Thinking about some sort of database certification

[Underseer]

I would love to get into data analysis, but I would rather take some sort of baby step to get there. Database administration sounds like a good interim step, and a decent fallback position if the data analysis thing doesn't work out.

Most of my IT experience with databases is in smaller shops where I was the only IT guy and was dealing with a smaller, less complicated set of servers doing less complicated things. I have very little actual experience with serious enterprise-grade databases, and what little I learned about SQL was forgotten long ago.

So what certification is the most marketable? Which specific skills do I need to work on the most to be more marketable? Where is the demand in the job market?

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I want to take classes, but I don't even know where to start.

 

[braces_for_impact]

Maybe this will help a bit?

 

[braces_for_impact]

This one too.

 

[Underseer]

Maybe this will help a bit?

Wow, that list is overwhelming. I simply don't have experience with enterprise-level stuff and a lot of those terms are just vague concepts to me. What's a good starting point?

 

[Underseer]

This one too.

Thanks. That's more my speed.

 

[Underseer]

So according to that article, Oracle certs are far and away in more demand.

 

[rousseau]

I would love to get into data analysis, but I would rather take some sort of baby step to get there. Database administration sounds like a good interim step, and a decent fallback position if the data analysis thing doesn't work out.

Most of my IT experience with databases is in smaller shops where I was the only IT guy and was dealing with a smaller, less complicated set of servers doing less complicated things. I have very little actual experience with serious enterprise-grade databases, and what little I learned about SQL was forgotten long ago.

So what certification is the most marketable? Which specific skills do I need to work on the most to be more marketable? Where is the demand in the job market?

- - - Updated - - -

I want to take classes, but I don't even know where to start.

Everything I know about the industry points to work experience being your most valuable asset.

Certifications, afaik, are typically an over and above comp-sci/programming diplomas

That said, if you already have experience in, and at least a good understanding of light database administration, a certification to harden your knowledge up a bit might help.

What I'm unsure about is how much responsibility you'd be given in the real world out of the gate, certification or not. So if you want to get into that area you might consider doing a cert and looking for a position doing entry-level database work, and go from there. Once you build up your knowledge in a workplace you'll be more qualified, and hey.. somebody might even give you God privileges!

But take this with a grain of salt because hiring dynamics surely vary from city to city, so a certification might get you a quality role in Chicago, but my experience has led me to believe the above.

 

[Underseer]

I would love to get into data analysis, but I would rather take some sort of baby step to get there. Database administration sounds like a good interim step, and a decent fallback position if the data analysis thing doesn't work out.

Most of my IT experience with databases is in smaller shops where I was the only IT guy and was dealing with a smaller, less complicated set of servers doing less complicated things. I have very little actual experience with serious enterprise-grade databases, and what little I learned about SQL was forgotten long ago.

So what certification is the most marketable? Which specific skills do I need to work on the most to be more marketable? Where is the demand in the job market?

- - - Updated - - -

I want to take classes, but I don't even know where to start.

Everything I know about the industry points to work experience being your most valuable asset.

Certifications, afaik, are typically an over and above comp-sci/programming diplomas

That said, if you already have experience in, and at least a good understanding of light database administration, a certification to harden your knowledge up a bit might help.

What I'm unsure about is how much responsibility you'd be given in the real world out of the gate, certification or not. So if you want to get into that area you might consider doing a cert and looking for a position doing entry-level database work, and go from there. Once you build up your knowledge in a workplace you'll be more qualified, and hey.. somebody might even give you God privileges!

But take this with a grain of salt because hiring dynamics surely vary from city to city, so a certification might get you a quality role in Chicago, but my experience has led me to believe the above.

I've been out of work for a while.

I want the cert both for the knowledge, and to make it easier to get an entry-level job.

 

[rousseau]

Everything I know about the industry points to work experience being your most valuable asset.

Certifications, afaik, are typically an over and above comp-sci/programming diplomas

That said, if you already have experience in, and at least a good understanding of light database administration, a certification to harden your knowledge up a bit might help.

What I'm unsure about is how much responsibility you'd be given in the real world out of the gate, certification or not. So if you want to get into that area you might consider doing a cert and looking for a position doing entry-level database work, and go from there. Once you build up your knowledge in a workplace you'll be more qualified, and hey.. somebody might even give you God privileges!

