Re: Oracle DBA future

Thanks all for contributing to this thread. As Seinfeld says: what's going on ?
I know something is going on, but I don't know what.

Same thing with our profession - something is going on, and we need to figure out what it is in order to survive.

Thats means: who asked for it, what is the business need what is the intended solution etc.
Adar Yechiel
I agree, instead of just doing it to get over it ( as I usually did in the past ) I will ask questions which will lead to better unerstanding of business.
Tom DeMarco ( in his book "Slack" I think) says that we are actually not in high tech - only very small percentage of researchers can claim that. What we do is just apply/use technology. Our business is actually business of sociology. Because dealing with people is not easy business we hide into tinkering with technology.

Get a permanent job instead of contract gigs and first time one hits a work problem, try to solve it instead of running away to another gig.

Might sound a bit crude, but long term jobs are not inherited or due: they are made. And it's whoever is in them that has to do the "made" bit.

Just like any other relationship, really.

I like what Nino said ( minus 'get a permanent job part' ;-) ). I will do above in consulting role, if in situation to do so.

Hoping that complexity and price wage increase will keep Indians out doesn't work - they are quite astute technically and wages are still very low there compared to ours ( Western world). The biggest killer app of Internet is ... offshoring. Similar things happened many times in the past - English 19th cenury textile workers, US manufacturing recently etc etc. It is called globalization ( or turbo-capitalism, as Lutwak would say ).

Thinking that CIO's will hold onto smart, capable people - think again. If alternative is cheaper and good enough, they'll go for it. Also lateral moves like piling more acronyms to resume are not solution.

The best DBAs I work with,

1) Understand the needs of the business (think Method-R)
2) Have excellent problem solving skills, and
3) Are solution oriented, i.e. their focus is on how to resolve the issue,

This type of DBA (or any other professional) will always be in demand. Personally, I have been a full-time DBA in a large production environment since 1999. I have always taken the approach of trying to work myself out of a job by automating processes where possible, writing well documented procedures and training less experienced or newer staff to do the same job. While I have succeeded at working myself out of various tasks over the years, I have yet to succeed at working myself out of a job.

I like what David Taft said above ( don't really see how Method-R helps though ), especially point 3.
We all maybe need to become 'solutions architect', or as this article suggest even come up with our own title. http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=printArticleBasic&articleId=9062338

And I was successful at working myself out of a jobs ;-)

rm.

duret <katpopins21_at_yahoo.com> wrote:
> I second this!
>
> Also, your solution is what is best for the business not what is always
> popular.
>
> Kathy
>
>
> David Taft <oradbt054_at_gmail.com> wrote:
> Ranko,
>
> The best DBAs I work with,
> 1) Understand the needs of the business (think Method-R)
> 2) Have excellent problem solving skills, and
> 3) Are solution oriented, i.e. their focus is on how to resolve the issue,
> not on why it can't be done.
>
> This type of DBA (or any other professional) will always be in demand.
> Personally, I have been a full-time DBA in a large production environment
> since 1999. I have always taken the approach of trying to work myself out
of
> a job by automating processes where possible, writing well documented
> procedures and training less experienced or newer staff to do the same
job.
> While I have succeeded at working myself out of various tasks over the
> years, I have yet to succeed at working myself out of a job.
>
> Cheers,
>
> David
>
> On Mon, Mar 3, 2008 at 9:25 PM, Ranko Mosic <ranko.mosic_at_gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > ...I'd like to hear what's the opinion on future of our profession and
> which way to go.
> >
>
> > What I read in trade press is that DBA's and geeks in general can't be
> > just technical any more, we must get into business side.
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it
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>
>

-- 
Regards,
Ranko Mosic
Consultant Senior Oracle DBA
B. Eng, Oracle 10g, 9i Certified Database Professional
Phone: 416-450-2785
email: mosicr_at_rogers.com
http://ca.geocities.com/mosicr@rogers.com/ContractSeniorOracleDBARankoMosicMain.html

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