September 28, 2011 at 7:26 am
Hi there! I am looking for some advice/guidance from fellow SQL gurus about my career. I am not surrounded by SQL Developers in my real life, so this is the next best thing. 🙂
I have a BS in Computer Science and a master of science in MIS and I have 12+ years experience with SQL Development/DBA and a Top secret clearance. I currently work as a gov't contractor in DC.
Basically, I'm bored as gov't life (at least at my agency) doesn't allow for creativity or implementing new and exciting things. The extent of my day usually consists of creating a table, writing an import procedure and possibly creating an SSRS report for a system I implemented for my employer. I'm basically getting left behind in technology and I do not get to do any kind of high end SQL stuff... even though I have over 12 years in this field, I've never done anything with clustering, mirroring, broker services, or any kind of .NET or programming.
Generally the type of positions I get in are where I'm the only database person (or in my current place there is 1 other) and I work in a reporting environment where we're not acting as the main transactional system or anything.
So, I started looking for a new job (preferably not in gov't) and I'm really blown away by the job descriptions. For a normal SQL developer I see things like must have C#, .NET, windows administration, experience in all the SQL stuff I don't do and years of experience in SQL 2008. I just got our shop to upgrade to 2005 from 2000. I do have training in 2008, but not actual implemented systems. Or, the job is way junior and I'm totally over qualified for it.
I live in DC, so the market is very competitive. I'm wondering if I should be looking at getting a certification or just keep plugging away? Generally, are these job ads that are asking for the sun the moon and the stars willing to take someone who knows their stuff but just needs to come up to speed on some of the more advanced features?
I've applied to so many jobs and the ones I really want, I never hear from. I get calls constantly about contracting positions but that's not really what I want. I thought I was pretty advanced in my field but looking at some of these job descriptions I feel like a noob.
Any advice or insight would be most appreciative. 🙂
September 28, 2011 at 7:34 am
My advice would be not to be put off by the job description. Most recruiters ask for the moon on a stick, but they don't (or shouldn't) expect to get it, especially for the salary that they typically offer. As long as you can demonstrate the aptitude to learn, you're in with a chance.
John
September 28, 2011 at 7:42 am
Thanks for the advice... I'm also curious about the number of contracting positions I'm seeing. Do companies not have internal IT departments anymore?
I really want to work for a company ... like internally... that's not government. It seems to be like trying to find a needle in a haystack.
I'm also getting these things that just sound odd... for example, I have a phone interview today for a position with a company that describes themselves as a "international IT outsourcing & software implementation/integration company". However the job is with another company that is local to me and they described it to me as I could work there for six months and then after six months the company can choose to hire me on or I could continue to work for the international company... its a full time permanent position but it just sounds really wierd. The job seems interesting its working with a high end automotive dealership doing analysis and reporting, development, design etc for their customer experience database that does like real time tracking of sales and stuff. I believe the job would pay me about 6k less than I make now but its trading off an annoying gov't contracting gig that takes me 2 hours to commute to or a non gov't job that is 15 minutes from my house. 🙂
September 28, 2011 at 8:55 am
It is not uncommon for companies to hire on a temporary basis until they determine if you are competent. I don't blame them, why should they be penalized for firing someone who did not live up to expectations?
I think you would probably have to get away from Washington DC to have more choices in non-government jobs. Creative and talented people generally don't do well in government jobs, the reasons are self explanatory.
Good luck on your search, I think it could be worth taking a small salary cut to break into an environment where you will be exposed to bleeding edge technology. How much of a cut depends on a lot of things.
The probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of arrival.
September 28, 2011 at 9:11 am
Well I live in Northern VA so its not "In" DC proper. Moving away isn't really an option for me.
And technically a company can fire you at any time if you aren't meeting expectations. At least in Virginia, it is an "at will" state and most places and most places have like a 90 day trial period or something. So, I don't really see the draw to places only going temporary. And I'm not really concerned with the fact that its temp to perm but the fact that its from one company's employ to another or the option to not do it at all.
I get weary of recruiters and companies I've never heard of... I just wish more places were actually hiring themselves and not outsourcing.
September 28, 2011 at 9:23 am
amy26 (9/28/2011)
I get weary of recruiters and companies I've never heard of... I just wish more places were actually hiring themselves and not outsourcing.
I'll second that. Until the current anti-business climate changes companies will not be doing a lot of direct hiring. They fear yet untold new regulations and mandates that increase the costs associated with every single person they hire so they are trying to protect their viability and options while still trying to stay in business. A huge percentage of the jobs "created" over the past two years have been government jobs.
The probability of survival is inversely proportional to the angle of arrival.
September 28, 2011 at 9:33 am
Yea, this is true. I have considered just taking an actual government job and not contracting but I really hate the commute. We just heard on the news that DC is now the worst place in the country for traffic! Yay...go us! I had been selected for an interview at the Supreme Court for a SQL position but I didn't go because the Supreme Court is even farther away then the agency I'm at now! 😀
September 28, 2011 at 9:48 am
sturner (9/28/2011)
It is not uncommon for companies to hire on a temporary basis until they determine if you are competent. I don't blame them, why should they be penalized for firing someone who did not live up to expectations?I think you would probably have to get away from Washington DC to have more choices in non-government jobs. Creative and talented people generally don't do well in government jobs, the reasons are self explanatory.
Good luck on your search, I think it could be worth taking a small salary cut to break into an environment where you will be exposed to bleeding edge technology. How much of a cut depends on a lot of things.
