Re: Career path of a ORACLE DBA

Thanks for sharing - both here in this NG and privately to my E-mail address.

If you are working for a big corporation, you are expected to climb the corporate ladder, yes? If you do your job well, you get promoted. Where do you promote an ORACLE DBA to? DBA manager, maybe. And then? Some kind of IT manager or director, maybe. So eventually, you will end up doing management.

If you are really, really good with ORACLE and have to stomach to deal with ORACLE pretty much every moment of your waking hours, you might become a high-end ORACLE consultant. Or you can write books or lecture. But relatively few people can make it to this state. Let's just say there are only so many people who can join the rank of ORACLE elite like Mr. Kyte. So these elites are exceptions rather than the rule.

The majority of ORACLE professionals will be working for companies, big and samll. You want to grow. People expect you to grow. So how do you grow as an ORACLE DBA? Wouldn't it be kind of funny, it you work as an ORACLE DBA for 15, 20 years for the same company? Probably can not find such person at the moment, since the DBA position was probably created only 15, 20 years ago. How valuable to the company can you be if you stay on the position as a DBA for 15, 20 years? Please don't feel offended if you happen to be in such position. I am just pondering what to do with my career next. Do you think an DBA can ever be more valuable to a company than a manager? I have some negative feelings about management though.

John

Daniel Morgan <damorgan_at_x.washington.edu> wrote in message news:<1074545290.285548_at_yasure>...
> John wrote:
>
> > Hi group,
> >
> > Do you know of any really, realy senior ORACLE DBA? I guess I am
> > wondering how long you can work as an ORACLE DBA - or as a technical
> > person as a matter of fact. My thinking is that IT is still relatively
> > new as a career option. So there may not be a lot of very senior IT
> > professionals. So how do you envision your career path as an ORACLE
> > DBA will take you? I am interested in knowing some real life cases. Do
> > you think it is inevitable that all IT professionals will end up in
> > the management?
> >
> >
> > John
>
> Youth is such a fascinating thing.
>
> I've been in IT, banging code, since 1969. If that's new to you so be
> it. The career path for Oracle DBAs is longer than your life expectancy
> with one proviso.
>
> If you don't keep your skill set current, which unfortunately most DBAs
> don't do, you will be replaced by 20 year olds by the time you are 60.
> If you view education as a never-ending process. The career won't end.
Received on Tue Jan 20 2004 - 00:19:30 CST