Re: Moving into Oracle Developer 2000

The classic problem! Typified by an advert I saw a few years ago for experience of 2 years required for a technology that had been out only just over a year.

You could try certification as the other poster suggests however my understanding of the IT job market is that to get into a technology you need to find a company willing to take a chance. There are still some out there. My understanding is also that most look at certification as a rubber stamp to the required experience rather than an alternative to it.

You should perhaps try and network with as many people in the industry that you ever had any contact with and pull in as many favours as you might have earnt. Get others working on your behalf. Some will know what you can do because you worked with or for them, and maybe have a friend or colleage with connections to Oracle with advise, help or even a job.

You could try getting hold of some tools and a copy of Personal Oracle and develop a demo system. This would be good practice and you could claim a certain type of actual experience. This could be offered for potential employers to view as an artist would offer his/her portfolio. Clearly state on your then revised CV the type of experience this adds and you can empasize the self motivated and task eating individual they could hire. All you would need to add when joining them would be the blend of commercial and Oracle experience; half of which you already have plenty of.

Bottom line is don't be discouraged - go for it!

All the best

--
Kevin A Lewis (BOCM PAULS LTD) - Animal Feed Manufacturer - Ipswich United
Kingdom)
                        <Kevin_A_Lewis_at_Hotmail.com>

The views expressed herein by the author of this document
are not necessarily those of BOCM PAULS Ltd.
Mark Wallace <mnews_at_friarman.co.uk> wrote in message
news:8amm02$o0a$1_at_gxsn.com...


> I was wondering what comments or thoughts anyone may have on my current


> situation.

>

> I have been an application developer for the last 9 years on a database

> called 'Universe'. In the last 2 years I have decided from a career

> point-of-view (and technically challenging p-o-v) I was not going

anywhere.


> The database is not being further developed and there is not real progress


> in terms of the software.

> So about a year ago I started cross training myself into Oracle. I have

> since completed most of the courses that I felt would give me what I need.

> This being a definite career path, money and mostly for me a very

> technically interesting future. (what with Oracle 8i, java etc...)

> Anyway I have since studied

> SQL,

> PL/SQL

> Developer 2000, forms I  (ver 5)

> Developer 2000, forms II  (ver 6)

> Developer 2000, Reports  (ver 2.5)

> I have also worked a lot with Visual Basic and have done a little

> programming with JAVA.

>

> I feel that this gives me a very good grounding in Oracle and for the

> development that I would like to do in the future.

> I am now based in London and would appreciate suggestions on what the best

> way would be to get into a job where I can gain the experience I need to

> become a proficient Oracle / Developer 2000 programmer.

> All the jobs that I look at seem to have a minimum requirement of 2 years

> Oracle experience.

> This almost puts me back to the days when I was first looking for a job,

in


> that you can not get a job because you have not experience but you can't


get


> experience because you can't get a job.

> A typical catch22.

> Even though I have many years development experience and I have all the


> required training this does not seem to help when it actually comes to

> looking for a job.

>

> I am almost at my wits end. As I said any suggestions on how to resolve

this


> problem would be greatly appreciated.


>

> Thanks

> Mark

>

>