I have to second this. It is increasingly common to "rent-to-own" someone, this allows companies to try you out before they hire you. The problem I have with that is the way it is portrayed is often suspect. Even if you are competent and excelling they still don't hire. Also many of these contracts don't offer PTO or anything, you can usually buy insurance through the company but it often sucks and is expensive. I've worked for contract companies on both extremes, no PTO and crappy insurance, to reasonable PTO and workable insurance. The problem with no PTO is if you don't work everyday you don't get paid, so being sick is not an option, and everyday they have off is a day you aren't getting paid for.
As a side note, you mention TS clearance, if you wanted to make some SERIOUS money for a year or two and didn't mind carrying a gun to and at work.. You could get in with a contract company that sends you OCONUS, for SQL DBAs I believe the premium is about $130-150K per year..
CEWII
September 28, 2011 at 9:54 am
Hehe, ya I totally understand the concept and why they do it... but I also share your concerns with it.
The jobs that I'm interviewing for seem to be a little different though... the contracting employer seems to offer benefits (leave and everything) through them and then if the other company decides to hire you then you switch over to their benefits package. I am just weary to go to the jobs that are infact temp to perm because I don't like the idea of potentially having to start looking for another job just as soon as I get one.
For example, the company I work for now is a government contractor but I am a full time employee with this company. So, if the contract I'm on expired or if I wanted to do something else they woulld move me to another project that the company has. They have their own benefits and everything and I'm not W-2 and there was no temp to perm thing when they hired me. The only downside is they keep cutting our benefits and I hate my job! 🙂
I'm also not really keen on guns! 😀 I got scared enough when I went over to DEA once to do a presentation and they literally won't let you step foot in the door without knowing who you are what you're doing where you're going who you're seeing and they won't even let you make a phone call or anything. And guards are standing there with guns pointed at you... was a bit intimidating. 😀
September 28, 2011 at 10:44 am
So OCONUS is out.. ok..
CEWII
September 28, 2011 at 11:03 am
Hehe, yea probably. 🙂
The phone interview I just had was really wierd... she pretty much just told me to "talk about myself from my first job all the way till now". I'm thinking seriously? And then that was pretty much it... but then she said at the end that she wants me to come in and meet the team next week.
So, I'm not even entirely sure how to interpret that... the recruiter called me and wanted to know how it went and when I told her she was like "oh that's not good". I guess she expected it to be more in depth than that.
Why is job hunting so frustrating .... lol.
September 28, 2011 at 11:50 am
Job hunting sucks.. But I will say that having a job makes it easier to find a job and gives you options.
In the past I had some interviews like what you described, while I wouldn't say "not good" I would say that they probably are not very structured. And I wonder if that is reflective of other areas. I have also done interviews that were HIGHLY structured where you apparently had to have to right answer to every question, and I'm not talking about technical questions, I wonder if they every found someone.... I had a couple meet the team interviews or ones where a subset of the team interviewed me as well. One of the questions I asked them was why they liked working there. If they had to search for an answer I had to question the climate I would be coming into.
I interviewed in the 90's for a BIG insurance company, I was still fairly green in DB but not overall, i got an offer well below what I was asking and well below market and it didn't feel right, so I turned it down. The head hunter I was working with was pressing me hard to take it, so I dropped them too. I ran into the guy who interviewed me about 3 years later and I asked him how things were going, he said, you should be thankful you turned that job down, it was a real %$#hole and they can't keep competent staff. He had left a year or so after my interviews.
My experience with government employment is if you are a GS employee you can about kill someone and not get fired, but if you are a contractor if you look at someone wrong you could be receiving the items from your desk by mail after they escort you from the building.. Or in a case I was told about, there was a guy who like to visit inappropriate web sites at work, but his skillset was so specialized they couldn't replace him, there was a single workstation he could login to and about 3 websites he could visit, he wasn't even allowed email. In the real world that guy would be unemployed.. Gotta love government employment..
Oh well, I have all that behind me, its always good to find a company you REALLY like..
Best of luck!
CEWII
September 28, 2011 at 11:51 am
would you drive to Maryland? 🙂
September 28, 2011 at 12:05 pm
Yea, I've run the gambit on interviews... and yes finding a new job is 100% easier when you already have one. I really feel for the people that have been looking for so long and not able to find anything who are unemployed.
Its difficult to gauge this phone interview today... we'll see what happens I guess. I had another one yesterday that I thought went very well but I haven't heard back yet.
I posted in another thread about an incredibly hard interview I had... it was a panel interview (Microsoft style, that's how they put it) and wow they just grilled me for like an hour. Even asked me questions like why are manhole covers round? I gave them a smartass answer and said because the hole its covering is round? 🙂 I did get the job offer but due to a small blip on my credit report they wouldn't hire me. It was so stupid... I have a top secret clearance and the gov't didn't care about it but a medium sized private sector company did. Oh well...
@janetkeith: Maryland eh? Would have to be a darn fine job for me to go to Maryland... and relocation assistance. 🙂 I would love to move but I'm locked into a rental lease that doesn't expire till 12/2012.
September 28, 2011 at 12:21 pm
And I thought the background check for Secret clearance was tough, I hear TS is that much harder. I know a guy, he had TS clearance and actually HAD killed someone, did time for it, I think it was manslaughter though.. And they go DEEP for those clearances, some of the questions are just crazy.
Panel interviews are rough, I had a BRUTAL technical interview that I really enjoyed because it gave me a chance to shine. Some of the standard ones but some off the wall ones that if you had been working with the product long enough you would know.
I think credit checking should be outlawed for employment and any kind of insurance.. Especially if you aren't handling money, if you are an accountant MAYBE. I know a number people who are great with their money and simply shouldn't be driving, I also know people who are terrible with their money and haven't gotten a ticket or been in an accident in decades.
CEWII
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