I like consistency in my life, just as I like consistency in our customer databases. Consistency is calming; it reduces angst and anxiety in my mind. I realized this today after my spin class. I love my spin class. Every Tuesday and Thursday I know that after class I will be exhausted because it’s a challenging workout every single time.
Consistency in Clones
Then I started to think about other consistencies – the member of my softball team who fields the ball cleanly at each opportunity and gets the out, the friend who always has a listening ear and sage advice, the child who always ask to play Wii for 5 more minutes, even though I’ve said it’s time to stop.
And this led me to wonder whether I am consistent in my job. Am I seen, within my company, or my department, or my team as a go-to person? Do people believe that if they come to me with a question or problem related to SQL Server that I can answer it, or find the answer? I hope so.
Now consider your world. Are you a go-to person within your organization? What is your specialty, and do people know it is your specialty? If they don’t, what can you do to let them know where your knowledge is strong? If they do, are you making notes every time you save the day? If you’re not, you should. Recording those rock star moments serves two purposes. First, when it’s time for a review, you can bring up these events to your manager to help demonstrate your value to the company (in case he or she is not already aware). Second, should you ever decide to move beyond your current position, these hero stories help create a line in your resume about your strengths, and can be used as examples of success stories during an interview.
If you haven’t already, figure out your strengths, deepen your knowledge and become the expert. When you’re an expert in one thing, think of what else interests you and repeat the process. Maintain what you know, strive for more, become consistent. People may not immediately realize your value. You may be that go-to person who saves the day repeatedly, and you may not receive immediate recognition. But one day you will be noticed, or found, in some way, shape or form. And believe me, the moment that day comes, you will know that all your hard work was worth it.
