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Date: Sat, 1 Feb 2014 21:36:33 -0500
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Subject: Re: training for new DBA's
From: Andy Klock <andy@oracledepot.com>
To: backseatdba@gmail.com
Cc: "oracle-l@freelists.org" <oracle-l@freelists.org>
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On Fri, Jan 31, 2014 at 6:11 PM, Jeff C <backseatdba@gmail.com> wrote:

>
> And how would you test a very beginner candidate to know if they would be
> a good fit for this position.  Any questions or tests I good give them?
>  What would you look for?
>
>
I've tried to hire within before and also tried to talk smart technical
folks to making the switch to becoming Oracle DBAs and failed miserably. To
me Oracle database administration is much like golf.  They are both very
well documented and the basic concepts are really not very hard, but to be
successful (and happy) it also takes something deeper. And I'm not exactly
sure what that is.

As for questions or tests, I like to find out how much people read. Not
necessarily what they read (though that gives you further insights too) but
how much.  Since databases and relational models may be new to the
candidate, general problem solving questions and puzzles are really
important. Possibly a take home test where they each have to design a
tricky system or something. That could be fun.

I remember the excitement I felt when I first ran, "select * from dict". I
just don't know how to test for it in others. And unlike Oracle, I try to
talk people out of getting into golf.

Good luck!

Andy

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<div dir=3D"ltr"><div class=3D"gmail_extra"><div class=3D"gmail_quote">On F=
ri, Jan 31, 2014 at 6:11 PM, Jeff C <span dir=3D"ltr">&lt;<a href=3D"mailto=
:backseatdba@gmail.com" target=3D"_blank">backseatdba@gmail.com</a>&gt;</sp=
an> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class=3D"gmail_quote" style=3D"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-=
left-width:1px;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border-left-style:solid;p=
adding-left:1ex"><div dir=3D"ltr"><br><div>And how would you test a very be=
ginner candidate to know if they would be a good fit for this position. =A0=
Any questions or tests I good give them? =A0What would you look for?</div>

<div><br></div></div></blockquote><div><br></div><div>I&#39;ve tried to hir=
e within before and also tried to talk smart technical folks to making the =
switch to becoming Oracle DBAs and failed miserably. To me Oracle database =
administration is much like golf. =A0They are both very well documented and=
 the basic concepts are really not very hard, but to be successful (and hap=
py) it also takes something deeper. And I&#39;m not exactly sure what that =
is.</div>
<div><br></div><div>As for questions or tests, I like to find out how much =
people read. Not necessarily what they read (though that gives you further =
insights too) but how much. =A0Since databases and relational models may be=
 new to the candidate, general problem solving questions and puzzles are re=
ally important. Possibly a take home test where they each have to design a =
tricky system or something. That could be fun.</div>
<div><br></div><div>I remember the excitement I felt when I first ran, &quo=
t;select * from dict&quot;. I just don&#39;t know how to test for it in oth=
ers. And unlike Oracle, I try to talk people out of getting into golf.</div=
>
<div><br></div><div>Good luck!</div><div><br></div><div>Andy</div><div><br>=
</div></div></div></div>

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