I have been doing a brain dump on Hekaton for the past few weeks, but I need a bit of break before diving into (and possibly drowning in) the internals.

I have attended a few technology-related professional development courses over the past few years, and I wanted to place some of the better pieces of advice here, primarily for my reference.  Because I very much need this as much as anyone, if not more.

Because I’m such an expert on such matters (not!), I have decided to leave these suggestions in bullet form. It may also have something to with the fact I really don’t have anything to add.

• Interview question: What is one of the worst things about working here?
• Act like a consultant (even if you aren’t)
• Work on advanced projects – just enough to be uncomfortable
• Get some exercise / mediate
• Non-computer-related hobby
• Make your accomplishments visible (far beyond the team that already knows)
• Have strong opinions, weakly held (be willing to change)
• Be a jack-of-all-trades
• Be willing to step up and work extra hours when the need arises
• Avoid negativity – in yourself and others
• Learn new, related technologies
• Know where you want to go
• Use objective information (not emotion) to project the lifetime of a technology
• If your current job doesn’t include what you love to do, expand your job and take on extra responsibilities
• Once per year take time to assess where you were a year ago and where you want to be in one year
• Iterative, continual learning is the best approach
• Recognize that short-term thinking is usually driven by artificially dictated project deadlines
• On the other hand, too much long-term thinking can cause the project to become mired and never ship
• Learn when to ignore company politics and just do your job
• Choose your battles; is this the right hill to die on?
• Listen before responding; let them give their story
• Most people need criticism; most people who deliver criticism do it poorly (get over it)
• Don’t try to do too much; do fewer things and do them well
• Low performers realize they can do 20% and survive; high performers do 20% more and stay ahead
• Continually interview, even if you don’t intend to leave (helps evaluate the industry and self-skills)