How to be a successful computer professional

How to be a successful computer professional Don Burleson

I recently had a question from a College student about how a person can stand-out on their field and become a top-shelf computer professional.  It’s not a “secret” really. 

Personal success is really nothing more than a strong moral compass, simple common sense and lots and lots of hard work.  Here are some of my guidelines.

Have High Personal Standards and Expectations

I’m sometimes criticized for having “unrealistic” .  I make no secret that I prefer people with high moral standards, people with top-notch educations people who give-back (servicemen, people who donate time to charities) and people with a demonstrable work ethic, and above all, no history of moral turpitude (paying bills late, criminal convictions).  I have many consultants who far exceed my own abilities, and I make no excuse for hiring the best people that I can find.

But it is more than just skill and formal education.  I was taught to never, ever hire anyone who lies, even once.  Believe it or not, there are still folks out there who really adhere to the simple principle:

“I will not lie, cheat or steal, nor tolerate those who do”

As a group, my staff is over-represented by people with Faith, people with military backgrounds, and people who have pulled-themselves up by their own bootstraps.  One of my best consultants never had an opportunity to finish College, yet he became a world-renowned expert in his field.  

Have Personal Integrity

Sometimes I think that I was born in the wrong century.  When my great-grandpa was captured by the Yankees after Gettysburg he was sent to the Old Capital POW camp in Washington DC.  Sensing that he was an honorable man, the Yankees set him free after he swore a solemn oath that he would not take-up arms against the Yankees.  During the worst combat in the Civil War, he walked out the prison gates, a free man.  Now I ask you, how often does this sort thing occur today?

My Dad was born in a farmhouse in 1914 and he taught me that nobody is going to give you a free ride and that personal honor, above all, is the key to success.  If you read Conrad’s Hiltons book “”, he had very-much the same philosophy.  Once word gets around that you are trustworthy, banks open their coffers and people come to know that your word is your bond. 

I built my business on my personal integrity.  More than 80% of my business is from repeat clients and referrals.  Word gets around.  If say that I will do something, it’s going to get done, and it’s a sad reflection on society that my success is due in large-part to the lack of integrity among my competition.

My parents died when I was a teenager, and even when I was as poor as a church mouse, I never, ever, paid a bill late.  In college, my prized Nikon camera has made innumerable visits to the pawn shop so that I always paid my debts on-time, every time.

Even today, I do a credit check on all my new job applicants and I don’t look favorably upon late-payment of loans.  Even parking tickets bother me.  Today, my staff is over-represented with people who share my moral convictions, and I make no apologies for tossing-away applicants with any sign of moral turpitude. 

I also detest people who cheat and , and there are some very well-known Oracle experts that I detest for evidence of disrespect and dishonesty, and even little things like twisting words in during a debate or being rude to beginners indicates a lack of integrity.

Robert Freeman (a man of unimpeachable personal integrity) calls these people “Evil”, and I agree wholeheartedly.

Be Obsessive

I was always rewarded for following-through with tough challenges and I’m the first to admit that once I locked-in to a task, I let nothing stop me.  I firmly believe that the only thing to be ashamed of is not giving 100% to every task you undertake.

I learned that I was not going to be stopped by people telling me that something cannot be done, and I worked relentlessly on every ask I undertook.  There is an old saying “If you want to get something done, give it to the obsessive guy”.  When I was teaching graduate school at the University of New Mexico, I would give students difficult problems that other experts said “could not be done”.

Have a real work ethic

I have always had contempt for self-entitled people, and I hate those annoying TV commercials offering to give people “the cash that you deserve”. 

Who the hell says that you deserve anything? 

You get paid exactly what the market demands, and not a penny more.  My strong work ethic was because I grew-up poor (my Dad was a Disabled Veteran), because I had high-standards imposed by my parents and because I was orphaned as a teen.  I’m also very conscious of providing value for my clients and all of my consultants share a real desire to be as productive as possible.

Get Real-World Experience

The “Catch 22” argument is a common theme with many aspiring DBA’s.  I get e-mail saying “I need experience to get a DBA job, but I can’t get a job without experience”.  If you have this problem, do what I did. 

I worked for free for my professors and took my first job at a place with very low-pay, just to get the experience.  I later did database work for charities to sharpen my skills, and there are loads of charitable organizations who want volunteers with database expertise.

The USA is a true bastion of upward mobility and anyone who wants to be successful can get there with hard work and dedication.

Possess Courage

It takes guts to put your reputation on-the-line and to invest your savings into new endeavors.  Starting a consulting business requires money, lots of friends and connections, but most of all, courage and a firm belief in your abilities.

My father spent years in a Veterans hospital when I was a kid, and I spent hundreds of hours chatting with “real heroes” in the hallowed halls of the V.A. wards.  I know courage and I know cowardice, and I believe that there are many courageous people in the USA and it’s my job to find them for my staff.

Right is right, wrong is wrong, and I have the strength of my convictions to guide me.  I recently went to great lengths to expose an , and I have the guts to fight for what is just and right, no matter the personal cost. 

So, there it is, everything you need to know.  Like my Grandpa always said “There’s always room at the top”.  It’s true, you know. . . .