Re: To be or not to be a DBA

"Ron" <support_at_dbainfopower.com> wrote in message news:<N5ednVVtWZsYXbLdRVn-uw_at_comcast.com>...
> I tend to agree more with Daniel.
>
> Considering working hours involved (sometimes 16 or more hours a day) -
> this is not as "lucrative" as one can imagine. Person should be really
> liking what he is doing being a DBA.

Or be non-exempt (gov-speak for getting paid for the hours you work).

>
> Salary (which is IMHO is not that different for principal level DBA or J2EE
> developer) would never justify load, stress and pressure that DBA is
> subjected to in intensive production environment.

Depends on the circumstances, although true far too often. But I've certainly seen salaried developers work ridiculous hours for months on end. Sometimes it is a different kind of stress, sometimes the same. And some places, everyone just gets up and leaves when the clock says.  Production problems normally prevent that for a dba, although I've often found once a place gets to know me they don't have a problem with me going home to work on whatever it is all night (which often means simply checking on something every few hours).

>
> Also Risk / Reward ratio for DBA is much higher then for developer.
>
> Regards,
>
> Ron
> DBA Infopower
> http://www.dbainfopower.com
> Standard disclaimer:
> http://www.dbainfopower.com/dbaip_advice_disclaimer.html
>
>
>
>
>
> "Daniel Morgan" <damorgan_at_x.washington.edu> wrote in message
> news:1076867336.835297_at_yasure...
> > Toby Brown wrote:
> >
> > > Gees, easy there Daniel. What makes you think that he doesn't enjoy DB
> > > administration and is only interested in it for money?
> >
> > It is the impression I received from what I read: Nothing more and
> > nothing less. If my impression was not the one the OP intended to
> > convey then he needs to reconsider the phrases used.

Seemed a bit harsh to me, too.

> >
> > It takes two very different kinds of people to be happy with the
> > positions being considered. Very few people are truly happy doing
> > both unless all they are doing is filling a chair and surfing the
> > net.

And people change over time. I was very happy being an uber-programmer at one time, now it just seems too much like work.

> >
> > --
> > Daniel Morgan
> > http://www.outreach.washington.edu/ext/certificates/oad/oad_crs.asp
> > http://www.outreach.washington.edu/ext/certificates/aoa/aoa_crs.asp
> > damorgan_at_x.washington.edu
> > (replace 'x' with a 'u' to reply)
> >

jg

--
@home.com is bogus.
http://www.snopes.com/autos/law/snaptrap.asp