As I am currently seeking new employment as a data professional specializing in SQL Server, I find that some potential employers want proof that you have skills.
At the top of the list is a Bachelor’s degree, though many companies will waive this requirement with years of experience.
Next up is certifications in a specific technologies. It can be an indicator that an individual has a level of knowledge in a given area; or it simply means that the person saw benefit in paying for access to questions/answers, memorized them, then paid someone else to administer a test.
I have started asking the following questions during interviews. “What book or training would you recommend for professional growth?” My intent here is multi-purposed and I have been going back and forth on which one should be the primary reason…
- To test the mentoring culture within the organization
- Add to my list of references for professional growth/learning
The two most popular answers so far:
- Pluralsight for technical training
- LinkedIn Learning for soft-skills
100% agree; but not really what I’m looking for. Though a couple of books have been suggested.
Looking at my profile on Pluralsight my current total view time is 507 h 10 m. I figured out that I probably need to update the privacy settings to allow other to see/view what training courses I have taken. Does anyone else really link to their Pluralsight profile? Guess I’ll try it.
https://app.pluralsight.com/profile/robert-buecker
So, I’m back to Catch-22. Is linking to a training website proof that I have skills that are relevant to a technical position? Do potential employers appreciate/accept this? If I was a potential employer, would I?
From that angle, I think I would like to see top 3-5 recommended training courses or influential books that an individual values most or believes that best prepares them for their desired position. I suppose that having a good mentor could also be extremely valuable here as well.
Now how do you communicate that? In a resume? In a blog post? In an interview? Lots of questions and “it depends” seems like the only real answer to all of them…
Rob Buecker Consulting 
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