Re: Realistic administration duties

IMHO, your big mistake was taking any systems or database admin job on an FTE salary basis. These jobs, and the companies, will use you up and burn you out unless you're sitting in the catbird seat. How do you regain control you might ask. The answer is simple. Refuse to take any systems support job unless the job is paid on an hourly time and materials basis. You might have to work thru a consulting/contracting firm, but you'll be paid for every hour you work, the companies will be less likely overwork you, and you can typically make 50 to 100% more in pocket cash than you'll ever see as an FTE. The reason the companies won't overwork you is that they will have to pay the contracting firm for every billable hour you put in. That money adds up quickly. Then if you're the poor unfortunate soul who bought into the "be a team member and come on full time" mentality then you get to see your required hours go thru the roof because it's cheaper to overwork you than to hire someone else or to pay the overtime to the contractors.

My advise to you is to scarf up any exerience you've gained as a duel SA/DBA, make it look real sweet on your resume, then go job shopping thru the contracting firms. As a duel SA/DBA you should be bringing in for yourself anywhere from 45 to 85 bucks an hour, depending upon experience and how bad they need you. At least those figures seem to be about right in the Denver area. And then don't take the used car selesman treatment from the contracting firm recruiters. Demand to know what their marketing rate to the client is and specify what percentage of that rate you are willing to work for. They'll kick and scream bloody murder, but in the end, the ones who are up front with you and treat you like a business partner instead of a whore, will find some very lucritive jobs for you, and you'll be able to maintain a healthy balance of work and free time.

I held out for four months to get my last job, turned down the babblings of many pimps/recruiters, and in the end took a consulting job of indeterminate length that pays an obscene amount of money, and doesn't require me to wear a pager or work overtime.

Learn how to play the system and come out on top.

-wiseguy

argosy22_at_my-deja.com wrote in <8mk43f$e92$1_at_nnrp1.deja.com>:

>
>
>HI experienced admins,
>
>I'm hoping that some of you can outline the scope
>of your duties.
>
>I was hired six months ago as an Oracle DBA. They
>then said, oh, you get to do the Unix admin too.
>
>We have a very complex and unstable application
>on the web. What I actually spend most of my
>time doing is administering this awful application.
>There are 14 different pieces of software involved
>in this one app! They have plans to make it
>even more complex!
>
>As a result, the real DBA, and Unix admin duties,
>such as backups (!!!!) are not being tended to,
>or even looked at properly.
>
>In most of my previous positions, the Unix admins, and
>the DBAs were not very closely associated with the app.
>They mostly kept the servers and databases running.
>(At one shop, any simple request (chmod) had to be put
>in paper writing!) Senior developers, operations, or
>managers administered the application.
>
>However, all this has been thrown at me. I don't have time
>to read and research properly all the issues that I need
>to deal with. (Thanks to all of you for answering
>my postings.) It really burns me out.
>
>
>I'm wondering:
>- how would you describe the typical duties of a Unix admin,
>or a DBA? What parts are the most fundamental?
>
>- how involved are you administrators with administering
>your company's app?
>
>- do you know in depth all the other development tools,
>Java, ColdFusion, Perl, HTML, the awful workflow system that
>you bought, etc.?
>
>
>Thanks for reading.
>
>Argosy
>
>
>
>
>
>Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
>Before you buy.
>

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