How to deal with the ISV.      Ah, the project manager stops by your desk and informs you that the company has bought another application. You have a conference call with the vendor tomorrow to discuss the implementation. What do you ask? How do you know if you are talking to the right people? For starters, shouldn’t you have been consulted before they bought the application? How do you tell if the application will play well with SQL Server? Many ISVs are well run, SQL Server savvy software companies. Some are not. I have seen the range from great teamwork between the DBA team and the ISV to near-outright hostility.
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Networking for DBA’s            Most IT people would rather have a root canal than have to go and meet people at a networking event. Networking really isn’t all that bad once you try it – and it can be a lot of fun. Think of networking as an investment in your future. A review of what I have learned at it in my journey. Finally, a few LinkedIn do’s and don’ts.
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The DBA as the guardian of data           DBA’s don’t get the respect in our society that some other professionals do, like say, doctors and lawyers. But we do just as important work. We are the guardians of the world’s data. Think about that for a minute. It’s critical data that allows business leaders to make decisions. Some thoughts on the protection of the data, interspersed in with some discussion of data breaches and backup encryption.
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Be professionally helpful       As DBAs we are the keepers of the data.  You may know it by its other name: The Truth.  Strip away the systems surrounding the data and it is still the important kernel of our client's business.  Sometimes we feel like since we work on the most important stuff we are the most important stuff too and it spills into our effectiveness.  Our attitude is poor, we are mildly condescending to the development group, mildly unhelpful to the business users of the BI reports, mean to the company dog, etc.
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 Keep others calm during a crisis           "The database is down!  Why aren't you freaking out?" Keeping *others* calm while resolving a critical issue is a key skill for DBAs.  We need to use our technical knowledge, communication skills, business knowledge, and empathy to communicate that: - We understand the severity of the problem and its business impact - The problem will be resolved as fast as possible - We will keep you updated frequently and honestly - We will perform a full root cause analysis after the dust settles
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Recognize opportunities unique to our role>>       We as DBAs have a unique view of the data - we can see all of it and understand how to manipulate it quickly.  We also see most of the organization (warts and all) that uses it - all the groups, systems, external vendors and customers.
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Use basic project management techniques          We are all project managers.  When you plan out your Saturday you are planning a (possibly very lame) project.  DBAs are expected to be pro-level project managers whether they realize it or not.  A typical DBA is  typically managing maintenance projects, small tasks for other groups, support requests, and long-term planning projects at any given time.
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How to make a global ERP project fail. How can a $4 billion/yr company screw up a global ERP implementation? In this chapter we will discuss the craziness of a real, live project, that started out with the best of intentions, but went horribly wrong, horribly quickly. Incompetent CIOs, crazy managers, and wonderfully incompetent "implementation partners". This is story that's too bad to be true, but it is.
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Great Communication: The Most Useful Skill       "No one knows what I do." That's a chief complaint of data professionals everywhere, and it's a dangerous position to be in as well. Reviews may not be favorable, promotions more uncommon, and training dollars more rare. But by practicing written and verbal communication, new opportunites may present themselves. Blogging can land a book deal. In-house team lunch-and-learns can lead to community presentations. Most of all, good communication can be the skill that saves your job or opens the door to new horizons.
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DBA Means Default Blame Acceptor    Learn to live with it --> More ProfDev - basically, how to deal with other teams, what to do when you hear "It's the Database!", why we can't say "well the backup team was supposed to be.... " Basically a pep talk on how we are to be the keepers of the data and how to get along with folks in the process.
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Plan to Fail              Another one inspired by a pet peeve and often blogged about topic of mine. This one is also a bit ProfDevish but it would cover checklists, rollback plans, why some environment, "South of Production" should look like production and the importance of (REAL) Go/No-Go meetings.
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"Being a DBA is a lifestyle choice"        As a DBA you don't get the normal 9-5 work life. You'll have late nights, long weekends and on call duties. Add to that the need to keep your skills current and any kinds of community activites. It's a far larger commitment than most jobs
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The DBA's soft skills              From constant reading and learning, to networking, there are many skills you'll need to keep from being an invisible DBA.  I'll encourage the DBA to become at least a little extroverted, if only to help them grow their careers.  I'll share from my own experiences of literally working in a closet to teaching others in my own job, and finally giving back to the SQL community at large.
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The SQL Community IS a tribe!              When we all get started in SQL we think: "it's me against the world." But that's the furthest from the truth.  Once you're introduced to PASS, there is this transformative event.  You learn there are many of us in the same situation, and every single one of us is there to help.  We're not going to do your job for you, but we're going to help you use every tool out there, or learn to craft your own tools.  In this chapter I'd introduce the reader to PASS, SQL Saturdays (and other live events), introduce them to the virtual communities Twitter, stackoverflow, etc.  And encourage them to join, at first as learners, and later as masters (I'll do my best to keep the Star Wars references to a minimum.)
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SQL Server resources on the internet    An article about the various on-line SQL Server resources, from the Twitter #SQLHelp hash tag to blogs and newsletters. Also includes information about netiquette and proper use of these resources.
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Project Management for the Techie DBA             Would be biased towards PRINCE2 (as I'm a <s>certifiable</s> certified Practitioner), and give a quick overview of the methodology and the important bits from the techie perspective - such as "What's a PID", "How to write a one page business case".
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Selling Yourself       In these uncertain economic times, it's useful to be able to sell yourself quickly and convincingly.  I have some war stories (see blog posts passim), and some advice on CV / resume format, and other tips that may help.
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how to become a DBA           Although many books and blogs have focused on how to become a DBA, including an exceptional book by Thomas LaRock, I haven’t yet come across one that doesn’t involve getting to know the DBA team at your company. If, like me, you don’t have any DBA’s at your company, the process is stopped before it gets started. I believe I’m uniquely suited for this chapter. Eight months ago I was a Desktop Support Technician doing desktop and VoIP support to end users in East Dubuque, IL. Today I’m a SharePoint Change Engineer working as a contractor at Microsoft, primarily SQL Support for SharePoint.  My process involved tremendous help and encouragement from the community through blogs, your show on Friday nights, and several SQL Saturday’s. At these SQL Saturday’s I met and was encouraged by some of the biggest names in the community even though my name tag specifically stated I was a Desktop Support Technician, not a DBA. These included people like Kevin Kline, Jes Borland, Jason Strate and Kendra Little. All of whom were kind, generous with their extremely valuable time, and constantly encouraging.
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5 Keys to Getting a Stellar Performance Review                 Do you enjoy the performance review process?  You know you’re awesome, so why it is so hard to fill out a self-appraisal?  In this chapter I will share 5 key tips on how a SQL professional can always score an amazing performance review.  Learn how to prove to your boss that you’re the best investment he’s ever made
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