September 30, 2008 at 6:51 am
I assume the majority of the guys here are based in the U.S but I though I would post this anyway.
After graduating from a software engineering degree i was lucky enough to get a 12 month contract (Ends October) working as maternity cover for the permanent DBA in a small finance company. During my time in the role I have had the opportunity to receive a few months mentoring from an experienced SQL Server professional . The role was a little unexpected as this time last year I had no idea SQL Server existed (did some access/MYSQL at Uni).
Any how I have learned a lot over the last year and really enjoyed the (sometimes infuriating) experience and would love to continue working this area with a view to moving into business intelligence. But I am struggling to find many junior openings.
Any general advice on getting my foot in the door somewhere would be hugely appreciated
and any information on actual companies to try or possible openings in my area even more so.
For the record i Live in the East Midlands (Nottingham/Derby) ideally don't want to relocate but
would move anywhere for the right role.
Again any advice is hugely appreciated
September 30, 2008 at 9:05 am
Being based in the US I don't know how things work in the U.K., but in the U.S. networking is the best way to get a position. Go to any user groups/events (.NET, SQL) you can get to, participate, and get to know people. If you show interest and enthusiasm most people at a user group or event will be more than willing to help you out. That may mean letting you know about a position in their company or recommending you to a friend. In the U.S. most positions don't get to a recruiter, job board, or newspaper ad, they are filled because you know someone.
Oh yeah, answering/asking questions on forums doesn't hurt either. Answering gives you a chance to demonstrate what you've learned and asking shows you want to learn and if you post intelligently, that you've thought about the problem.
Jack Corbett
Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
Check out these links on how to get faster and more accurate answers:
Forum Etiquette: How to post data/code on a forum to get the best help
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September 30, 2008 at 9:17 am
There a lot of opurtunites for SQL developers/dbas in the UK and also a lot of BI positions are opening up, but like a lot of jobs they are mainly based in London, so for the right job with an major company you may have to relocate.
If you do a search on a few job sites, i use http://www.cwjobs.co.uk, you should be able to find a couple of Junior BI roles. Also as it is nearing the end of the year a lot of the bigger companies are now actively recruiting graduates for their graudate programs, Since you have recently graduated you should be eligble and they are a great way to get a foot in the door with a lot of companies without having a lot of experience. Check the webistes of the companies you want to work for for grad programes most major companies/banks have them. There is also a grad fair coming up but again it is in London so might mean some travelling for you.
http://www.londongradfair.co.uk
Also put your name in with a few recruiters, if you can find a pro-active one they should be able to find something for you. All the jobs i have taken have been through recruiters, and when we recruite for positions here we go through them.
September 30, 2008 at 9:34 am
George,
I also live in the midlands(notts/derby) - there are several companies you can approach
quantix (based in beeston) are a consultancy service offering DBA support / holiday cover / special projects etc.
their website is http://www.quantix-uk.com, however be prepared to do some travelling as they require you to visit customer sites as far away as london. - as far as i remmeber the head honcho is called dick salmon
you'll gain a lot of experience there if you can stomach the travelling and on call requirements
secondly you could try gala-coral (bingo and casino) - i'm currently there at the minute but this is my last day. The DBA team is currently being built, and although they are based in woking, there are massive offices in nottingham and there's no reason they wouldn't employ someone to work in the nottingham offices. try contacting andrew price at eurobet house based in woking (church st) - you can get the recption number from yell.com - i won't post it here
you also have bet365.com in stoke on trent - however you need a very high skill set to go there and the oncall rota is punishing.
other companies in the area with POSSIBLE DBA requirements
synergy (ascott drive derby)
capital one (nottingham)
wella - ilkeston
network rail (london rd, derby)
bombardier (london rd)
Serco Rail Test (london rd derby)
there are plenty more - but these are the ones I know of.
MVDBA
September 30, 2008 at 9:40 am
Cheers guys all the advice is extremely useful and i'll take it all onboard
Thanks especially for the local companies, looks like I've got a busy night ahead of me 🙂
October 16, 2008 at 10:02 am
Hi,
I would say best idea is to send your cv to different jobs you would find on different websites like cwjobs, hays, huxley, jobcenterplus etc. These all are agency website. They will not have any vacancy today which matches your profile but if they have your cv then they will contact you. So it is good idea to send your cv to different agency asap.
ALL THE BEST.
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