January 30, 2002 at 5:21 am
I Started Off as a developer in Powerbuilder 2 1/2 years ago , moved to another
company after a year , after doing a couple of projects the company decided it wanted to move exclusively to browser based applications (ouch!!) , however by that time i had already been involved in Analysis, Design of the Systems , and Backend development , so i decided to move full time to it.. so here i am now , am now primarily involved in all the aspects of the database , right from the conception , analysis ,design and coding what can i say! i love it!!
February 4, 2002 at 10:57 pm
I started with a degree in Electrical Engineering. I originally wrote a database 15 years ago for the engineering firm I worked for.
Eventually I found myself doing a similar thing for a manufacturing company I worked for and decided to go full time DBA since the pay is better and the hours are less than engineering.
February 5, 2002 at 9:47 am
I want to thank everyone that has posted to this thread. Your comments help to resolve my curiousity about how people become DBA's and to let me know I'm not the only one that didn't plan to work with databases. For those who read this and haven't posted yet, I am still interested to know how you eneded up working with databases. I continue to read new posts to this thread.
Robert Marda
Robert W. Marda
Billing and OSS Specialist - SQL Programmer
MCL Systems
February 5, 2002 at 2:50 pm
Cost of the program and wanted to break from my job at the time.
February 5, 2002 at 3:38 pm
February 5, 2002 at 6:12 pm
Sorry the Micrsoft SQL classes. I like SQL as I had a long experience with Access.
February 5, 2002 at 11:18 pm
It seems most became DBA's by accident more than choice.
February 6, 2002 at 4:04 am
I am beginning to see that. I went back and looked briefly at all the responses and it seems only about 3 people started out working with databases. The rest of us started with something else and made the switch later. Is there anyone out there who got Microsofts DBA certification and then got a job working as a DBA?
Robert Marda
Robert W. Marda
Billing and OSS Specialist - SQL Programmer
MCL Systems
February 6, 2002 at 8:06 am
I think one of the factors is that there aren't a lot of DBA slots for entry level. I was doing a search for Oracle jobs in the DC area for a friend of mine, and everything said "minimum 2 years experience." He was looking at taking Oracle classes and then finding a job... career changer.
K. Brian Kelley
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/columnists/bkelley/
K. Brian Kelley
@kbriankelley
February 7, 2002 at 1:56 pm
Well, that is when you just have to make one for yourself. The way I broke in was by developing a solution for tying several problem management databases together using SQL Server and pushing them to our Web Group. I was also one of the key developers for the Access problem management database we used with it for the Y2K rollover. While working on this I got involved with the group I am in now and as soon as they had an opening I moved. Before this I sorted mail from customers about Y2K concerns.
February 7, 2002 at 2:38 pm
Correct. If you are a career changer or a kid with a fresh haircut straight out of college, there isn't an entry level slot. Which is why most DBAs came into their position through another means. We're bringing a guy in Monday straight out of grad school as a junior DBA. But he proved his worth through an internship first. Even so, there has been some talk about the fact he isn't a senior guy. Oh well. He'll do the job well. His previous track record speaks for itself.
K. Brian Kelley
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/columnists/bkelley/
K. Brian Kelley
@kbriankelley
February 7, 2002 at 2:38 pm
I think you will start to see more people that take a DBA class and then become a DBA. I hired such a young lady a couple years ago. She was a biologist, went back to school for DB Management (local college, 4yr degree) and I hired her as a Jr DBA.
Steve Jones
February 7, 2002 at 2:50 pm
We did the route of an intern this past year but due to other things we lost him. But fortunately we got another SQL proficient person back not long after who returned to our group from another company.
February 12, 2002 at 8:53 am
quote:
I think you will start to see more people that take a DBA class and then become a DBA.
Interesting, but I don't think I agree.
I agree with the other posters that the job market requires experience, at least a few years with SQL and some database product.
But Robert seems to be wondering why so few decided out of school (?) "hey, I want to be a DBA" and then tried to become one. I think it's exposure. How many outside (and in!) the industry know what a DBA is or does. On the other hand I know a good many programmers and network admins who got their start playing around while still in high school. But, when's the last time you heard some nerdy high school kid say, "I got a bootleg copy of SQL Server loaded on an NT cluster ... you should see how it screams with the partitioned views ..."? Never! But they're building web sites, basement networks to play Doom on, virus' to annoy their teachers, etc. Even in college, the focus was more on networking or programming.
JasonL
February 12, 2002 at 9:48 am
I hadn't thought of that, however it is true I don't ever remember hearing anything about DBA's in high school and unless people do start talking about databases and DBA's in high school I agree with langston. There won't be enough exposure to encourage people into the field.
On the other hand, if the advertisements for the DBA certification grow at colleges, universities, and other places, then the exposure will increase. Since I haven't been on a college campus in a while I wouldn't know if this is occuring or not.
Robert Marda
Robert W. Marda
Billing and OSS Specialist - SQL Programmer
MCL Systems
Viewing 15 posts - 16 through 30 (of 55 total)
You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply