The North Texas SQL Server User Group is trying out a new format for the August 19th, 2010 meeting. The first part of the meeting will be a presentation from Janis Griffin of Confio software. She will be presenting, “Tuna Helper – Proven Process for Tuning SQL.” The second half of the meeting is the new part. We will be breaking up into small discussion groups to talk about various topics. Each group will have a moderator to help facilitate the discussion. I think this is a really great idea and I hope it works well. My hat is off to the NTSSUG board of directors for this idea! NTSSUG is a very large group and we all know how powerful and beneficial networking with other professionals can be, but networking in a large group can also be a challenge. The NTSSUG board was very forward thinking in recognizing this challenge and trying something new to help the situation. I really think this idea will help those who are not so outgoing get to know others in the group in a smaller and less intimidating setting. SQL server has many different facets (PBM pun intended) and most professionals seem to specialize or gravitate toward a select few of those facets. I believe this format will help connect like-minded individuals to each other, but still maintain the broad scope of interests with the standard main presentation. I am hopeful that this will create strong bonds by connecting members to each other and connecting members to the SQL community. May the connections spread like wild fire and our plates overrun with bacon!
As a side note I will be moderating the discussion on, “How do I get a job as <job title> without experience?” Here is the list of topics:
- How do you keep current with a training budget of zero?
- How do I get a job as <job title> without experience?
- Using blog, Twitter, and Facebook for professional networking and career improvement.
- What benefits do you get from being part of a user group, and how could NTSSUG be a better resource for your professional development?
Also a new position has opened up on the NTSSUG board of directors and the candidates will each have a short speech during the meeting. If you are interested in joining this awesome leadership then check out the NTSSUG website for more details, HERE. As you can see this is a meeting you will not want to miss. Here is what some others have posted.
Jennifer McCown (MidnightDBA)