Category: career

The Difference Between DBAs, DBREs, and Data Engineers

By Kendra Little on July 26, 2023

Category: career , database-administration

Twenty years ago, database administrators (DBAs) were the primary career path when it came to specializing in data management.

Much has changed: development patterns transformed from Waterfall to Agile, DevOps drives automation and shared ownership of code, and cloud services have made many more kinds of PaaS databases, data lakes, and data lakehouses available to organizations of all sizes.

These changes have introduced new and varied career paths for data folks which have different emphases on skill sets. In this post, I talk through the commonalities and differences between DBAs, Database Reliability Engineers (DBREs), and Data Engineers (DEs). Whether you’re a hiring manager or data professional, it’s worth knowing about these roles.

Career Navigation in the Time of Tech Layoffs

By Kendra Little on May 23, 2023

Category: database-administration , career

Tags: layoffs , leadership , networking , resilience

Reorganizations and layoffs are now commonplace in the tech industry: a daily occurrence. It’s increasingly necessary for tech workers mentally prepare for potential job loss and uncertainties that arise. It’s a common antipattern to believe that it’s “too late” to prepare for a layoff or unexpected reorganization if a layoff has already occurred in your organization.

It’s never too late, and it’s always the right time these days to start mentally preparing yourself for change– because there’s reliably another change around the corner.

Addressing the Rumors That I Have Been Removed from the MVP Program

By Kendra Little on November 4, 2021

Category: career

Tags: microsoft , documentation , mvp , content-development

I’d like to openly and honestly answer the rumors that I have been removed from the Microsoft MVP program.

My Sketchnotes from Redgate Level Up Week 2021

By Kendra Little on May 24, 2021

Category: career

Tags: sketchnotes , level-up , redgate , conferences , learning , product-development

Redgate regularly holds an internal conference called Level Up week. In 2020 and 2021, this conference has been scaled to include multiple Redgate offices using a remote learning approach.

While this is an internal conference, I can share my drawings and notes from sessions I attended. I hope these inspire you with ideas on how you can contribute to learning in your own organization, or perhaps simply inspire you to give sketchnoting a try.

Maintaining Balance While Retraining in a New Professional Area

By Kendra Little on May 10, 2021

Category: career

Tags: mental-health , work-life-balance , productivity , professional-development

It’s common to shift your professional focus multiple times over your career while working in tech. But moving into a new role often causes a lot of stress.

In my recent lightning talk for Mental Health and Awareness Day, I reflected on the lessons I’ve learned to set myself up for success and protect my health when taking on a new professional challenge.