December 9, 2011 at 8:00 am
Hi everyone,
First, I just want to say that this is a repost. I felt it was more appropriate to have it here as it was originally posted in the Server Administration section. Also, I am technically a newbie.
After graduating college and working for about 2 years, I've decided that I wanted to start a career as a DBA. I've taken a few SQL courses during my time in college, and for some reason I just had a lot of fun in them.
My last year and a half of work experience has not had anything to do with SQL. I'm looking for some books and advice as to how to get started. I know i'll probably have to work my way up, so I was just wondering what the typical career path would be if I wanted to do so.
Also, I've been doing some research about what books would be good to get me started, but every book on amazon seems to have mixed reviews.
Finally, I was hoping to see what everyone here thinks of Oracle. Right now, I'm kind of down the middle as to if I should take the MSSQL path or the Oracle path. From what I hear, Oracle is more of a pain and geared towards larger companies? Which is more in demand?
Thanks in advance!
-Andy
December 9, 2011 at 8:20 am
Don't look exclusively for DBA jobs, include "Developer" and "Support" for SQL Server in your searches.
Most employers that are aware that DBA is a job with a narrow scope requiring some very extensive knowledge, for whom you'd need to have a fair amount of RDBMS experience before they'd even consider you.
December 10, 2011 at 12:42 am
You'll need strong SQL querying skills if you want to get into a Database postion (analyst, devloper, dba, etc). The stronger the better. You can find companies that will hire you as an analyst and teach you administration if you have really good SQL skills and a willingness to learn. You probably won't find a job that would first teach you to query and then teach you administration. Other companies want someone who can hit the ground running, and they wouldn't consider anyone with less than 4-5 years of administration experience.
Here's an unconventional path that worked for me (going on 5 years as a DBA):
Learn Excel.
Why Excel?
Excel knowledge can get you a job where you maintain spreadsheets, perform ad-hoc analysis and generate reports. You can start with simple queries and lots of cleanup work in excel, and as your skill improves you can create complex queries that reduce the amount of cleanup work needed. Perfect on-the-job training for querying and report writing. You didn't mention what your degree is in, but if you had a couple of DB classes, I'm going to assume something CS or CIS related. Moderate technical knowledge will put you ahead of 97% of your co-workers (including your boss).
So, how does this help you develop the skills required to be a DBA?
You will be writing the queries that drive the spreadsheets and reports.
You will be tuning those queries to make them run faster.
You will learn how complex data is modeled in a real enterprise system (fyi -- fairly poorly).
You will learn ways to streamline/automate your daily work (powershell anyone?)
You will learn to be diligent in your work as people will depend on your data's accuracy.
You will learn how to be customer focused, juggle multiple priorities and interact with business users.
You will gain first hand knowledge of how business works. This knowledge will be very valuable later in your career (especially if you decide to move into Business Intelligence.)
You will be the poweruser, the go-to person, the shining star.
IMHO, 2 years experience doing this would make you a stronger candidate for a database analyst position (that grows into a DBA role) than 2 years coding asp.net web pages in c#.
As for SQL vs Oracle, that's not an interesting question at this point in your career. You aren't going to read a bunch of oracle books and get a job as an Oracle DBA. Same goes for Sql Server, Teradata or DB2.
Good Luck!
December 10, 2011 at 7:24 am
andychurry (12/9/2011)
Finally, I was hoping to see what everyone here thinks of Oracle. Right now, I'm kind of down the middle as to if I should take the MSSQL path or the Oracle path. From what I hear, Oracle is more of a pain and geared towards larger companies? Which is more in demand?
For starters, a DBA position is usually the last technical level stop of a much larger and longer IT career. In my case I started many years ago as an Assembly programmer. This means that there are not a lot of chances of getting a DBA job with no previous experience in the are.
I would suggest to start as a SQL developer then, make your way into the DBA realm.
In regards to the quoted question, Oracle has a larger market share and even if both SQL Server and Oracle are different implementations of the same basic relational theory Oracle is more complex - not a pain but more complex.
Hope this helps - don't be discouraged but please be realistic and plan a realistic path to your career.
_____________________________________
Pablo (Paul) Berzukov
Author of Understanding Database Administration available at Amazon and other bookstores.
Disclaimer: Advice is provided to the best of my knowledge but no implicit or explicit warranties are provided. Since the advisor explicitly encourages testing any and all suggestions on a test non-production environment advisor should not held liable or responsible for any actions taken based on the given advice.December 13, 2011 at 8:27 pm
What about db Developer vs DBA vs BI Developer ? Which is in more demand?
December 13, 2011 at 9:25 pm
From my past experience, on an average there are more Developers than DBAs.. With the kind of job roles and responsibilities that are seen now a days, db developers are also expected to be aware of BI development.
Blog -- LearnSQLWithBru
Join on Facebook Page Facebook.comLearnSQLWithBru
Twitter -- BruMedishetty
December 14, 2011 at 2:30 am
First make sure you have completed basics of database management system. I mean to say that you must have your concepts clear in areas like Entity Relationship model, relational tables, basic DDL and DML languages and also join and union technique of relations. Thereafter you can go for advance database management like handling data marts and Dataware housing.
December 14, 2011 at 2:47 am
CarpenterBob (12/13/2011)
What about db Developer vs DBA vs BI Developer ? Which is in more demand?
Depends on the region I guess. In my country, BI developers are quite in demand.
Be aware that it is sometimes hard for a junior DBA to find a job. (I'm referring to the OP here).