But take this with a grain of salt because hiring dynamics surely vary from city to city, so a certification might get you a quality role in Chicago, but my experience has led me to believe the above.

I've been out of work for a while.

I want the cert both for the knowledge, and to make it easier to get an entry-level job.

It definitely won't hurt, but yea I'd expect without much relevant experience you'd be looking at entry level.

In that case I'd just look for the best certification in terms of practical experience and knowledge. If you can get yourself some chops that will help a lot once you find a position.

In general, though, database administration is about protecting data, and to a lesser degree security, performance, and data integrity. Hopefully the certification would cover the hows of those things.

SQL, on the other hand, is pretty easy. You might be well served by downloading MySQL, which is a free SQL product, and messing around with it. Don't expect to master every aspect of it quickly, there's just way too much to know. In general as you learn it will go something like this:

1) I want to do [x] with my database / table / data / etc
2) Google [how to do x]
3) Follow procedure

As time goes by more and more SQL will be committed to memory, but for the most part you'd be doing inserts, deletes, updates, table creates, and so on.

 

[Underseer]

Yes, I've done DBA. Like I said, I'm used to being the only computer guy and wearing all the hats. Unfortunately, the only enterprise-grade DB software I've worked with was extremely proprietary (4D) and that was twenty years ago so...

Yes, I'm expecting to start out at entry level. No problem with that.

Am I correct in my understanding that there is more demand for Oracle skills than other DBs?

 

[James Brown]

I wish you the best of luck, Underseer. Several years ago I took a four-month DBA certification course in Oracle 8i which cost me $8K. At the end of the course, I couldn't pass the certification exams, and I couldn't find even an entry-level job because I didn't have any experience. "Entry Level" was described in the ads as "1 to 3 years experience required."

 

[rousseau]

Yes, I've done DBA. Like I said, I'm used to being the only computer guy and wearing all the hats. Unfortunately, the only enterprise-grade DB software I've worked with was extremely proprietary (4D) and that was twenty years ago so...

Yes, I'm expecting to start out at entry level. No problem with that.

Am I correct in my understanding that there is more demand for Oracle skills than other DBs?

It's hard to say but I did a quick search for 'MS SQL database administrator' and 'Oracle database administrator' in Toronto and the Oracle query pulled back more results. I'd think you'd be safe with either an Oracle or Microsoft certification, but if you do some creative querying on indeed or dice you might be able to come to a more certain conclusion on which is in more demand.

I'd think a certification in either would teach you roughly the same things with a different vehicle, but which you choose would be important for the whole keyword thing.

 

[bilby]

MS SQL Server is easier to learn than Oracle, so I would recommend learning Oracle - if you need to transition from one to the other, then your Oracle skills will make learning to administer a SQL Server a breeze, but the transition in the other direction is much harder.

It's like learning to drive - you should learn in a vehicle with a manual gearbox, because then you can drive anything. If you learned to drive in an auto, picking up the skills needed to drive a manual (aka 'stick') is nothing like as easy as transitioning the other way.

If you really want to be adventurous, learn DB2. That's like learning to drive in a semi-trailer with 32 forward and 8 reverse gears, none of which have synchromesh, in the middle of downtown Cairo, during the rush hour, with all the instruments labelled in Russian by a man who only speaks Arabic.

 

[rousseau]

MS SQL Server is easier to learn than Oracle, so I would recommend learning Oracle - if you need to transition from one to the other, then your Oracle skills will make learning to administer a SQL Server a breeze, but the transition in the other direction is much harder.

It's like learning to drive - you should learn in a vehicle with a manual gearbox, because then you can drive anything. If you learned to drive in an auto, picking up the skills needed to drive a manual (aka 'stick') is nothing like as easy as transitioning the other way.

If you really want to be adventurous, learn DB2. That's like learning to drive in a semi-trailer with 32 forward and 8 reverse gears, none of which have synchromesh, in the middle of downtown Cairo, during the rush hour, with all the instruments labelled in Russian by a man who only speaks Arabic.

What Bilby is trying to say is.. don't learn DB2.

 

[James Brown]

Or else DO learn DB2, and then name your salary.

