If you’re a SQL Server professional who hasn’t been to the website of the Professional Association for SQL Server, you’re doing yourself a disservice.  Membership is free and, in addition to all of the technical resources that it provides, it connects you to a world of networking opportunities with other like-minded professionals.  I strongly encourage you to register and then go the second step of creating a PASSport profile.

Once you’re registered, you can get access to many resources such as live and recorded webcasts, SIG events, and much more.  Not to toot my own horn too much, but you’ll also get access to my monthly column on professional development called Plays Well With Others.  My latest article, Successful Directors versus Successful Technologists, is about the sort of skills retooling (or simple growth in your skills) that is needed to move from a highly tactical job to a highly strategic job.  You do have to register to see the article, but again, it’s free.  (For more information on this worthwhile topic, take a look at Andy Warren’s post at SQL Server Central and at Tom LaRock’s post.)

I won’t spoil the surprise by telling you what the article itself says.  However, I will make one addition point and it’s an important point to make.  I didn’t have the skills that I describe in the article when I started with PASS.

That’s one of the great things about taking a seat on the board of PASS.  You get to learn a lot of skills that might not otherwise come your way as an IT pro for many years.  Why wait to learn the skills needed to be a great CIO or CTO until you’re applying for those lofty jobs?  Why not learn the skills years and put them into practice years before your peers as a member of the board of directors?  And although learning to build a clean and tight budget doesn’t sound exciting or building a strategy for an important new program might sound pie-in-the-skill, these are the sorts of skills you’ll need to reach for the C-level positions in a big IT organization.

Let me know what you think!

-Kevin

kekline @ twitter