Re: Career questions: databases
From: DA Morgan <damorgan_at_psoug.org>
Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2007 16:06:30 -0700
Message-ID: <1183244711.991118_at_bubbleator.drizzle.com>
>
> Hello everyone,
> (Mr Morgan and rkc on comp.databases.ms-access:)
> I've mailed you about this a little while ago (I actually wanted to
> post it but had clicked on "Reply to author"), but don't want to
> bother you further on this and through your mailbox, so I'm posting
> this here again.
>
> Yes, I am extremely sorry for appearing so naive and having such ill
> taste, but I tried to express my situation as honestly as possible and
> unfortunately that's what I came up with. I do agree with you on the
> use of the word "proficient" -- one truly cannot be that skilled in
> anything these days. All I wanted to say was that I know a bit of
> those stuff, enough to get my work done, and not in standards
> considerably horrible by any means.
>
> I don't claim that I'm bullet-proof in any of the scripting languages
> or web stuff I've mentioned. But I do know that I can conceptualize
> (including front-end design and dealing with constraints and integrity
> issues) complex database-shouldered systems (here's one for you: I
> often fiddle with the idea of creating a singular application that can
> integrate and manage all the possible tasks, divisions and departments
> of an organization on the scale of the EU or UN in their totality)
> pretty fast (fast, e.g. I was working on this project that would
> handle $30M in the national reserve, an application that would reduce
> stagnancy of stored cash in the banking network by branching out to
> web portals that would circulate revenue. The idea is far more
> complicated than can be stated in a few lines, and was slated to be
> reviewed by the Finance Ministry. If anyone of you follow the current
> political scenario of Bangladesh, you'd know drastic political changes
> are going about here, and the project got lost amidst more realistic
> problems in the backdrop of a country where computer literacy accounts
> for less than one percent. Getting back to the time factor, the whole
> thing only took me 2 days to chalk out, including drafting the
> interfaces.) I'm no expert, but whenever I took a database related
> course in my university, literally half of the CSC department would
> crash in to watch the demonstrations. Teachers and students would
> repeatedly inquire about my project throughout the semester, and the
> whole faculty has repeatedly asked me to get serious in this business.
> These are the kind of things that have got me inspired and pushed the
> humble, stupid likes of me far enough to be seeking for your advice.
>
> As I've mentioned, I come from Bangladesh. Lots of problems abound in
> the tech domain here: lack of books and information, near-zero
> advanced expertise in specialized fields, sluggish bandwidth, fund
> crises, lack of support from the government, a dearth of firsts.
> Therefore, questions I might be asking might actually appear more
> stupid in your context than ours.
>
> By posting this post (the original one and this), I didn't and don't
> intend to appear smart, or show off (I very definitely know how
> illiterate I am in this area), or pull anyone's leg, etc. I started it
> because I am just an average mid-career guy who feels he has a knack
> for something and would like to pursue it, despite all odds if
> necessary, and just want to know what the odds are in advance and from
> people who are most certainly more knowledgable than I am.
>
> No offence, and thank you to everyone in all earnest.
> dzn
Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2007 16:06:30 -0700
Message-ID: <1183244711.991118_at_bubbleator.drizzle.com>
dreamznatcher wrote:
[Quoted] > On Jun 30, 8:12 pm, DA Morgan <damor..._at_psoug.org> wrote:
>> dreamznatcher wrote: >>> Hello, [Quoted] >>> I'm considering a career switch to a more database-related job, but >>> need help on a few questions and issues. I'm a Computer Engineering >>> graduate and have always felt most comfortable creating database- >>> driven applications, preferably for web portals. >>> [My questions:] >>> 1. What are the most viable career options for me out there? What >>> profile do I fit in? >> You don't fit into any specific hash bucket but rather likely have >> the ability to morph into whichever one you wish. >> >> Rather than approaching it from the standpoint of "I'm a square peg >> which hole should I put myself in?" Turn it around and say "I am a >> morphable peg and which hole would I most enjoy being in?" >> >>> 2. What is the current job market/salary situation for database >>> professionals? With my current skills, what kind of job might I end up >>> with? >> Best place to look is dice.com, monster.com, hotjobs.com, etc. But >> the job market today is not the job market of tomorrow. Certainly >> there are some things that are safer bets than others. One can >> essentially guarantee Oracle will still be around in 20 years whereas >> one can be rather certain a large number of products and companies >> will not be: At least not in their current form. >> >>> 3. What are the stuff I should focus/learn to advance my skills >>> optimally? >> Depends on what you want to be doing when you are 57 years old. The >> only correct answer is asking strangers is a sure road to disaster. >> >>> 4. And finally, is there any university degree (MS) specializing in >>> databases anywhere? (I'm also deeply interested in the internal >>> mechanism/theoretical aspect of databases.) >> What country? I'm not aware of one in the US but you might want to >> contact Professor Carl Dudley at University of Wolverhampton with >> respect to the EU. >> >>> _Please read my (following) profile before replying!