Andy Schwam and Dani Diaz have started a 'Post-It-Forward' meme highlighting five people that have influenced their careers.
I think Andy says it best:
I encourage all bloggers to write a post and mention 5 people that influenced their careers. It doesn't have to be a chain; you don't need to be "tagged" to join in. Just pick your 5 people. None of the people I am naming have blogs themselves. It's just a chance to say thank you. You can pick anyone you want, it doesn't even have to be someone you know personally or worked with, just someone who has had an impact on your career.
Here is my list in no particular order:
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My Parents
Ok, so it sounds cliché, but it is also true. I remember my parents getting me a Mac IIci for Christmas when I was around 15, and I would tinker with HyperCard and FileMaker Pro every chance I got. My Dad had to literally unplug it so I would go to bed (argh!!!). Even before that, I would spend time on my Mom's IBM PC in the basement playing with DOS and DOS-based text editors.
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Dan Hart – Owner – Sofwerks
Dan Hart gave me my first job, which I wasn't technically qualified for, and mentored me in web development (ASP, VB6, and SQL Server). If it wasn't for Dan, I'd probably still be towing cars.
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Ovidiu Balan – Senior Software Developer – SunGard AMS
Let's start out by saying that Ovi is a genius. I had the privilege of working with Ovi at SunGard for the better part of six years, and his knowledge and technical aptitude amazed me. Among other things, Ovi is responsible for helping me be more scientific and mathematical in my development, as well as to look closer at the business side of a problem before leaping in with a technical solution.
The other part of this story is that Ovi was one of my interviewers before I went to work at SunGard. Little did he know he was also interviewing for a brother-in-law. His sister also worked there, and we worked two cubes apart for the same manager. She and I ended up falling in love there and getting married.
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Dani Diaz – Developer Evangelist – Microsoft Corporation
I first met Dani about a year ago at a Philly .NET event. Dani has been a great inspirer and mentor in helping me find my passion and technology focus. Dani has also inspired me to be an influencer and a mentor myself.
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Bill Wolff – Grand Poobah – Philly .NET User Group
Bill Wolff started the Philly .NET User Group in 2001. Not only have I learned a ton of information from attending user group meetings over the past year, but I got my current job after meeting a recruiter at one of the Code Camps.
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Now that you've seen my list, I encourage you to create your own; say thanks to those that helped you along the way.