335: Look For The Opportunities To Grow and Don't Doubt Yourself with Kirk Marple

In this week's show, Phil talks to Kirk Marple, a customer-focused technology leader. He is the CEO and Founder of Unstruk Data and has more than 25 years of experience developing media management pipelines, leading DevOps at venture backed companies and structuring successful exits. Kirk talks to Phil about how taking risks and looking for opportunities can often provide the most growth. He also discusses the importance in looking past negative feedback and shaking off self-doubt when it arises.   KEY TAKEAWAYS:   TOP CAREER TIP You are the one responsible for your career. Look for ways to take chances. By doing so, you will achieve far more growth and development.   WORST CAREER MOMENT Kirk has experienced what it is to be along some way in a project, only to find that the team are not fulfilling their potential, leading to some strained conversations.   CAREER HIGHLIGHT Working for Public Broadcast Systems, Kirk enacted and created a product that made its way into mainstream society. This was a source of great pride.   THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T The world of IT is never-ending. The jobs and responsibilities are constantly evolving and developing, leading to infinite possibilities in the space.   THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Kirk first trained as a chef but found a greater aptitude for IT while programming in his spare time. What's the best career advice you received? – Show empathy and try to see problems from others' points of view. What's the worst career advice you received? – The only times bad advice has come, has been when people refused to believe in Kirk. What would you do if you started your career now? – Kirk would focus on Python, Linux and Javascript stacks. He would also focus on videogame development. What are your current career objectives? – Juggling technical with the CEO side of operations. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Writing ability and communication skills. How do you keep your own career energized? – Staying current, keeping up to date with new technologies and innovations. What do you do away from technology? – Spending time with family and cooking.   FINAL CAREER TIP Don't doubt yourself. Everyone gets negative feedback from time to time. Learn to see the value in it, and don't let it dissuade you from your goals.   BEST MOMENTS (5:05) – Kirk – "No one is going to look out for your career as much as you are" (8:06) – Kirk - "Be sure that you have good people around you, but also give them more responsibility" (11:05) – Kirk – "There's always something new, there's always another problem to solve, there's always something new to learn" (13:45) – Kirk – "Think about things from other peoples' perspectives, even at a technical level"   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 – KIRK MARPLE Kirk Marple is a customer-focused technology leader. He is the CEO and Founder of Unstruk Data and has more than 25 years of experience developing media management pipelines, leading DevOps at venture backed companies and structuring successful exits.   CONTACT THE GUEST – KIRK MARPLE Twitter: https://twitter.com/KirkMarple LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kirkmarple Website: https://www.unstruk.com/