Are you experienced?
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Hi all, I'm new around here, first post.
Anyways, I'm currently attending a local tech school to get my MCDBA cert.
SQL 2000, server 2003, and my elective is VB, ADO and ASP.net.
I have been an Access DBA for the past 5 years, extensive experience with VB6 and VBA.
I'm having trouble selling people on my abilities with SQL server (I've passed 70-228, and will be passing 70-229 soon).
Does anyone have any recommendations on how I could get some 'real-experience' with SQL in order to land a job as a DBA?
Thanks,
Don
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Be a volunteer first to get real experiences and then you will get a job soon.
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I'm a bit confused by your post. Are you saying you've passed a SQL Server exam, but have no real-world experience with the product?
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Real world experience has little to do with being able to pass the exam, and taking and passing the exam has little to do with real world experience...in my experience...
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People often have differing opinions of what the phrase 'real world experience' means to them.
In my opinion, real world dba experience with SQL server would me being compensated for performing/completing dba tasks on a SQL server installation.
Unfortunately, my experience thus far is limited to what I have done during my classes and in my testing lab at home.
Although I would agree that some of the questions I encountered during testing were not practical, the majority assumed a moderate to high level of understanding the product, it's usage, etc.
There are two types of people that take the exams (IMHO), those that memorize the questions and answers, and those that spend a majority of their time actually using SQL and become familiar with it through a 'hands-on' approach.
It doesn't take much to figure out which of the two is the one that will actually be useful in the 'real world'.
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Don;
You don't specify in your OP what level you expect to enter as a SQL Server DBA. I would think that with your Access background, you could get on as a junior level DBA.
My take on the whole vender certification thing is that obtaining a certification is a means of demonstrating practical experience with a product. For instance, I only got my MCSD after I had used VB professionally for about 5 years, and SQL Server for over 2 years. My exam "study" consisted of verifying that I had performed tasks directly relevant to the exam content during the course of my job. This was 4 years ago, though, so perhaps employer expectations for certified professionals have changed.
I know that you've already started down a particular path, but if you had to do it over again, I would suggest seeking that junior level DBA position based on your Access experience. Get your feet wet in a production installation of SQL Server where decisions have real bottom-line business consequences. And then, last of all, take and pass the certification exams as a means of demonstrating your real-world knowledge, and use that certification as proof that you're ready to move up.
This is the conclusion I've come to having interviewed far too many people that have MS certifications on their resumes, but are unable to demonstrate the knowledge that they should have had to pass the exams, let alone fundamentals not even touched by the exams.
HTH,
TroyK
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Hi Troy, thanks for replying.
The last company I worked for, I was their DBA (Access) as well as the only person doing the programming for some in-house VB apps, as well as doing all the drafting.
I purchased a package deal for my certification that had me doing all the class work online.
Long story short, found out that I'd need to take the classes during the day, and at the same time uncovered some poor business practices at my employer.
I had originally planned to move the majority of my Access apps to SQL, but the situation changed abit.
Rolling with the changes, eh?
-Don
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I started out as a SQL Developer, get my feet really wet, and then became a Junior DBA with the help of the in-house DBA's guide. He was a great teacher and a good friend. I've been doing just sql server since 1996. Being sql developer help me get my t-sql stronger so I have the strength of t-sql as well as admin side. In most company DBAs do development and maintenance work, but I am now working strickly on maintenance side for the last couple years. It is a bit quiet then the development side but it's all about what you like to do. I still get questions from developers asking me to look at their code and help them trouble shoot their problems once in a while.
mom
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Hi Don,
I got most of my way through my MCDBA (SQL Server 7.0 & NT 4.0) before I landed a SQL Server DBA job. It took lots of job applications to get my foot in the door. I worked for a small company on terrible pay for 2 years before I landed a much better job doing data warehousing. I spent 12 months there and now I'm a DBA for a very large company doing lots of development and maintenance work.
What would I suggest??? Perseverance.
If you land a job interview and they ask aboiut your experience explain what you've learnt while studying your certification and how that positions you to be able to take on the role of a DBA in the "real world". Your Access background should help, even if just a little. I think the key is being able to sell yourself to any prospective employer and being confident enough to know that you will be able to 'swim' rather than 'sink' when the pressure's on.Cheers and good luck,
Angela
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