March 7, 2008 at 7:48 am
I agree with Brandie and Bob (as with so many others who have posted replies on this thread).
I'm very new to SQL Server, i have a Oracle Applications Developer/10g DBA background, but not the amount of years of experience required by many organisations. I presently work as an SQL Server DBA. How i got the job?
I was totally honest about my abilities (like many others have said), i told my interviewers that i had a good working knowledge of Oracle database and a basic knowledge of SQL server because i had taken it up on a personal quest, and that the basics were very similar (t-sql/pl-sql) and of course that i was very willing to learn everything i could.
I have had a lot of help from my team, cos they know where i'm coming from and that i'm willing to learn. and of cos i've learnt so much from forums including SSC.
so keep it real, be sincere, i hope you find a place soon.
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All it takes, is a step in the right direction, your feet will manage to find the way. I didn't say it'll be easy!!![font="Comic Sans MS"]:cool:[/font]
March 7, 2008 at 7:51 am
BTW, the OP mentioned he applied for this job because he has to pay the mortgage. I notice, however, he didn't mention at all whether or not he's actually interested in doing SQL Server work.
For all those who read this thread, and for the OP too, I have a little piece of advice. Don't get into this business (DBA or DB Developer) unless you ENJOY this work. Don't do it for the money or the job security. Find another reason.
Being in customer service for the first 15 years of my working life, I learned the hard way that doing a job for the money is the worst thing you can do. You get burnt out really easily, hate the world and can't figure out why you're miserable. I know because I've done it even in CS.
My original motiviation for getting into IT was the money, I do admit. But I couldn't find anything. This was pre-SQL studying, etc. Every job I looked at paid about the same as a highly paid CS job, expected you to be on call 24x7 and asked for a skillset that was astronomical in proportions. Since no one would take my unpaid IT work as experience, I quickly gave up on changing careers. But I kept doing my unpaid IT stuff and teaching myself hardware / software skills because I had fun with this stuff.
Then one day I discovered the job title of "Database Administrator" and instantly fell in love. It was the combination of my two favorite things; solving computer problems and computer programming. This changed the playing field entirely for me. I decided on SQL Server for my entry point and went to work teaching myself everything I could learn.
When I worked in Customer Service / Retail, I couldn't last in a job more than 3-4 years. I was always getting burnt out, angry at people, etc. I fell into CS by accident and just couldn't find a way out of it. I never came home saying "I loved the day I just had". Especially when I switched CS jobs to get a higher pay check. It never ever worked for me. But I have now officially found my calling. 4 years of actual work experience later, I have yet to find the moment that tells me this was a bad move. Granted, I still have bad days and bad experiences with people. Yet, this is the most fun, challenging job I have ever had.
Don't ever do this job for the money. Do it because you feel like you're making a difference. Do it because you like solving the riddles. Do it because you enjoy the challenges. But don't force yourself into this career just to pay the bills. If you do, you'll only be making yourself miserable. This line of work really is a high-stress, pressure-cooker kind of environment no matter how good the company you're working for is. And the only way to deal with this kind of pressure is to know you're having fun with your work.
Okay. Off my soapbox now. @=) Good luck with your interviews!
March 7, 2008 at 8:01 am
Brandie Tarvin (3/7/2008)
Don't ever do this job for the money. Do it because you feel like you're making a difference. Do it because you like solving the riddles. Do it because you enjoy the challenges. But don't force yourself into this career just to pay the bills. If you do, you'll only be making yourself miserable. This line of work really is a high-stress, pressure-cooker kind of environment no matter how good the company you're working for is. And the only way to deal with this kind of pressure is to know you're having fun with your work.
That's some of the best advise anyone could have written... love it or leave it...
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
March 7, 2008 at 8:12 am
Agreed. If you love the job, the money will follow.
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
March 7, 2008 at 8:12 am
Hear Hear! Well said Brandie!
😎
March 7, 2008 at 8:22 am
May as well pile on...
Good Job Brandie. I couldn't agree more.
Enjoying the work allows you to bring passion to the job. That passion will translate to accomplishments within the company. You will receive recognition. That translates, sooner or later, into cash.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
- Theodore Roosevelt
Author of:
SQL Server Execution Plans
SQL Server Query Performance Tuning
March 7, 2008 at 8:28 am
Grant Fritchey (3/7/2008)
May as well pile on...Good Job Brandie. I couldn't agree more.
Enjoying the work allows you to bring passion to the job. That passion will translate to accomplishments within the company. You will receive recognition. That translates, sooner or later, into cash.
I enjoy the work. I received the recognition. But it still has not translated to $$$ yet....:crying:
And it is two years since I got the recognition.:angry:
-Roy
March 7, 2008 at 8:35 am
Roy,
Have you ever thought about talking to your boss about this? Ask him why you've stopped getting recognition?
It could be he has higher expectations of you since that moment and he thinks (erronously perhaps) that you haven't met them. Or it could be that he hasn't been paying attention. This could be a good conversation for the two of you that results in better expectations on both sides.
