it’s vital for us to pause, reflect, and question everything. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP Focus on learning new things at all times. By keeping a growth mindset and always looking for ways to develop, new pathways will open in your career. WORST CAREER MOMENT During the first years of her career, Maura did not always know how to stand up for herself in the face of bias and discrimination. After several bad experiences, she has since gained the confidence and experience to do so. CAREER HIGHLIGHT While working for Time Inc, Maura had worked her way up to the level of Executive Director, and was responsible for overseeing a wholesale restructuring of technological systems. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T We are at an incredibly interesting and transformative time that means far more inclusion and far more in the way of opportunity. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – The fact that is was new and uncharted. What’s the best career advice you received? – Take time to reflect on the things you’ve done well. What’s the worst career advice you received? – Keep your head down and just do your work! What would you do if you started your career now? – Maura would try to stay big and not let things scare her away from a particular path. What are your current career objectives? Learning more about the psychology of leadership What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Emotional intelligence. How do you keep your own career energized? – Building a network of people with similar aims and purposes. What do you do away from technology? – Spending time with family, yoga, reading and art. FINAL CAREER TIP Don’t take everything you see or hear at face value. Find your blind spots and question everything. BEST MOMENTS (4:54) – Maura - “What I’ve learned from having a growth mindset is that you will challenge your own assumptions and learn new pathways” (6:57) – Maura - “You’re not always going to have the answers laid out for you. It’s not a script. There’s not a right way to do everything all the time” (19:50) – Maura – “Innovation and technology are the future of our business and personal worlds” (21:27) – Maura – “Celebrate your wins” ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations 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: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Phil is also reachable by email at and via the podcast’s website, Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - ABOUT THE GUEST – MAURA CHARLES Maura Charles is the founder of Keep it Human, a digital innovation consultancy. She has 25 years of experience working in digital transformation and digital product management for beloved brands like Bloomingdale’s, Real Simple, and the New York Philharmonic. She loves helping teams get unstuck by finding the right digital processes to build bridges between the technology side and human side so that they can work together. She uses a human-focused approach that helps companies both connect with their customers and prioritize their own people. CONTACT THE GUEST – MAURA CHARLES Medium: LinkedIn: Website: /episode/index/show/itcareerenergizer/id/22270877

332: Exposure Changes Attitudes and Share Your Story with Kevin Harris 02/21/2022

332: Exposure Changes Attitudes and Share Your Story with Kevin Harris In this week’s show, Phil talks to Kevin Harris, who has been in the IT field for over 20 years, holding positions that range from Systems Analyst to Chief Information Officer. He is now a higher education administration official at American Public University System, continuing to make system improvements to support student success and learning. As a faculty member he has delivered instruction in several disciplines including business, cybersecurity, computer science, and computer networking, with particular interest in information security and computer forensics. Kevin joins Phil to talk about how exposure to new opportunities can help to shape our attitudes. He also discusses the value to be found in sharing our own career stories, and how this can inspire others. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP Make sure you’re always stepping out of your comfort zone. By pushing yourself into spaces outside of your comfort zone, you develop new sensibilities and attitudes. WORST CAREER MOMENT During a junior role, Kevin and his team assumed that all the work they had done was enough, but upon the rollout of the project, it transpired that things were not as prepared as they may have liked. This taught Kevin the value of understanding each organisation’s political structure. CAREER HIGHLIGHT Kevin was given the chance to return to his college and work on prestigious projects. Working on the other side of learning was quite a thrill. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T IT has become a more inclusive place to work, and a sector that allows for many more opportunities for growth, as well as more diversity in terms of raising up minorities. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – The challenge of finding solutions to problems. What’s the best career advice you received? – As long as you understand the consequences, you can do anything you want to do. What’s the worst career advice you received? – Don’t seek roles above you and stay where you are until something comes up. What would you do if you started your career now? – Kevin would be more intentional about finding an internship. What are your current career objectives? Focusing on more ways to introduce tech to more diverse communities. What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Being able to take something highly technical and communicating it to a wider audience. How do you keep your own career energized? – Kevin is always asking questions, as well as reading and listening. What do you do away from technology? – Kevin regularly “unplugs” by going fishing and getting back to nature. FINAL CAREER TIP Share your story. No matter where you’re at in your career, sharing your story so far can act as a beacon to others who may be at the beginning of their own journey. BEST MOMENTS (5:51) – Kevin - “Exposure changes attitudes” (12:20) – Kevin - “There’s a lot of underrepresented populations in the tech field that we need to focus on, but I think the momentum is there” (13:55) – Kevin – “You can do anything you want to do but you must understand the consequences to it” (17:13) – Kevin – “Anyone who’s interested in tech can find their place and a really rewarding career” ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations 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: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Phil is also reachable by email at and via the podcast’s website, Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - ABOUT THE GUEST – KEVIN HARRIS Kevin Harris has been in the IT field for over 20 years, holding positions that range from Systems Analyst to Chief Information Officer. He is now a higher education administration official, continuing to make system improvements to support student success and learning. As a faculty member he has delivered instruction in several disciplines including business, cybersecurity, computer science, and computer networking, with particular interest in information security and computer forensics. CONTACT THE GUEST – KEVIN HARRIS Twitter: LinkedIn: /episode/index/show/itcareerenergizer/id/22193933

