303: Respect The Team That You're A Part Of and Develop Your Network with James Stanger

In this week's show, Phil talks to James Stanger, CompTIA's Chief Technology Evangelist. James has consulted in cloud security, open source, and networking for organizations such as Northrop Grumman, Tesco, AWS, West Point, SoftBank, and Symantec. He has also developed education programs on a myriad of subjects, including security analytics, cloud administration, Linux, British Romantic literature and kayaking. In this episode James talks about the importance of interpersonal skills and why we should always remember that IT is a people business. He also discusses the value in developing your own network of people. KEY TAKEAWAYS: TOP CAREER TIP Always keep on top of your power skills, especially the ability to act effectively in an interpersonal way. Remember that IT is a people business, so we must show respect for others. WORST CAREER MOMENT Early in his working life, James realized that he had spent much of his time training and gaining qualifications, only to be stuck in a job that would not pay him accordingly. CAREER HIGHLIGHT James's public speaking touched the mind and heart of an audience member who later approached him to tell him that the advice he had given had been life-changing. THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The incredibly rapid change that happens in IT. So long as we have the foundational skills, we can always adapt and pivot in the sector and find new opportunities. IT has also impacted the world in incredibly positive ways throughout the COVID experience. THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – James recognized the need to make technology do very interesting things for humanity. What's the best career advice you received? – Always be curious. What's the worst career advice you received? – Follow the money! What would you do if you started your career now? – James would have worked harder in learning the foundations of IT and tech. What are your current career objectives? – Understanding security elements and analytics, as well as project management and how to be more "agile". What's your number one non-technical skill? – Developing empathy and working out where people are coming from. How do you keep your own career energized? – James likes to do deep dives into specific topics and really get to the heart of matters. What do you do away from technology? – Scuba diving, kayaking and working on cars. FINAL CAREER TIP As well as being curious, always do your best to develop your network. Learning from others is the best way to grow. BEST MOMENTS (8:55) – James - "If you can't manage your time, you're not as useful as you think you are" (13:52) – James - "It comes down to listening to your network of friends and people you work with and for" (18:20) – James – "Technology, when it's used right, can be there to help us out as long as we use our tools correctly, and don't use them for ill" (22:06) – James – "If you have an innate sense of trying to figure out how something works, you'll always get into the meat of a situation" ABOUT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organizations to design, develop, and implement software solutions.  Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers.  And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey. CONTACT THE HOST – PHIL BURGESS Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/_philburgess LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Instagram: https://instagram.com/_philburgess Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact Phil is also reachable by email at [email protected] and via the podcast's website, https://itcareerenergizer.com Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer ABOUT THE GUEST – JAMES STANGER James Stanger is CompTIA's Chief Technology Evangelist. He has consulted in cloud security, open source, and networking for organizations such as Northrop Grumman, Tesco, AWS, West Point, SoftBank, and Symantec. He has also developed education programs on a myriad of subjects, including security analytics, cloud administration, Linux, British Romantic literature and kayaking. CONTACT THE GUEST – JAMES STANGER James Stanger can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jamesstanger LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesstanger/ Website: https://www.comptia.org/home