288: Learn To Be Useful and Gain Mastery In Your Area Of Expertise with Scott Turman

In this week's show, Phil talks to Scott Turman, who has developed software and cryptographic systems over the last 25 years for some pretty big organisations such as NASA, Disney, Hilton and the US Department of Defence.   He is the founder of BrightRay Consulting which is a staffing and software solutions company that he formed 6 years ago.   Scott talks to Phil about making sure we achieve the worth for which we have worked by being as useful as possible and developing skills. He also discusses why we must gain mastery over our area of expertise.   KEY TAKEAWAYS:   TOP CAREER TIP Learn to be as useful as you can, and find an organization that will pay your fairly for the skills you can perform.   WORST CAREER MOMENT Scott was interviewed by someone he looked up to, and failed during the last stages of the interview. If successful, he would have gone to work for Microsoft.   CAREER HIGHLIGHT Scott achieved a position at NASA – his dream job. NASA's legacy runs deep in Scott's family, so to win a position there was a lifelong ambition.   THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T IT in the past was not an agile sector. Ideas remained so until backing and technological development could be resourced. Nowadays, people can bring ideas t life on their own.   THE REVEAL What first attracted you to a career in I.T.? – Scott's Atari 400 and other early computers. Scott's father encouraged simulations and other technical pursuits. What's the best career advice you received? – No matter what they offer you, always ask for more. What's the worst career advice you received? – To stay out of the fray and under the radar. There's no better way to be fired first than to offer the least amount of value. What would you do if you started your career now? – Scott would specialize in security, the one area that can never be truly fully automated. What are your current career objectives? – Scott's organisation is moving into proof-of-concept work. What's your number one non-technical skill? – Learning to negotiate, especially in terms of salary. How do you keep your own career energized? – Scott consumes podcasts, books and learns bout new technologies whenever possible. What do you do away from technology? – Scott loves to spend time with family.   FINAL CAREER TIP Pick an area of expertise that is useful and once you've done that, master it!   BEST MOMENTS   (3:11) – Scott - "Find an organisation that will pay you for your skills" (3:52) – Scott - "Be useful, develop a skill, and be ridiculously good at it" (9:12) – Scott – "From idea to minimal viable product can be done in a few months with the right people" (11:49) – Scott – "If you can demonstrate your value in the world, then there's always a little bit of room for you" (13:40) – Scott – "Wallflowers don't ever make history"   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/philtechcareer LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer 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 – SCOTT TURMAN   Scott Turman  has developed software and cryptographic systems over the last 25 years for some pretty big organisations such as NASA, Disney, Hilton and the US Department of Defence.   He is the founder of BrightRay Consulting which is a staffing and software solutions company that he formed 6 years ago.   CONTACT THE GUEST – SCOTT TURMAN   Scott Turman can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottturman/ Website: https://scottturman.com