Reflecting on Career Lessons: The Biggest Mistakes in Tech

In the fast-paced world of technology, we often learn our most valuable lessons from our mistakes. A recent discussion regarding Azure MFA sparked memories of critical missteps that many of us have faced in our careers. One particular incident stands out as a reminder of the importance of caution and thorough testing in our work.

Early in my career as an implementation consultant, I encountered one of those stomach-dropping moments that can forever change the way you approach your responsibilities. While still getting accustomed to SQL, I was tasked with executing a statement to delete records based on a client’s request. Our Integrated Software Environment (ISE) had a feature that allowed you to execute only the highlighted code, providing a sense of security while testing new queries.

However, in a moment of haste, I mistakenly ran the selection without properly including the necessary conditions. As a result, I inadvertently deleted millions of records directly in the production environment during a particularly busy season. The shock of that realization was overwhelming.

Fortunately, we were using Oracle 11g at the time, and we had recently implemented the flashback functionality. This feature allowed us to recover the lost data swiftly; however, the incident served as a stark reminder of the paramount importance of caution in any technical role. After that harrowing experience, our team made it a practice to adhere strictly to testing in controlled environments before applying any changes in production.

This story resonates with many in the tech industry: taking a moment to verify your actions and properly test code can save a great deal of heartache and frustration. It’s vital to learn from these missteps and share experience with peers to foster a culture of diligence and care in our work.

What’s your most significant mistake in your tech journey? How did it shape your approach to similar tasks in the future? Let’s share and grow from our experiences together.