Going to the PASS summit is an amazing experience as you’ve probably noticed from all the wrap up posts that you’ve seen. However the downside to PASS is the sad reality that after the summit has ended you have to get back to normal work and your normal life. But that isn’t actually true. You can extend that awesome PASS feeling by attending other events like SQL Excursions, SQL Saturdays, etc. Were you can continue to get your SQL learning on, networking with other SQL Server professionals and having a good time while you enhance your career, improve your skills for your current role, have a great time and make new friends for life.
What ever you do, don’t make the SQL PASS experience a short one week a year experience, make it something that you do through out the year, every year. Your employer will thank you as you develop new skills to help them now, and you and your family will thank you as you work on moving your career to the next level.
For you managers reading this, don’t worry that your employees will jump ship when they get back from a conference. While some might, if they do they were going to leave anyway and not sending them wasn’t going to stop them. Odds are you’ll probably get some great leads for potential new SQL professionals when you send your people to conferences. I’ve even heard of people getting home from a conference with a new job, and giving their old employees a great referral for a replacement.
Hopefully everyone is able to slowly get back into regular life, until the next time we all meet.
Denny
