Steve,

I definitely agree on the point of working smarter, not harder. I see way too much of the other way around nowadays. Don't try to reinvent the wheel just to say one could. It generally impresses no one anyway, and it usually wastes a lot of time. Use the huge toolbox that is already at everyone's disposal, Google it first. I would also add to not let employers "pigeonhole" your career into what they need. I tell employers straight out when interviewing, "I am a production DBA, not a reports developer." Once you start taking on this role, you tend to inherit it quickly (largely because no one else wants it) and you then find yourself at your new position doing little else. The big problem with developing reports, is you are never done with them. Remember, it is your career, don't let other people dictate where it goes, and if that means leaving or not taking the job in the first place, then so be it. Your career is kind of like sitting on top of a stagecoach with someone else. You can let someone else determine the path, or you can grab a hold of the reins and determine that yourself. The key, is don't spend years making that decision. 😀