Nomad Futurist is delighted to welcome Carrie Goetz, a pioneering woman in technology, data center champion, and advocate for diversity, back for a second podcast episode focused on her timely and exciting new book — Jumpstart Your Career in Data Centers.
Goetz’ impetus for writing the book maps closely to the reason Nomad Futurist was founded — to address a data center talent shortage by raising awareness of the industry and helping break down barriers that are contributing to the problem.
“A third of this industry is supposed to gray out by 2025. If we're going to solve our talent shortage problem…if we're going to solve the on ramps and gender parity and diversity issues and address the million other initiatives that are needed in the industry, first off, we need people to know what the industry is.”
And that is exactly what this ambitious book sets out to do by providing an overview of the datacenter ecosystem, along with foundational information, tips and insights Goetz has gained from decades in the industry. In her own words: “It was really a labor of love to put over 40 years of experience on a piece of paper.”
“Instead of highlighting each individual job, I tried to talk about how each individual part fits into the ecosystem…I wanted something that ties it all together…not just from a colo perspective but all the way through where we look at coding and project management, all of the other skills that make this industry work.”
Goetz is also in agreement with Phil and Nabeel about the high value of tradespeople.
“I’m a firm believer in tradespeople…The people that work with their hands deserve all the respect. If it were not for the trades, nothing would get built and none of us would have a job.”
Goetz highlights the fact that most of the jobs in the data center industry do not require a degree and that much learning happens on the job. She offers some smart advice, suggesting that people should try working in the industry to make sure they enjoy it, before pursuing a degree.
“If you're a veteran or you're starting out in the industry, you could start one of those jobs and these multi-billion-dollar companies have tuition reimbursement. If you want to go on and get your degree, go on and get it without student debt.”
Goetz is generously contributing 25% of the proceeds from the sale of her book to the Nomad Futurist Foundation. Please visit the Jump Start page on our Foundation website to learn more and/or purchase the book.
Carrie Goetz, Principal/CTO, StrategITcom, personifies over 40 years of global experience designing, running, and auditing, data centers and IT departments. She is an international keynote speaker and is globally published in 69 countries in over 250 publications. Amongst her recent accolades:
· Top 25 Women in Mission Critical 2022, Mission Critical Magazine
· 30 Top Most Influential Women in Tech 2021 by CIO Outlook
Goetz holds an honorary doctorate in Mission Critical Operations, RCDD/NTS, PSP, CNID, CDCP, CSM-Agile, AWS CCP and is a Master Infrastructure Mason with 40+ certifications throughout her career. She served on the WIMCO national education committee and is a long-time participant in 7x24Exchange, AFCOM and Data Center Institute board of advisors, Mission Critical Advisory Board, Women in Data Centers, CNet Technical Curriculum Advisory Board, NEDAS Advisory Board, a member of BICSI, Women in BICSI, and an education committee member, and a member of Women Leading Technology Sorority. She champions STEM education through outreach projects and her podcast series. She holds two patents.
