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My Focus

Carl Setzer
crop colleagues shaking hands in office

As I’ve written earlier, I really hadn’t thought too deeply about my long-term plans when I started this career transition. “I’ll build websites” was pretty much it. I didn’t think about where I’d work (companies, etc) or what, exactly, I’d do. So, the past few weeks I have focused on determining answers to those questions.

I did think about focusing on communications, as that kind of work has been a huge orbit for my career. However, after consulting with several friends and mentors, I now see that my career has had a few key elements that I want to move forward with. Project management is key amongst them.

For every company I’ve worked for, projects have been a key component. Every. Single. One. Some places more so than others.

The other piece has been technology management. Whether procuring and configuring PCs, copiers, etc, setting up and troubleshooting wifi and networking issues, desktop support, fixing phone systems, setting up security systems…you get the picture.

So, with the advice of my key trusted allies, I’m focusing on technology management. After I’m done at Edmonds, I will transfer to Central Washington University’s Lynnwood campus and work towards my Bachelor of Applied Science in Information Technology and Administrative Management.

I see that my web and cloud development studies, along with my side networking and desktop support courses, grant me a unique understanding of the technological needs of companies. Combining that with my background working for a wide range of businesses, I can make a solid impact anywhere I would work.

I’m starting my next steps with that since I have less than 6 months before I finish the ATA, which will pass by quickly.

Let me know of any leads or advice. I’d be much obliged!

Some Goals For 2022

Carl Setzer2 Comments
green typewriter on brown wooden table

Pooja over at Life’s Fine Whine posted some goals for 2022. Made me think it was a good time to post some of my own.

  1. Finish my ATA Degree. I’m on track to finish after spring quarter.
  2. Land a new job. Ideally, this would be timed to coincide with finishing my degree. We’ll see, as this has significant components outside of my control. I’m focusing on Boeing, Seattleite that I am. I expect I’ll need to expand that out. Let me know if there’s a company I should specifically consider.
  3. Related to #2 above, I need to figure out my career focus. Am I going to focus on “digital communications”, project management, systems analysis…oh, so many choices!
  4. Exercise more often. Ideally, this would be daily. But that’s already been challenging with the snow in Seattle turning my walking routes into a mountain of slush. I intend to bike more, walk close to daily, get into taekwondo >2x/week and continue my weekly strength club workouts at Jekel Strength Club.

I’m not sure what else to add at this point. Do you have any suggestions? What are your goals for 2022?

Some Thoughts On Accessibility

Carl Setzer
high angle view of man with laptop on lap and phone in hand

Last week I joined a webinar: “Why We Need More Accessibility Designers“. The presenter is Anna Cook, an accessibility designer. I’ve long had an interest in accessibility and its impacts on technology. Technology can be a powerful solution for accessibility issues, and, of course, can create a whole set of new ones. I appreciated the discussion on the gaps that exist when it comes to addressing accessibility during design education (for my studies at Edmonds College, we have hit on the subject several times. Not with huge depth, but definitely greater than zero). 67% of accessibility issues originate in the design phase, and, of course, correcting issues during design is monumentally less expensive. We also touched on some specific elements, such as color.

Fortunately, this was recorded so you can watch it at your leisure.
https://youtu.be/dQVrfS74xyM

As is the case with these sorts of events, there were many things referenced during the discussion. I think most of them were added to the notes section of the YouTube video. I’ll drop my key links below, though.

Web Designer vs Web Developer

Carl Setzer
apple monitors

Someone recently pointed out that I should label my studies “web design” not “web development”. Now, this was not meant as a troll! But to better describe what I’m studying, and what I offer.

My coursework does NOT dive DEEP into code. Edmonds College does offer an associate’s degree with a similar title that does. That program includes two quarters of Java programming after the Introduction to Programming course I took. In addition, that program covers the same website coding elements I did: JavaScript, jQuery, and PHP. My program spends that time diving into design (two quarters of design). The design courses were what made this program interesting to me. I love studying design!

So, I’m quite happy with labelling myself a web designer vs a web developer. Actually, finding an accurate label for what I love, what I offer and what I “bring to the table” is exactly what I want. I don’t want potential employers to think I have a skill-set I don’t have. That doesn’t end well for anyone.

Some More Thoughts On Databases

Carl Setzer
white caution cone on keyboard

Man, this quarter had so many “aha” moments for me. The biggest for me? Well, just how little I knew. Databases have been a key part of my studies at Edmonds College. Though I did a lot in Access, I worked with MySQL several times. In PHP, we spent (I thought) a fair amount of time on MySQL. Now, as I hit the end of the quarter, I KNOW I’ve learned a lot, but I see huge gaps in my knowledge. If nothing else, I have developed a huge appreciation for database administrators. 

Why I decided to study web development

Carl Setzer
information sign on shelf

I came to study web development a bit differently than most (more on that journey here). Much of my background has been in some variant of communications. Lots of writing (I’ve loved writing for years…it’s what got me started in blogging), but also photography, newsletter creation/editing/management, web content, public affairs and policy…my list goes on a bit here. Over the years, I started exploring website creation. Mostly just exploring on personal projects. In 2000, I created one for the church I worked at. I then worked specifically in communications roles in a few companies. The past 10 years or so, I’ve focused on digital marketing. This includes pay-per-click, SEO, content marketing, blogging and social media campaigns. Websites have been crucial elements of that. I created and managed several sites, mostly WordPress sites, but several others as well.

I was struggling to choose between web development and graphic design. Web development won since I’ve long seen the web as the future of communications. Now, though, it’s really, well, the “now” of communications. And I really want to grab hold of the now, and what’s coming. With web development, I guess I need to explore Web 3.0.

The Business of Data

Carl Setzer

This quarter I’ve heavily focused on data. Of my three classes, one is on SQL and another is focused on database theory and design. As part of the theory and design class, I’ve been thinking a bit about Business Intelligence (BI) systems.

What are BI systems?

Business Intelligence Systems are tools that enable management (and other people) to analyze business activities. This includes past and current activities. Additionally, these tools are extremely valuable in predicting future behavior. They enable organizations to assess their effectiveness, strategize and plan for the future, as well as control various elements of the business. Ultimately, their function is to assist and guide decision-making. 

How do BI systems differ from transaction processing systems?

Transaction processing systems, aka: operational systems, facilitate and monitor primary business operations such as sales, purchasing, and inventory control. They are involved in the ongoing stream of daily business operations. Operational systems are, generally, the core program of the business. 

Business Intelligence Systems focus on management’s decision-making and analysis needs. Often, BI systems are disconnected from operational databases. BI systems pull their data from three possible sources:

  1. From the data within the operational database. However, they do not modify, insert or delete the operational data. It’s critical that analytics remain separate from the operational system. 
  2. From data that have been extracted from the operational system. This database might be completely different from the operational, including being a different DBMS, or even a non-database tool like Excel.
  3. BI systems can also analyze data purchased from third-party data vendors. 

I am finding data systems to be incredibly fascinating. Though it is one of the “areas of the future”, that’s not the whole thing. I see how valuable data is to, well, everyone. There are so many ways to benefit any organization and so many ways to misuse it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Carl Setzer

Here in the US, it’s Thanksgiving, a day where we’re supposed to step back and look at what’s good in the world, and, well, be thankful. It’s challenging to not obsess over the problems, over what’s wrong. I’m thankful for my family, good friends, and the opportunities I have.

And for each of you, my dear readers. Thank you for reading my thoughts and for being a part of my life.

* I created this with Adobe Spark using a built-in theme.