_ >>> [I'm proficient in: ] >>> - Oracle (8i, 9i), MySQL (4.1.xx), MS Access >>> - Have working knowledge of SQL Server 2000 >>> - Intend to learn SQLite and MySQL 5 soon >>> - HTML, DHTML, CSS >>> - JS, PHP >>> - Intend to learn AJAX, JSON, ASP.Net soon >> To be brutally honest with you ... no you aren't. One of the things >> that gets me to toss a resume into the discard pile when looking at >> resumes is a laundry list of technologies so vast no person could >> possibly be competent in all of them. Above is such a list and not >> only are you not proficient in all of them neither is anyone else. >> >> Lists like this create an immediate negative impression except in >> HR departments staffed by former shoe salesmen. <g> >> -- >> Daniel A. Morgan >> University of Washington >> damor..._at_x.washington.edu (replace x with u to respond) >> Puget Sound Oracle Users Groupwww.psoug.org
>
> Hello everyone,
> (Mr Morgan and rkc on comp.databases.ms-access:)
> I've mailed you about this a little while ago (I actually wanted to
> post it but had clicked on "Reply to author"), but don't want to
> bother you further on this and through your mailbox, so I'm posting
> this here again.
>
> Yes, I am extremely sorry for appearing so naive and having such ill
> taste, but I tried to express my situation as honestly as possible and
> unfortunately that's what I came up with. I do agree with you on the
> use of the word "proficient" -- one truly cannot be that skilled in
> anything these days. All I wanted to say was that I know a bit of
> those stuff, enough to get my work done, and not in standards
> considerably horrible by any means.
>
> I don't claim that I'm bullet-proof in any of the scripting languages
> or web stuff I've mentioned. But I do know that I can conceptualize
> (including front-end design and dealing with constraints and integrity
> issues) complex database-shouldered systems (here's one for you: I
> often fiddle with the idea of creating a singular application that can
> integrate and manage all the possible tasks, divisions and departments
> of an organization on the scale of the EU or UN in their totality)
> pretty fast (fast, e.g. I was working on this project that would
> handle $30M in the national reserve, an application that would reduce
> stagnancy of stored cash in the banking network by branching out to
> web portals that would circulate revenue. The idea is far more
> complicated than can be stated in a few lines, and was slated to be
> reviewed by the Finance Ministry. If anyone of you follow the current
> political scenario of Bangladesh, you'd know drastic political changes
> are going about here, and the project got lost amidst more realistic
> problems in the backdrop of a country where computer literacy accounts
> for less than one percent. Getting back to the time factor, the whole
> thing only took me 2 days to chalk out, including drafting the
> interfaces.) I'm no expert, but whenever I took a database related
> course in my university, literally half of the CSC department would
> crash in to watch the demonstrations. Teachers and students would
> repeatedly inquire about my project throughout the semester, and the
> whole faculty has repeatedly asked me to get serious in this business.
> These are the kind of things that have got me inspired and pushed the
> humble, stupid likes of me far enough to be seeking for your advice.
>
> As I've mentioned, I come from Bangladesh. Lots of problems abound in
> the tech domain here: lack of books and information, near-zero
> advanced expertise in specialized fields, sluggish bandwidth, fund
> crises, lack of support from the government, a dearth of firsts.
> Therefore, questions I might be asking might actually appear more
> stupid in your context than ours.
>
> By posting this post (the original one and this), I didn't and don't
> intend to appear smart, or show off (I very definitely know how
> illiterate I am in this area), or pull anyone's leg, etc. I started it
> because I am just an average mid-career guy who feels he has a knack
> for something and would like to pursue it, despite all odds if
> necessary, and just want to know what the odds are in advance and from
> people who are most certainly more knowledgable than I am.
>
> No offence, and thank you to everyone in all earnest.
> dzn
I'm impressed: If I can help you email me at the university.
-- Daniel A. Morgan University of Washington damorgan_at_x.washington.edu (replace x with u to respond) Puget Sound Oracle Users Group www.psoug.orgReceived on Sun Jul 01 2007 - 01:06:30 CEST