From Hairdresser to DBA – How to start a career in IT

Question

Post reply

From Hairdresser to DBA – How to start a career in IT

Greg M. Lucas

Right there with Babe

Points: 782
More actions
September 10, 2012 at 10:29 pm

#281422

Comments posted to this topic are about the item From Hairdresser to DBA – How to start a career in IT
Greg M Lucas
"Your mind is like a parachute, it has to be open to work" - Frank Zappa

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 44 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply

Chris Houghton SSCrazy Points: 2557 More actions · Answer 1

Great article - you started my day with a smile 🙂

MysteryJimbo SSC-Insane Points: 24203 More actions · Answer 2

Chris Houghton (9/11/2012)
Great article - you started my day with a smile 🙂

Agreed

This is a very similar way to me except I always wanted to work in IT but circumstances at home caused me to stop my education and begin work in a factory.

After 4 years as a fork lift driver, I complete my MCSE and got my first IT job as a network technician at a small/medium enterprise to cut my teeth and begin planning my career. No small task, especially with the 33% pay cut I'd taken to make the move.

OldCursor SSC Eights! Points: 936 More actions · Answer 3

Me too ...

After a 16 year carreer in the aviation industry I too took a job on the support team of a small software house using my customer facing skills to gain experience and qualifications in database development and data transfer.

I was customer services manager for that company for ten years before going independent.

I too have now been an independent database developer for six years and currently split my time between two busy London based clients. I create and manage SQL Server databases and write SSRS reports. After managing staff and customers my life is now less stressfull, more challenging, and more satisfying!

Converting a hobby into a carreer has worked wonders for me.

🙂

vdrgcfjhyuhjcyurnsxjry Valued Member Points: 61 More actions · Answer 4

Excellent, well written article. Thanks

A pertinent reminder that we don't need to stick in roles that we are unhappy with.

I be very interested to read something from someone who has escaped IT to do something else.

Cheers

aspiring_dba SSC Veteran Points: 276 More actions · Answer 5

Really Great Article.

I have one question for you Sir.

How you get your clients for Database Freelancing Job ?

surishetty_shiva Valued Member Points: 53 More actions · Answer 6

surishetty_shiva

Valued Member

Points: 53

September 11, 2012 at 4:04 am

#1536106

Excellent Greg.. I am really inspired 🙂

akumbabarns SSChasing Mays Points: 632 More actions · Answer 7

akumbabarns

SSChasing Mays

Points: 632

September 11, 2012 at 4:10 am

#1536110

Excellent write up.

You've got me really inspired.

PravS SSC Journeyman Points: 93 More actions · Answer 8

Great Article...Inspiring…..It has motivated to do something.

I am kind of stuck in a domain that doesn’t interests me, but I am paid well :-D.

On the back of the mind, I know I must change my domain to SQL, since I love SQL. But I do not know who will hire me and pay me well.

After all money is equally important……..But I will plan and change my career into SQL soon. 3 year plan!

dioscoredes Old Hand Points: 391 More actions · Answer 9

Great respect for your vision, persistence and achievements.

I have served 43 years in enterprise IT coming into the industry as a refugee Ph.D. biochemist during the recession of the early 70's. Many of the finest colleagues I have ever worked with have been academically minimally or not qualified at all. This is humbling. Has left me wondering what on earth we are doing with children in school these days when attainment in working life bears so little relationship with attainment in school.

Men who wish to know about the world must learn about it in its particular details. - Heraclitus

dioscoredes Old Hand Points: 391 More actions · Answer 10

Agents, agents, agents! (that is to say recruitment agents and not SQL Server agents LOL)

Men who wish to know about the world must learn about it in its particular details. - Heraclitus

Abrar Ahmad_ SSCarpal Tunnel Points: 4244 More actions · Answer 11

[font="Verdana"]

Great and superb!

Kindly if possible can you list down the timeline of your career biography with dates, especially mentioning the year?

Thank you!

and good luck!

[/font]

OldCursor SSC Eights! Points: 936 More actions · Answer 12

aspiring_dba

It's not easy! Having worked in customer support for a software company for some years I had made a good many contacts in the specific industry sectors the software sold to.

I network with those contacts and I've been lucky to find two long term clients who need regular input from me. They value my technical skills - but almost as important is my understanding of their business and the industry generally. In addition to that I have made sure I say yes to any request they make whether it be an MS Access project, a SQL server development or even just a bit of spreadsheet work.

You might also try registering with the web site http://www.peopleperhour.com/. I haven't found any work through them yet but there are a lot of opportunities available there.

Keep trying!

lbodine SSC Rookie Points: 26 More actions · Answer 13

Greg:

Great story! I am in the opposite situation I have been a DBA for 20 years and I am at the point in my life where I am ready to do something else. One of my passions has always been hair, makeup and fashion. I started making my own natural hair products a few years agos and shared them with a few friends and they love them. Since I am working as a consultant now I have more flexibility and time to work on my business plan.

ma_fo Newbie Points: 1 More actions · Answer 14

Thanks for sharing this great article Greg.

Currently going through a little bit of a career change myself (though nothing as drastic as you've described here), so always nice to read about other peoples experiences.