Re: I am getting my first Certification: 8i or 9i?

Jonathan E. Magnus <jmagnus_at_net1.removethis.net> wrote in message news:<vhahav4qj4konbe8d0nh4nnh5acqtbui1g_at_4ax.com>...
> Thanks for the opinions.
>
> At the moment I have no job. I was laid off in mid-March.
> (I am not 'desperate' for work, but woud like to have a steady job so
> I can buy new toys from time to time.)

If the headhunters are correct that it takes about a month of looking for each 10K/yr in salary... (I've found it's about half that in my area, unless you are recently experienced in some hot skill).

>
> There is no practical way I can think of to get experience on Oracle
> newer than 7 any time soon.

Buy a PC. Download 9i from otn.oracle.com! ioug.org (among other places like http://www.tusc.com/oracle/download/what.html http://www.quest.com/content/list.asp?ContentTypeID=1&groupby=categoryname&Format=table&nav=/solutions/navigation2.xml http://www.ixora.com.au and of course jlcomp.demon.co.uk) has lots of downloadable papers.

>
> It is my understanding that I could be an instructor at a local
> community college, if I am certified. Not well paying work, but it
> should be good exposure for me and lots of practice writing scripts to
> build and restore databases. ;-)

Interesting thought.

Oskar makes a good point, to extend it some, the cert may get you in past gatekeepers who know nothing, to the hiring decision maker. Then you can tell him about all the cool 9i things you learned about (or not, if they are not there yet and don't care!).

I have gotten a few more nibbles since I got my cert, but so far I'm not sure it actually has made a difference other than my own knowledge of things I otherwise never would have bothered to look at. But nibbles are meaningless as long as I'm working... when things were hot a few years ago (when I was too busy to even finish the 7 cert) I had to beat the recruiters off with an 11 foot pole.

>
> Jonathan
>
>
> On Fri, 25 Apr 2003 00:55:16 GMT, pheonix1t
> <9090pheonix1t.at_at_earthlink.net909090.oio> wrote:
>
> >Joel Garry wrote:
> >> Jonathan E. Magnus <jmagnus_at_net1.removethis.net> wrote in message news:<mv9gavsbcbjiooudjl3j3isbeu7qdo2u8e_at_4ax.com>...
> >>
> >>>I have experience, but it is all on Oracle 7.
> >>>I do not have a Cert on 7.
> >>>I know 9i is the 'new' one, but I expect 8i to be around for a while.
> >>>I can get the 8i cert with teh 9i 'update' for about $1000 less than
> >>>the Cert for 9i.
> >>>What do you think?
> >>
> >>
> >> If you can get someone else to pay, go 9i.
> >>
> >> If you have a job in 7 or 8, do the update.
> >>
> >> If you have a job on 9i, don't do anything! :-)
> >>
> >> If you don't have a job, do anything! :-)
> >>
> >> Be cognizant of when the update option may disappear.
> >>
> >> jg
> >> --
> >> @home.com is bogus.
> >> http://www.signonsandiego.com/citysearch/feature/220/
> >well..in my opinion Joel a has good sense of humor!
> >but seriously.....after working in the IT industry for a while, the only
> >reason I see that could be a benefit for certs. is for the 'looks' of
> >the IT firm. When you do ads and marketing, it looks better to be a
> >certified vendor for oracle, ibm, citrix,...etc. you get the idea.
> >The certs don't bring you any work, it's just for looks mostly.
> >On a personal level.....follow Joels advice...it's good advice.
> >
> >
> >Oskar
> >
Received on Fri Apr 25 2003 - 16:43:04 CDT