How to Break Up With Your Boss

As some of you may have heard, I’m starting a new job this month, which means leaving my current job. It occurred to us that this is a topic rarely (if ever) really covered, so we made a video about leaving jobs, and assorted other topics. Today we just have an overview of the new DBAs @ Midnight video, “Breaking up with your Boss” (in 4 parts). But tomorrow we’ll have a blog on companies and relationships, in good time to participate in Adam Machanic’s T-SQL Tuesday!

In all fairness, we don’t get to the actual topic until 5 minutes intp Part 2, but we have some jolly good fun in all. Your overview:

Breaking up with your Boss, Part 1:

  • Worst secret handshake EVAR.
  • When Good IPs go Bad: Sean’s IP spoiled, and we rant about Time Warner Cable. Surprise ending!
  • Next rant: Having to give your info to clerks over and over again.

Breaking up with your Boss, Part 2:

  • We envision a brave new world of not filling out forms 3x each.
  • We make Star Trek Next Generation Data/SQL puns…
  • Around about 4:15 I talk about my new, upcoming job
  • 5:30 We get on How To Break Up With Your Boss (6:15 Sean spills tea)
    • Feeling bad for your boss: Bad time to leave? It’s never a good time to can you, either.
    • Feeling bad for the company: You are barcode DBA, and an expensive one, at that.
    • Feeling bad for the project: Feelings fade quickly!
  • 13:20 So how do you break up, then? [Office Space reference here.]
  • For starters, separate yourself!

Breaking up with your Boss, Part 3:

  • Why I got nervous the day I quit.
  • I mention Mladen Prajdic, a Twitter friend who amused me (and mangle his name, badly)
  • I mention The Gift of Fear by Gavin DeBecker, and how quitting is like breaking up, is like safety rules…take away footholds.
  • Sean tells a big secret about his past, and we all learn a life lesson.
  • We learn THE wording to use when leaving a job.
  • We discuss various responses to “Why are you leaving?”
  • Sean’s Blue Cross story – 3 months, and never logged into a single database. Jen rants. Sean finishes his story…almost.

Breaking up with your Boss, Part 4:

  • Conclusion of Blue Cross story.
  • Exit interviews.
  • Celebrity status, and entering the SQLPass starfield with a guide. “JOE FREAKING CELKO, who is one of the coolest dudes on the planet…”.
  • Different ways of leaving a job – the nice breakup, and THE BAD ONE (Jen’s story).
  • Things you can do to mitigate a bad breakup – this is THE #1 MOST IMPORTANT TIP when leaving a job. And a couple of other good tips too.
  • We reiterate: Sometimes the answer is no. Sean’s story of “fixing” Arcserve backups. “Oobi…backup expert!”
  • We finally, finally trail off and say goodnight. Didn’t see that coming, did you?

Happy days…

-Jen McCown

http://www.MidnightDBA.com