Re: Is Oracle DBA cerificate useless ?!!!!

On 11 Jun 2001 15:11:26 -0700, sam777t_at_yahoo.com (Sam Talebbeik) wrote:

>
>So far the feedback that I have gotten has been very negative. One person
>even commented that the DBA training and the exam questions have nothing
>to do with the "actual" DBA work and the Oracle shops really do not care who
>has and who does not have a certificate.
>

Well, it's a dicey subject. Problem is: how to make sure that a person that claims to be a "DBA" really has had any background in that area?

We all have had experience with "DBA"s with resumes quoting 30 years experience, willing to work for $12/hour. Something is wrong in that picture. Usually the resume...

But where does one draw the line?

My rule-of-thumb is: if I interview someone for a DBA job and he/she has a *demonstrable* track record of 5 years or more doing DBA work, then I couldn't care less if the person is OCP certified or not. I *know* that there is some practical knowledge there, if nothing else. I'm buying the experience, not the qualifications.

On the other hand, if I'm interviewing someone with < 5 years experience or a track record I cannot verify because it was obtained in Outer Mongolia (no disrespect to anyone from Ulan Bator), then I'll be extremelly wary and start asking if there is an OCP in there somewhere. Or at least an attempt at one.

Not because having an OCP is any measure of knowledge (it most definitely isn't), but because having it is a measure of the *commitment* of the person to a professional standard. Experience will be added on, but the OCP will be a good start.

Now, if I was hiring someone like Howard or Nial here, I wouldn't even *dream* of asking them for an OCP certification. Regardless of them having one or not.

Like anything else, I suppose it all boils down to horses for courses.

HTH Cheers
Nuno Souto
nsouto_at_bigpond.net.au.nospam
http://www.users.bigpond.net.au/the_Den/index.html Received on Tue Jun 12 2001 - 03:53:08 CDT