Re: How to break in as a DBA?

KTyson9426 wrote:
> I'd like to ask some of the more experienced DBA's how they got their start as
> DBA's.... I've been threw the Oracle DBA class and functioned on and off over
> the years as an Oracle DBA while my offical title was "UNIX sys admin".... But
> when it comes to applying for DBA roles... It seems like since I don't have
> "DBA" in my title I don't appear qualified... I'd even settle for a junior DBA
> position for the experience... But even junior DBA positions always seem to
> require 2 years experience.... Does anyone have any suggestions how to become
> more qualified????

Well, even if I told you how I got into being a DBA, it probably wouldn't help you (okay, I got in when every company on the planet was buying Oracle and there were few DBAs looking for a job).

If you're in the USA (and probably elsewhere in the world as well), then you probably know that right now it's a "buyer's market" in the employment arena. With all the failed companies ... and corporate downsizing ... and outsourcing ... and moving operations "off shore" ... and so on ... there are more DBAs out there than you can shake a stick at ... all wanting the very few jobs being offered.

No employer has to advertise a job opening ... they'll get thousands of resumes just by dropping a few hints. In that kind of environment, the employer can be very picky ... and demand an exact match of skills. They need some way, after all, to eliminate hundreds of otherwise equally qualified applicants. But like everything else, it seems, the job market goes in cycles. People will quit believing all the ads about how great of a job you can get if you just pay your money and attend some school's course, guaranteed to have you earning a high salary in just a few short weeks.

It's unfortunate if you happen to be looking for work in the IT field at this time. But I've seen the cycle turn around a couple of times in my career. Keep your sysadmin job and hope for a turnaround soon.

Of course, if you really have been doing DBA-like work, by all means, put that on your resume. You don't have to have the title to have the skills. During the interview, you'll be grilled by a group of people who think you should know the entire span of their combined knowledge. They won't care about your title so much as about your answers.

Good luck to you and everyone who is looking for a job. One friend of mine saw how much money I make (uh-huh) and went to one of those quick schools to become a developer. He's now working for a construction company laying tiles ... and earning almost as much as I do. Received on Wed Jan 22 2003 - 10:56:21 CST