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Phil\\u2019s guest on this episode of the IT Career Energizer podcast is Stephen Woolston.\\xa0 Stephen is a program and service delivery consultant with an extensive background in IT infrastructure.\\xa0 He holds a first-class computer science degree from Nottingham University and started his career working on mainframe systems at Norwich Union.

He is also a professional coach, helping people to become happier and more successful in what they do.

In this episode, Phil and Stephen Woolston discuss how to quickly adapt your approach to problem-solving, in an ever-changing landscape, by using radical adaptability and positive direction-finding. How to quickly adapt to new environments, find and fix more problems effectively. As well as the importance of having confidence in your abilities.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

(3.04) TOP CAREER TIP

Develop radical adaptability and a positive direction finder. You need to have the ability to drop into any commercial environment and quickly figure out what is happening and how to move things in the right direction.

During the podcast, Stephen explains, what he means by radical adaptability and positive direction-finding. As well as how you can develop those skills.

(5.23) WORST CAREER MOMENT

Stephen was once an operational planner, responsible for the governance of approving renewal costs. When he started, he was handed a cost schedule that he assumed covered everything. Unfortunately, a big expense had been left off that schedule.

From this experience, Stephen learned it is not enough to simply check your work. You also need to be on the lookout for mistakes that have slipped through the net. The experience taught him that no colleague can produce flawless work every time.

(9.46) CAREER HIGHLIGHT

For Stephen, the highlight of his career was taking a leading role in Norwich Union\\xb4s Unix systems management. At the time, Unix was in its infancy. So, Stephen had to develop backup, recovery, monitoring and alert systems because they were not really available elsewhere.

(12.56) THE FUTURE OF CAREERS IN I.T

The fact that there are always new problems to solve is exciting. But it is also a huge challenge. You have to constantly be learning new things to keep up. Something that will also be the case in the future.

(15.12) THE REVEAL

What first attracted you to a career in I.T.?\\u2013 As a child, Stephen liked sci-fi, so a career in IT was a natural choice.

What\\u2019s the best career advice you received?\\u2013 Every day you are creating your career. Things are constantly changing so you need to regularly review the direction you are going in.

What\\u2019s the worst career advice you received?\\u2013 Get into one big, rich and powerful company and stay there.

What would you do if you started your career now?\\u2013 Stephen would network more and do so from the very start.

What\\u2019s your number one non-technical skill?\\u2013 Communication skills, if yours are good you can work anywhere on any project you want.

How do you keep your own career energized?\\u2013 By seeking opportunities to work in new environments.

What do you do away from technology? \\u2013 To relax, Stephen listens to movie soundtrack music and spends a lot of his downtime coaching others.

(19.40) FINAL CAREER TIP

Have confidence in your abilities, don\\xb4t worry that you don\\xb4t know everything. Nobody understands a technology or subject completely. Tech moves too fast for that to be possible.

No firm is running perfect systems. There is no shortage of things to fix or update, so you will always be able to contribute something important.

BEST MOMENTS

(3.26) \\u2013 Stephen- \\u201cYou cannot fit the client\'s problem to your solution, you have to fit your solution to the client\'s problem.\\u201d

(7.03) \\u2013 Stephen- \\u201cIf there is an error somewhere, find it before it finds you.\\u201d

(12.44) \\u2013 Stephen- \\u201cWith every evolution, we solve old problems, and we create new ones. They\'re the ones we need to focus on.\\u201d

(14.14) \\u2013 Stephen- \\u201cDevelop adaptability and positive direction-finding skills to meet the new challenges in IT.\\u201d

(17.36) \\u2013 Stephen- \\u201cGood communication skills enable you to solve many more problems and work with far more people.\\u201d

(20.17) \\u2013 Stephen- \\u201cHave confidence in your abilities. Don\\xb4t worry that you might not know everything about everything.\\u201d

\\xa0ABOUT THE HOST \\u2013 PHIL BURGESS

Phil Burgess is an independent IT consultant who has spent the last 20 years helping organisations to design, develop and implement software solutions.\\xa0 Phil has always had an interest in helping others to develop and advance their careers.\\xa0 And in 2017 Phil started the I.T. Career Energizer podcast to try to help as many people as possible to learn from the career advice and experiences of those that have been, and still are, on that same career journey.

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CONTACT THE HOST \\u2013 PHIL BURGESS

Phil can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/philtechcareer

LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/philburgess

Facebook: https://facebook.com/philtechcareer

Instagram: https://instagram.com/philtechcareer

Website: https://itcareerenergizer.com/contact

Phil is also reachable by email at phil@itcareerenergizer.comand via the podcast\\u2019s website, https://itcareerenergizer.com

Join the I.T. Career Energizer Community on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/ITCareerEnergizer

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ABOUT THE GUEST \\u2013 STEPHEN WOOLSTON

Stephen Woolston is a program and service delivery consultant with an extensive background in IT infrastructure.\\xa0He holds a first-class computer science degree from Nottingham University and started his career working on mainframe systems at Norwich Union.

He is also a professional coach, helping people to become happier and more successful in what they do.

CONTACT THE GUEST \\u2013 STEPHEN WOOLSTON

Stephen Woolston can be contacted through the following Social Media platforms:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/woolers

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenwoolston/

Website: https://theswcoaching.com