Re: Becoming an Oracle DBA

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> 1. In your experience, is it easy to find a job as an Oracle DBA with no
> experience and with just the Oracle certification? For instance, would it
> be better to go through my Oracle DBA certification and then apply for a
> DBA job (with no experience in databases), or would it be better to work
> as an SQL programmer for a while and acquire some experience, and then
> apply for a DBA job upon completing my certification?

No it's not easy. Even in the Silicon Valley, most companies looking for an Oracle DBA, are looking
for a true Oracle DBA -- meaning experience (most often 3+ years of experience). Most don't even request certification. Certification doesn't make you an Oracle DBA.
Working as an SQL Programmer still won't make you a DBA. You may be lucky enough to find a startup that's willing to let you learn on the job as a development DBA....good luck with that.

What career are you switching from?

>
>
> 2. What type of salary should a DBA with no experience expect (in
> Texas). What about a DBA with 1, 5, and 10 years of experience?

Typically depends upon location, as well as whether you are good or not. It also depends upon
what type of responsibilities you have....Production level 24X7 DBA's probably make the most.

Don't know too much about Texas.

>
> 3. Which version of Oracle should I get my DBA certification on (version
> 8, 8i, 9i, ... ) ?

9i?????? Better start by learning Oracle Products. There's no real point, since you haven't started, to do anything other than 8i

>
> 4. What are some pros and cons of working as an Oracle DBA? Specifically,
> is this a stressful job? Is there a lot of overtime involved?

It all depends upon what you like to do. If you are doing it solely based on $$$ signs in your eyes,
you'll be absolutely miserable.
Pros and cons depend upon you...
I enjoy the challenges of running a 24X7 High Availability shop. I enjoy building the physical databases. The cons can be if you get bad developers ... who don't believe their bad code will screw up your database.
Other aspects depend on you>....
Stressfulness depends again upon the environment. 24X7 HA environments tend to be more stressful.
High volume sites tend to be more stressful. Being a DBBS (Database Baby Sitter) making sure the database
runs for a small app can be pretty simple. Yes, there is typically overtime involved, and typically you will carry a pager.
Welcome to the world of database and systems administration.

Of course, this is all just MHO.

>
>
> Thank you in advance for your help.
> a_h
  Received on Sun Sep 10 2000 - 20:15:22 CDT