Would you trust your production database to someone with little or no experience? So PaulB is correct that DBA usually is not at the beginning of a career.
Regarding Oracle vs SQL Server: it wouldn't hurt career-wise to be able to work with both of those RMDBS. There is always common ground between those two, just the syntax is different 🙂
(If I had to choose, SQL Server of course. In my opinion easier to work with and it has a great community).
Need an answer? No, you need a question
My blog at https://sqlkover.com.
MCSE Business Intelligence - Microsoft Data Platform MVP
December 14, 2011 at 4:34 am
CarpenterBob (12/13/2011)
What about db Developer vs DBA vs BI Developer ? Which is in more demand?
Who cares?
What do you LOVE to do. More importantly what can you deliver on?
BI is by far, far, far the hardest of DBA tasks. You need to be well versed in sql for sure, but them communication, analysis, business processes (in general and for each client), perf tuning, long term seeing & agile dev.
You need to GET people real fast. Then be able to know what they NEED beyond what they tell you they want.
This is the Jedi level of sql.
December 14, 2011 at 7:00 am
Ninja's_RGR'us (12/14/2011)
CarpenterBob (12/13/2011)
What about db Developer vs DBA vs BI Developer ? Which is in more demand?Who cares?
What do you LOVE to do. More importantly what can you deliver on?
BI is by far, far, far the hardest of DBA tasks. You need to be well versed in sql for sure, but them communication, analysis, business processes (in general and for each client), perf tuning, long term seeing & agile dev.
You need to GET people real fast. Then be able to know what they NEED beyond what they tell you they want.
This is the Jedi level of sql.
Not Exactly. BI follows a pattern based questions. You can explain Business Requirements in any language or it could be any domain, ultimately it results in few dimensions & few facts. At last JOIN, GROUP BY and Happy Ending.
Business Analyst for BI Applications is challenging though (Jedi level). It requires Domain knowledge. It’s certainly not a career to start with (but good to end with).
December 14, 2011 at 7:21 am
Dev (12/14/2011)
Ninja's_RGR'us (12/14/2011)
CarpenterBob (12/13/2011)
What about db Developer vs DBA vs BI Developer ? Which is in more demand?Who cares?
What do you LOVE to do. More importantly what can you deliver on?
BI is by far, far, far the hardest of DBA tasks. You need to be well versed in sql for sure, but them communication, analysis, business processes (in general and for each client), perf tuning, long term seeing & agile dev.
You need to GET people real fast. Then be able to know what they NEED beyond what they tell you they want.
This is the Jedi level of sql.
Not Exactly. BI follows a pattern based questions. You can explain Business Requirements in any language or it could be any domain, ultimately it results in few dimensions & few facts. At last JOIN, GROUP BY and Happy Ending.
Business Analyst for BI Applications is challenging though (Jedi level). It requires Domain knowledge. It’s certainly not a career to start with (but good to end with).
Good point, but since I've always been the 1 and only DBA / programmer / whatever at a company, I always need to know a heck of a lot more than just select, join, where, group, order.
If you have someone analyse & build the DW for you and then just have to do drag and drops in ssrs or excel with the user besides you to help out then Jedi is not required.
December 14, 2011 at 7:29 am
Ninja's_RGR'us (12/14/2011)
Dev (12/14/2011)
Ninja's_RGR'us (12/14/2011)
CarpenterBob (12/13/2011)
What about db Developer vs DBA vs BI Developer ? Which is in more demand?Who cares?
What do you LOVE to do. More importantly what can you deliver on?
BI is by far, far, far the hardest of DBA tasks. You need to be well versed in sql for sure, but them communication, analysis, business processes (in general and for each client), perf tuning, long term seeing & agile dev.
You need to GET people real fast. Then be able to know what they NEED beyond what they tell you they want.
This is the Jedi level of sql.
Not Exactly. BI follows a pattern based questions. You can explain Business Requirements in any language or it could be any domain, ultimately it results in few dimensions & few facts. At last JOIN, GROUP BY and Happy Ending.
Business Analyst for BI Applications is challenging though (Jedi level). It requires Domain knowledge. It’s certainly not a career to start with (but good to end with).
Good point, but since I've always been the 1 and only DBA / programmer / whatever at a company, I always need to know a heck of a lot more than just select, join, where, group, order.
If you have someone analyse & build the DW for you and then just have to do drag and drops in ssrs or excel with the user besides you to help out then Jedi is not required.
Many junior BI positions are not exactly Jedi. Create a few packages in SSIS where the analyst has already laid out what goes where, or create a few simple SSRS reports. Nothing really special over there. But of course, if you're the only guy in the office doing the entire MSBI stack, that's another thing 🙂
Need an answer? No, you need a question
My blog at https://sqlkover.com.
MCSE Business Intelligence - Microsoft Data Platform MVP
December 14, 2011 at 7:32 am
Whole MSBI ERP stack, which includes BI. 😉
December 14, 2011 at 7:35 am
Ninja's_RGR'us (12/14/2011)
WholeMSBIERP stack, which includes BI. 😉
So that's why you have an avatar of a young Jedi? 😀
Need an answer? No, you need a question
My blog at https://sqlkover.com.
MCSE Business Intelligence - Microsoft Data Platform MVP
December 14, 2011 at 7:35 am
Ninja's_RGR'us (12/14/2011)
WholeMSBIERP stack, which includes BI. 😉
Need assistance? HTH :blush:
Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 16 total)
You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply