I had the opportunity to talk with Phil Burgess on the IT Career Energizer podcast recently and really enjoyed the discussion. I’m used to talking about technical topics when I’m invited to a podcast, but this interview was completely different. Instead of getting technical, we focused on career tips, the importance of being willing to learn, life lessons learned, and some of the mental barriers that we can all overcome to advance our career, our life, and our overall happiness.
We addressed the following questions (and others) in the podcast:
- Unique Career Tips
- Worst Career Moment
- Career Highlight/Greatest Successes
- What Excites You About the Future of a Career in IT
- What Attracted You to a Career in IT in the First Place?
- A Parting Piece of Career Advice
I’ll admit that some of the tips I mention may seem a bit “old fashioned” to some people especially in the age of social media. Things like “always be honest” and “treat people how you’d like to be treated” for example. These concepts are the cornerstone of my business and how I strive to live life in general. I view them as essential rules to live by if you want to advance your career and build lasting relationships. Since social media has provided a way for some to hide behind a computer or phone while throwing out insults, living by some of these guidelines is more important than ever in my opinion.
Another big part of my life now days centers around mindfulness, meditation, and gaining insight into what I’m thinking about. When I was younger I had no idea what was really going on in my head – emotions ruled each day and I definitely had what some call the “monkey mind”. I now realize how much impact negative and fearful thoughts flying around in my head held me back. Phil and I were able to discuss this some as well as a few techniques I use to be more mindful and aware so that I can direct thoughts in the direction I want to go in life rather than being pushed in whatever direction my mind was randomly going on a given day. One of my favorite quotes from the podcast is:
“It’s amazing how much we hold ourselves back by what we think”