Re: Credibility of Oracle's 20 day DBA Master Track Program

In article <328D7DA9.6696_at_violet.berkeley.edu> hagen_at_violet.berkeley.edu writes:
>I am an Oracle neophyte who has acquired just enough database
>management skill to be in a state of constant frustration. I am also
>considering an occupational change (I have run my own electrical
>contracting business for 20 years and I have a BA from UC Berkeley in
>both Philsophy & Sociology). Therefore, I am entertaining the notion of
>wading through the Oracle DBA Masters track (which costs $8000), but
>before I do, I thought it might be prudent to ask this newsgroup for
>their impressions of that program.
> I have the following questions:
>
> There are certain programs (i.e. Netware's CNE) which, upon completion,
>qualify one for immeadiate entry level employment. Does the Oracle
>Masters certificate carry that kind of currency?

From what I've seen, some places will only hire based on experience, and others will give people the training and throw them in the deep end of the pool. The first group of companies have better experiences. As an inexperienced person, you might do better to have someone else pay the 8 grand if you can swing it. Then put your time in, make your mistakes, then write your own ticket. The cert does not carry similar weight to a CNE, except for some consulting situations.

>
> Are their any better and/or less expensive instructional opportunities
>available?

You can pick some up from personal oracle, a lot up from access to the doc set, particularly the server concepts guide. Much doesn't sink in until you do it repetitively. To get the big bucks, you need to be able to do it in your sleep, as well as, say, quote the differences between 7.2 and 7.3 off the top of your head. It works best if you can alternate work and instruction. The computer based learning is pretty good if you can stand its (slow) pace.

>
> What about ETS's Oracle certification - does it have any industry
>credibility?
>

Hasn't been around long enough to get a credible rep one way or the other.

> Any other advice concerning the prospects for prosperity and
>contentment as an Oracle DBA would also be warmly received.
>

Prosperity possibility high, change over time high, burnout possibility high. Some people are born to be DBA's, some will never be. The only way to know for sure is to try. Many DBA's work their way up from programming, but that is not necessarily a prerequisite. The defintion of DBA can vary from site to site.

> Thank you,
>
> Hagen Finley
> Berkeley, CA

FWIW, it's been very good to me. Contentment? No. That only comes when you stop being s... oh, never mind.

jg

-- 
Joel Garry               joelga_at_rossinc.com               Compuserve 70661,1534
These are my opinions, not necessarily those of Ross Systems, Inc.   <> <>
%DCL-W-SOFTONEDGEDONTPUSH, Software On Edge - Don't Push.            \ V /
panic: ifree: freeing free inodes...                                   O