Re: Contemplating career switch to DBA. Advice?

From: mark panger <mpanger_at_compuserve.com>
Date: Sun, 13 Dec 1998 16:56:12 GMT
Message-ID: <3673eea8.143724372_at_news.compuserve.com>


I don't know if my experience will help you, but I'll tell you my story.

I was an accountant in 1981 and was fired from my job for learning how to use an Apple computer (I was teaching myself basic when the VP came into my office and saw sprirals being drawn on the screen).

I went on to sell computers in the early 80's. Customers would constantly call to ask how some piece of software worked. I became the in-house expert on using all forms of software.

I had begun doing a little moonlighting during this time as a PC trainer. I became self employed as a trainer and spreadsheet consultant in 1984.

I taught myself DB coding and have since gained a nice business writing DB applications for clients.

Now here's where my circumstance differs from you:

  1. It was the 80's and anyone who knew how to turn a computer on was deemed to be a guru.
  2. You could actually learn everything there was to know about a computer back in the 80's. Now, I can't even scratch the surface.

Now it took several years to "settle into" data base management and I love what I do.

If I was doing this all over again in the 90's, I would teach myself the data base of my choice. The best way to do that is to take on a project for free. Find someone (even yourself) who needs to track some data. Write the application for free. I did this back in the 80's and I still have that client a decade later. And now she's a paying client!

Moving out on your own should be done very slowly if possible. I didn't happen to be given the slow start, but I was fortunate to start me career when there were very few doing what I was doing.

Good Luck.

Mark

On Wed, 09 Dec 1998 22:40:42 -0600, Randy Hunt <rlhunt_at_pdq.net> wrote:

>I am currently a geophysicist employed with Texaco, with a Master's
>degree. I love what I do, but get tired of the boom/bust cycle, and the
>limited opportunity. Thinking about retraining to be a database
>administrator or something related. I have written scientific
>algorithms in the past in fortran, pascal, and a little C, but am very
>rusty. I have a family so time is limited for taking college courses,
>etc., so here's my plan: I purchased the "Oracle": A beginner's guide"
>book, and am looking to buy Personal Oracle for my PC. I plan on making
>some databases, and messing around with them to learn SQL, etc.. Once I
>learn enough to be dangerous, I was going to try and take the Oracle
>certification test, and then get some entry-level consulting jobs
>locally, to increase my knowledge and get some experience.
>
>Am I deluding myself, or is this plan workable? Having no knowledge of
>what it's like to be a DBA/database person, I have no idea. I would
>appreciate advice from any DBA types, especially those who have switched
>from other careers. Thanks..
>
>Randy Hunt
>Houston, TX
>
Received on Sun Dec 13 1998 - 17:56:12 CET

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