As I come to the end of my first month as a newcomer to the Cloud Rede team, I thought I’d take the time to properly introduce myself. Writing personal blogs isn’t quite as easy for me as delving into technical topics, so I do hope you’ll bear with me!
After working alongside Christian and Karl before, I had been waiting for the opportunity to join the team at Cloud Rede. It felt like a natural next step in my journey, knowing Cloud Rede’s well-regarded reputation for customer engagement and technical standards. Their commitment to excellence and doing the right thing aligns with my own personal values, making my decision to join the team an easy one.
During my first couple of weeks, I have been busy understanding our customers’ environments, getting to know everyone, and handling requests and issues as they come in. While I have worked in similar environments before, what truly sets Cloud Rede apart is their dedication to spending the time needed to really deliver on requirements, ensuring that they are delivering the best work possible.
Joining Cloud Rede has also provided me with the opportunity to dive deeper into the AWS platform, work towards certification as an AWS Certified Solutions Architect, and further enhance my Azure skills and qualifications. As an avid learner, I’ve always been drawn to the pursuit of mastery, and Cloud Rede provides the perfect environment for me to do just that.
If I may offer one piece of advice to fellow professionals in technical roles, it would be to adopt the “sharpen the saw” attitude of improving and expanding your skill set. If you are doing the same work every day, your rate of improvement will slow, and you will rely on new issues coming along to help your growth. You need a plan for at least the next 12 months of study and have projects to work on that require you to stretch your skills. Even though at Cloud Rede I have great technical variety, I still have a study plan that I am carving out time on every day to ensure that I am staying on the right path.
Reflecting on my career, SQL Server has been a consistent focal point. After finishing my Software Engineering degree, I initially worked as a developer, a time when they were still referred to as “Analyst/Programmers”. Then, by chance, I ended up sitting next to a SQL Server DBA, and this then set my career course in motion! What began as a passing interest soon became my driving force, and as they say, ‘the rest is history’.
Over the past 25 years, I have worked in numerous different roles, all centred around SQL Server: Database Administrator, Developer, Trainer, Consultant, and Team Manager. Since 2002, I have been busy staying current with Microsoft certifications. I have passed 23 exams and have been a Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCT) since 2016. Sharing knowledge and facilitating skill development has always been a priority for me. This includes actively supporting and guiding team members in their professional growth, providing training for clients, and delivering presentations at local user groups and SQLBits events.
I look forward to what the rest of 2024 brings for Cloud Rede and how I’ll continue to develop alongside the company.
Joe Pollock – Principal Cloud DBA