331: An Engineering Mindset Is Crucial and Always Work On The Things You’re Passionate About with Leon Kuperman 02/14/2022

331: An Engineering Mindset Is Crucial and Always Work On The Things You’re Passionate About with Leon Kuperman In this week’s show, Phil talks to Leon Kuperman, the co-founder and Chief Technical Officer of Cast AI. He has worked in technology for more than 20 years in roles that cover product management, software design & development though to production deployment. Leon talks about the value in fostering an engineering mind-set. He also discusses the importance of following our passions and how working on things we’re interested in can help us to be far more productive. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP Developing an engineering mind-set is a keystone element in ensuring that you have a successful career as an IT leader. You must be immersed in the subject matter of what you are building. WORST CAREER MOMENT A system was taken offline by hackers who demanded a ransom in order to release it back to the company Leon was working for. Rather than pay their demands, Leon was tasked with fixing the problem, retrieving the site and ensuring it could not happen again. However, this was not possible. The ransom was paid. But Leon learned about new ways in order to safeguard systems. CAREER HIGHLIGHT Leon had an opportunity for a larger role in cloud security at Oracle, overseeing products that customers use to secure their environments. It was a time in which Leon was allowed to be more creative. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T Machine learning and data science has exploded recently, and this is incredibly exciting. There are many opportunities in the field, and many opportunities for self-development in the area. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Receiving the first computer as a child and learning coding at home. What’s the best career advice you received? – If you work to work yourself out of a job, then you’ll never be out of a job What’s the worst career advice you received? – The engineers can’t be business people, and that business people can’t be engineers What would you do if you started your career now? – Leon would take his time and focus upon what he was passionate about and interested in. What are your current career objectives? Looking for ways in which he can positively impact the IT industry. What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Being able to communicate clearly and with empathy. How do you keep your own career energized? – Deep diving into topics, and focusing on self-development. What do you do away from technology? – Spending time with family and participating in mixed martial arts. FINAL CAREER TIP Always make sure that you’re working on something you’re passionate about. If you do this every day, then work will never seem like work. BEST MOMENTS (7:13) – Leon - “If you want to have a career as an IT leader, it’s absolutely a perquisite to have an engineering mind-set” (7:51) – Leon - “You gain a lot of credibility and respect from your team if you’re able to understand their jobs at a detailed level” (10:29) – Leon – “Partners want to be able to trust you, and technical excellence is something that they hinge on” (27:25) – Leon – “Being able to sell, even in a technical role, is highly advantageous” ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations 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: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Phil is also reachable by email at and via the podcast’s website, Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - ABOUT THE GUEST – LEON KUPERMAN Leon Kuperman is the co-founder and Chief Technical Officer of Cast AI. He has worked in technology for more than 20 years in roles that cover product management, software design & development though to production deployment. CONTACT THE GUEST – LEON KUPERMAN Leon Kuperman can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: LinkedIn: Website: /episode/index/show/itcareerenergizer/id/22116938

330: Always Reach Out To People and Remember Your Own Value with Sunir Shah 02/07/2022