I personally hate to be one to toot my own horn. I've always been uncomfortable with drawing people's attentions to my accomplishments at work, wanting them to recognize it for what it is without the neon sign. But sometimes, ya gotta do what ya gotta do and show your boss everything you've been doing in order to bring the attention and recognition back. After all, IT is always in the background. We're never noticed until something breaks. And then we're only noticed in a bad way.
And, um, thanks everyone for the cheers. :blush:
March 7, 2008 at 8:37 am
Depends on the market that you are in. Obviously things are tighter now than they have been in the past, so I wouldn't suggest making a jump at the moment.
However, I will say this. Rarely will the $$$ increase quickly if you stay with one company. Most companies unfortunately have internal rules on how much of an increase they can give you at once.
When I first became a DBA, I actually had to take a 30% pay cut. After 2 years, I wasn't even where I was before I started.
... Here is how it worked. (Numbers have been changed to protect the innocent... 😉 )
95 $5
96 $3 -- Switched jobs (TOOK ENTRY LEVEL DBA JOB)
99 $6 -- Switched Jobs
2007 -- $10
2007 -- Switched jobs again. (Doing even better).
March 7, 2008 at 8:42 am
The company I'm at currently has an annual review process. You may or may not get a raise, but you'll at least know what the boss thinks of you and how you're doing. Roy, if you haven't had a review from the boss in two years, I'd push him on that, not necessarily the money (yet).
It's also worth knowing what the market in your area is paying. Over a year ago I went to my boss and told him that I loved the company, I was happy with the work environment, he was a good manager, I liked my co-workers (most of them), but at the rate I was getting paid, it was actually painful for me to stay with the company. He did something about it. I'm still not exactly up with the market rate, but all the other pluses of the job make staying less painful.
It's your life. Take charge.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
- Theodore Roosevelt
Author of:
SQL Server Execution Plans
SQL Server Query Performance Tuning
March 7, 2008 at 8:53 am
I got the review all right. As per management, I am an excellent worker. I have been promoted from Junior DBA to Senior DBA, but the pay is no were near a senior DBA. The senior programmers here makes triple the salary I make.
-Roy
March 7, 2008 at 9:02 am
I guess someone has to play devil's advocate here, so here goes:
Brandie, you are totally off the mark. Do whatever you can to make the most money so you can live a better life and do/enjoy the things that more money will allow you to do/enjoy!!!
Ok, enough devils advocate - that was a completely hollow remark. 😛
Here's to wishing everyone could have all three of the positive things you can have with work: 1) really enjoy it, 2) are good at it and 3) make a good living at it. Most people are lucky to have ONE of those 3!! Me, I am constantly expecting to get struck with a meteor or have my airplane bore a hole into the ground because I do have all three and have for years now PLUS I have a wonderful, beautiful wife (who is a doctor) and an amazing 2.5 year old daughter too!! Pinching myself now to see if it is a dream . . . :unsure:
Best,
Kevin G. Boles
SQL Server Consultant
SQL MVP 2007-2012
TheSQLGuru on googles mail service
March 7, 2008 at 9:16 am
All you can do is call them on it. If you're not satisfied with their answer, then evaluate your options.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
- Theodore Roosevelt
Author of:
SQL Server Execution Plans
SQL Server Query Performance Tuning
March 7, 2008 at 9:18 am
TheSQLGuru (3/7/2008)
I guess someone has to play devil's advocate here, so here goes:Brandie, you are totally off the mark. Do whatever you can to make the most money so you can live a better life and do/enjoy the things that more money will allow you to do/enjoy!!!
Ok, enough devils advocate - that was a completely hollow remark. 😛
Here's to wishing everyone could have all three of the positive things you can have with work: 1) really enjoy it, 2) are good at it and 3) make a good living at it. Most people are lucky to have ONE of those 3!! Me, I am constantly expecting to get struck with a meteor or have my airplane bore a hole into the ground because I do have all three and have for years now PLUS I have a wonderful, beautiful wife (who is a doctor) and an amazing 2.5 year old daughter too!! Pinching myself now to see if it is a dream . . . :unsure:
HOLY MOLY dude, don't you know that Murphy listens?
He didn't mean it Murph... everything is in the can, it's rolling down hill, at the bottom of the hill is a cliff, at the bottom of the cliff are spikes, with radioactive rat poison & programmer brains...
😎
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
- Theodore Roosevelt
Author of:
SQL Server Execution Plans
SQL Server Query Performance Tuning
March 7, 2008 at 9:22 am
Brandie Tarvin (3/7/2008)
And the only way to deal with this kind of pressure is to know you're having fun with your work.
That's actually kind of funny to me. I'm told I'm often muttering something to that effect when the...STUFF... is hitting the fan....hehe
Like... "Boy are we having FUN today, or WHAT????"
Of course - they know we're in trouble when I switch to the Bene Gesserit mantra....
"Fear is the Mind Killer...."
:hehe::D:):P;):w00t::Whistling:
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Your lack of planning does not constitute an emergency on my part...unless you're my manager...or a director and above...or a really loud-spoken end-user..All right - what was my emergency again?
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