Re: Is Sr. DBAs afraid of not be able to pass cert exam ??

Nuno Souto <nsouto_at_optushome.com.au.nospam> wrote in message news:3c592e12.3240499_at_news-vip.optusnet.com.au...

> >2. DBAs DO need to be able to address new problems/situations as they
> >arise - in my experience, this is an attitude, not a skill and is not
> >something people learn over time.
>
> Disagree.
> Analytical skills - that's what you're talking about - are (usually)
> acquired as part of tertiary or post-tertiary specialist training.
> Nothing to do with attitude. Of course, a good one helps.

I've worked with many people in support departments and in development over many years and found that some people are just unable to resolve problems where others can abstract the salient features immediately. This doesn't seem related to the level or type of education they've experienced. Of course, it may be that the type of thought processes required are just not generally taught.

> However, I do agree that a good set of interview questions or tests is
> a plus to weed out the first type. But the replies have to be
> evaluated by a person, not a computer.

Couldn't agree more. However, I perhaps didn't clearly explain what I meant by structured interview. I did not mean a simple list of questions with a checklist, but rather a set of questions or statements to form the basis for a discussion in order that the interviewer can distinguish between, for instance, the two people you discuss.

> Agreed. However, I maintain that attitude comes with experience, not
> genes.

You may very well be right. In my first job, the emphasis was very much on customer service and the 80/20 rule rather than "technical" measures of quality. I worked for a county council in the UK, which meant money was very tight. It was the most efficient IT department I've ever worked for, though not the most effective. As a result, I probably have an overly negative response to spending money to solve problems. Received on Thu Jan 31 2002 - 16:18:52 CST