330: Always Reach Out To People and Remember Your Own Value with Sunir Shah In this week’s show, Phil talks to Sunir Shah, the founder and CEO of AppBind as well as president of the Cloud Software Association. He has spent his career creating and selling software products to improve how the internet works. And he believes that nothing is more profitable than becoming a piece of the internet! Sunir talks to Phil about why we should make use of the internet to reach out to those with knowledge and experience. He also discusses the value in reminding ourselves of our own capabilities when challenges arise. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP The world is filled with fascinating people, each imbued with an arsenal of knowledge. Seek them out and talk to them. The internet has made this a much easier prospect as we are all connected. WORST CAREER MOMENT As well as suffering a crisis of self-doubt and pivoting in his career, Sunir was fired after a particularly disappointing business encounter. But this experience led him to the founding of his company. CAREER HIGHLIGHT Sunir had delivered a system designed to provide the foundation for a TV channel, Sunir took all the code he thought was useless and deleted it, despite many insisting that it was an extreme approach. The choice turned the code into something far more efficient and useable. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The fact that we can now reach out across the world and connect with people that may otherwise never have had their voices heard. Talent is now global. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – The family had a Vic 20, and Sunir’s passion for coding soon made itself known, especially when his sister was declared to be “cooler” than he was! What’s the best career advice you received? – Always remember that people are different. What’s the worst career advice you received? – To be strong – the implication is that we are naturally weak What would you do if you started your career now? – Get started on Scratch much sooner What are your current career objectives? Sunir is committed to solving the problem of subscriptions for companies. What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Effective networking, and how to approach people. How do you keep your own career energized? – Interacting with the community that he has helped to build. What do you do away from technology? – Spending time with family FINAL CAREER TIP You only live once, so make sure you spend that time doing something you enjoy. If you don’t know what you are doing at a certain moment, remind yourself that are not stupid, and that you will figure it out. BEST MOMENTS (2:49) – Sunir - “When you think about what’s the purpose of life, what’s the rewarding part? For me it has been seeing other people’s lives improve through my work” (5:19) – Sunir - “Reach out to people. Even people you don’t understand. Ask questions. Learn to see the world through their eyes. You’ll gain something from them, no matter what” (12:18) – Sunir – “No one can run a business if they can’t even control their own time” (15:55) – Sunir – “You can do anything if you have confidence. If there’s no risk, then what is stopping you?” ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations 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: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Phil is also reachable by email at and via the podcast’s website, Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - ABOUT THE GUEST – SUNIR SHAH Sunir Shah is the founder and CEO of AppBind as well as president of the Cloud Software Association. He has spent his career creating and selling software products to improve how the internet works. And he believes that nothing is more profitable than becoming a piece of the internet! CONTACT THE GUEST – SUNIR SHAH Sunir Shah can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: LinkedIn: Twitter: Website: /episode/index/show/itcareerenergizer/id/22039412

329: Find Your Personal “And” and Bring What Makes You Unique To Your IT Career with Meredydd Luff 01/31/2022

329: Find Your Personal “And” and Bring What Makes You Unique To Your IT Career with Meredydd Luff In this week’s show, Phil talks to Meredydd Luff, the CEO and cofounder of Anvil, a platform for building full-stack web apps entirely in Python. He has a PhD in building usable programming systems from Cambridge University and he wants to make programming more accessible for everyone. Meredydd talks about the importance of finding your “and” – the secondary skill that adds value to you. He also discusses why bringing your unique offerings to your IT career can make all the difference. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP Look for what your personal “and” is. If you are just a developer then that’s okay, but it’s always best to be one thing “and” another. This makes life much more interesting and yourself much more valuable. WORST CAREER MOMENT After completing a huge amount of work, Meredydd discovered that his system had been built upon degraded hard disks. This led to a huge outage for a popular messaging system in the Philippines. CAREER HIGHLIGHT Starting and building Anvil – taking the complete system from an idea to fruition, and the experiences learned along the way. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T As cloud services and the like continue to grow, it has meant that the doors are open to far more people. So long as people have the drive to do so, the IT sector is open to all. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Meredydd was attracted to the creative component of IT. What’s the best career advice you received? – That studying something we enjoy is fine, and can sit well alongside a serious career. What’s the worst career advice you received? – That he should have taken the money over a route that seemed more fun. What would you do if you started your career now? – Meredydd would begin tinkering with systems a lot earlier than he did. What are your current career objectives? Refining and perfecting Anvil and turning into the best system it can be. What’s your number one non-technical skill? – Being an extrovert, caring about others, and curiosity. How do you keep your own career energized? – Running a startup! What do you do away from technology? – Flying airplanes and ballroom dancing. FINAL CAREER TIP Find the thing that is interesting to you, and upon which you can offer a unique perspective, and bring that to your IT career. BEST MOMENTS (6:00) – Meredydd - “The way things are with traditional web development, there’s not much a learning curve as a learning cliff” (8:12) – Meredydd - “Being at the intersection of someone who can do two different things – that’s really valuable” (23:53) – Meredydd – “If you are one of these people who has the bit between their teeth, the fact that there are so many routes into a career means that you can afford to follow your heart” (27:02) – Meredydd – “If you are the tinkering type, then tinkering your way into a career is as valid a choice as ever” ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations 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: LinkedIn: Instagram: Website: Phil is also reachable by email at and via the podcast’s website, Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - ABOUT THE GUEST – MEREDYDD LUFF Meredydd Luff is the CEO and cofounder of Anvil, a platform for building full-stack web apps entirely in Python. He has a PhD in building usable programming systems from Cambridge University and he wants to make programming more accessible for everyone. CONTACT THE GUEST – MEREDYDD LUFF Meredydd Luff can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: LinkedIn: Twitter: Website: /episode/index/show/itcareerenergizer/id/21937736

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