becoming a DBA??

easyontheeye

hey,

has anyone any advice on how to get started in this area. i have been working for the last 3 years developing applications on unix servers (mainly analysis, specifification and implementation). I have good sql, perl and shell scripting skills. I would really love to go down the DBA/developer route. working with Databases is about 5% of my job but when i have to do anything DB related i really enjoy it. I have applied for a few junior positions but never hear anything back?! My CV is good, do you think they wont get back to me because they dont think i would take the pay cut? truth is i would! a couple of years DB experience and im sure id make it back. any DBA'S out there? how did you get started?

cheers

MIN2511

What recruitment agent are you with? In your cover letter did you specify your interest?
I started out QA testing and got into Product consulting, i reckon you should keep looking. DBA's are in high demand, did you post your CV on monster?
Sometimes no response means they can really afford you.

easyontheeye

hi,

thanks for replying, on irishjobs for instance i write basically my cover letter in there. I express my keen interest in wanting to become a DBA. willlingness to learn etc. I suppose theres just too many people out there that have the skills

mick.fr

Well expressing you wish to learn the DBA job on a recruitment website is not gonna help you finding DBA jobs.
Get some training and start with junior DBA positions would be my advise.

MIN2511

I don't think so, analysis on it's own is enough for you to get the job. Most companies would train you when you start, it's all about adapting. Believe me there are too many IT jobs out there and few people to fill them.
Try monster, i found Irishjobs to be lacklustre compared with monster.

easyontheeye

well thats what im doing, im applying to junior positions, but i dont have the experience for even the junior positions, alhough i have good unix/scritping skills. Believe me any chance i get in my current job to work with a DB i take, but it is rare. training is nothing without experience

MIN2511

mick.fr wrote: »

Well expressing you wish to learn the DBA job on a recruitment website is not gonna help you finding DBA jobs.
Get some training and start with junior DBA positions would be my advise.

Yes and No
You could say you have some experience and would like to develop further, i.e. you know basics...
People have to start from somewhere, thats why we work to gain experience!

MIN2511

easyontheeye wrote: »

well thats what im doing, im applying to junior positions, but i dont have the experience for even the junior positions, alhough i have good unix/scritping skills. Believe me any chance i get in my current job to work with a DB i take, but it is rare. training is nothing without experience

I don't know if you have noticed, but companies make a "wish list" job specification of what the want, and so many times you don't necessarily have to have all the requirements. Your willingness to learn, how fast you can learn e.t.c. would boost your chances.

Tom Dunne

I started off in a large multi-national (in tech support) and manager to get a junior DBA role and progressed from there.

The first piece of advice is to decide what DB product you want to specialise in, e.g. Oracle, SQL server or something else. I'm in the Oracle world and from what I can tell, they are skills in great demand (in my current role, they offered me the job before I left the second interview ).

Industry certification is also a big help. I have a Masters in Computing, but the first thing my new employer wanted me to do is the Oracle certification (which I am currently doing).

In one of my jobs, there were three people in the IT dept. - me, the IT manager and a technician. I was a combined Web/Oracle developer and DBA all rolled into one, which was great experience. So perhaps look for something like that.

dudara

Tom Dunne wrote: »

The first piece of advice is to decide what DB product you want to specialise in, e.g. Oracle, SQL server or something else. I'm in the Oracle world and from what I can tell, they are skills in great demand (in my current role, they offered me the job before I left the second interview ).

Most definitely pick a system to work with. I work in Oracle Applications and Oracle DBAs are in high demand.

Industry certification is also a big help. I have a Masters in Computing, but the first thing my new employer wanted me to do is the Oracle certification (which I am currently doing).

Getting certified is good for the CV. Most employers should be willing to pay for this as you work.

easyontheeye

i notice oracle are recruiting tech presales consultants, would this be a route to becoming a dba ? would they train you?

MIN2511

easyontheeye wrote: »

i notice oracle are recruiting tech presales consultants, would this be a route to becoming a dba ? would they train you?

Isn't that a bit below you at the moment? I reckon they would train you, i met a girl that worked there and she loved it! She had no experience when she started and they trained her!
On second thoughts, i think you should get Oracle text books that are self explanatory and teach yourself. If you have problems you can always post here and maybe someone with more experience can help out.

Tom Dunne

easyontheeye wrote: »

i notice oracle are recruiting tech presales consultants, would this be a route to becoming a dba ? would they train you?

No, I don't think so. I believe it is a "read from the script" sales type position. I could be corrected, though.

MIN2511 wrote: »

On second thoughts, i think you should get Oracle text books that are self explanatory and teach yourself. If you have problems you can always post here and maybe someone with more experience can help out.

Learning from text books is worthless on it's own with out practical, hands-on experience. And I am speaking both as a DBA and an educator. Hence my recommendation to get real world experience.

MIN2511

Tom Dunne wrote: »

No, I don't think so. I believe it is a "read from the script" sales type position. I could be corrected, though.



Learning from text books is worthless on it's own with out practical, hands-on experience. And I am speaking both as a DBA and an educator. Hence my recommendation to get real world experience.

Obviously, but at least he would gain more knowledge until he gets a job.

fret_wimp

do some of the exams and get certified. the first sql one is 70-431 Sql server implementation and maintenance.

Regardless of weather you believe they are benificial or not ( this is not a debate on the effectiveness of the certificates) they look real good on a cv and show you know something about databases.

Tom Dunne

Given that the OP has been using Unix, I, being the totally biased person that I am, would suggest taking the Oracle exams.

Oracle runs on loads of different platforms, including Unix. So if you are familiar in that operating system, there is a version of Oracle you can download, install and play with. Look for Oracle Express (also available in Windows flavour).

In all seriousness, you will find scripting very beneficial when you are an Oracle DBA. For example, I am scripting our morning checks on a customers 7 production databases. RMAN backups and the data pump are two parts of Oracle that spring to mind when you mention scripting.