Re: Fresher DBA!!!

SQL is not difficult, in principle - in fact, it's a very simple language when you get right down to it - only 4 or 5 basic constructs. Granted, SQL scripts can get complex as they get large, but if you take it from the basics, I suspect you won't struggle too much.

PL/SQL - well, that's a bit different More complex, to be sure.

I was given a similar opportunity last year - coming from a purely network infrastructure background, I annouced to my employer that I wanted a change, and was asked if I wanted to do Oracle - the dba on one site was buggering off to Australia, and they needed a replacement - so, knowing nothing about databases, the product or the host OS, I was dumped into the site and hand-held through the process of working through the product.

Once difference with my experience is that my time on-site has been SQL heavy right from the get go - this site does not use GUIs for anything on an operational level, and relies heavily on scripting (mostly for tracking and repeatability concerns).

So now, after a year of working with the product in a production environment, I'm pursuing the certification and taking formal training for the purposes of the exams. It's going in a very useful direction.

I suggest that if you do decide to stay where you are, consider becoming certified in whatever product/suite you're working with. It will not necessarily mean everything to your day-to-day activities, but it will force you to understand the product on more than a 'basic' administrative level - which I suggest would be very useful if you do want to stick with it for the long term.. Received on Mon Jan 23 2006 - 18:29:33 CST