 

[rousseau]

Or else DO learn DB2, and then name your salary.

I remember back when I was getting into programming having the same train of thought. Profs in my program were saying that 'COBOL is in high demand', and it's a sure fire way to kick off a stable career. I brought it up on FRDB and more experienced devs almost unanimously told me to steer clear of it.

At the time I didn't get why, until I took a COBOL course in the later half of my program. The main problem is the experience you have while actually using sets of outdated technologies. I loved the fact that I got a look at that kind of stuff at school, but it was absolutely horrendous trying to code, debug, search online for solutions to problems, and use the related tool-set. We didn't get too far into DB2, but from what we did do it seemed to be a pretty big pain as well.

When I compare those experiences to my time using more modern tools like Visual Studio, Eclipse, and modern object-oriented languages, it's really night and day. If I had the choice between committing years of my life to using one or the other, there's really no hesitation. I mean.. mainframe stuff is an option, and if you're good at it there's money to be made, but not worth it, imo.

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Yes, I've done DBA. Like I said, I'm used to being the only computer guy and wearing all the hats. Unfortunately, the only enterprise-grade DB software I've worked with was extremely proprietary (4D) and that was twenty years ago so...

Yes, I'm expecting to start out at entry level. No problem with that.

Am I correct in my understanding that there is more demand for Oracle skills than other DBs?

The systems are quite similar.

It didn't take a lot of changes to port my MS SQL code to MYSQL. Much of it ran without change.

The production server is a MariaDB system while I work on MYSQL. To date the only issue we have found is some sort of config issue that I haven't found yet where their system doesn't like really large result sets.

 

[J842P]

Don't forget that there is a growing demand for NoSQL (non-relational) database skills.

http://www.theserverside.com/featur...NoSQL-technology-and-non-relational-solutions

 

[Underseer]

I wish you the best of luck, Underseer. Several years ago I took a four-month DBA certification course in Oracle 8i which cost me $8K. At the end of the course, I couldn't pass the certification exams, and I couldn't find even an entry-level job because I didn't have any experience. "Entry Level" was described in the ads as "1 to 3 years experience required."

Thanks for the input.

 

[KeepTalking]

MS SQL Server is easier to learn than Oracle, so I would recommend learning Oracle - if you need to transition from one to the other, then your Oracle skills will make learning to administer a SQL Server a breeze, but the transition in the other direction is much harder.

It's like learning to drive - you should learn in a vehicle with a manual gearbox, because then you can drive anything. If you learned to drive in an auto, picking up the skills needed to drive a manual (aka 'stick') is nothing like as easy as transitioning the other way.

If you really want to be adventurous, learn DB2. That's like learning to drive in a semi-trailer with 32 forward and 8 reverse gears, none of which have synchromesh, in the middle of downtown Cairo, during the rush hour, with all the instruments labelled in Russian by a man who only speaks Arabic.

What Bilby is trying to say is.. don't learn DB2.

Heh, I took a DB2 course back in College, and got an A. I didn't find it particularly difficult, but I never put it to use either.

Oracle seems to be the way to go, all of your big IT companies will likely be using it. From a user perspective, like simply writing queries, there does not seem to be a big difference between Oracle, MS SQL, and MySQL. I have used all three in back to back to back gigs, and there was very little difference in writing queries. You mostly just have to get used to how each one treats Joins.

At my current job we have a much smaller IT shop than I was used to, and I had to learn Postgres. I hated Postgres at first, the interface is horrendous, but there is still not much difference when it comes to writing queries, so it didn't take long for me to get used to it.

Getting back to the OP, though, I would learn Oracle, as I think the higher paying corporate jobs are going to be found in Oracle. If you are interested in working for a smaller company, or a startup, MySQL, or Postgres are probably more relevant skillsets. You also usually won't have to worry about experience as much, as a startup is more willing to take risks when hiring. Demonstrating your knowledge, and being personable in an interview will help you out more.

I also have a few questions for Underseer. What has your focus in IT been up to this point? Are you willing to make a move from Chicago? The market for developers down here in St. Louis is currently wide open, and very competitive. Our company has been struggling with finding good Java developers, and even more trouble finding full stack web devs (we use Java and Backbone).