August 21, 2014 at 10:06 am
Hi - For the last year and a half I have been working as a QA analyst in a company. However I am now realising that QA may not be a long term career for me. My current role has allowed me to do lots of things. If I was to change my career I feel I could go 1 of 2 ways:
1. Networking/Switches/Servers/infrustructure etc
2. DBA in SQL
Out of the 2 options, I am warming to the idea of a DBA. I would say I am an high amateur SQL user currently. I can set up jobs, schedules, backups, replication, write basic queries and have had a hand in writing basic stored procedures.
Now my question, what else would I need to learn? Clearly the things I can do already are not difficult so what skills do I need to learn for me to become an junior DBA? There is some room for side movement in the company but I would need to learn the skills off my own back (either at home or participate in tasks at work) before requesting a role move. There is currently no DBA person in my company which makes it slightly more difficult but there are a few developers which are handy with SQL.
Thank you for your replies.
September 3, 2014 at 3:36 am
Anyone?
September 3, 2014 at 3:47 am
I think one of the reasons you're not getting replies is that it's such a broad question. There's more than one type of DBA. For starters when you think about becoming a DBA, are you considering becoming a Development DBA, a Production DBA, or maybe a hybrid? What interests you the most?
Have a look here[/url], at these articles by Brent Ozar- the main one and the ones linked to below it, including this one[/url].
That should help for starters. I can't advise about networking, I'm afraid, although I'm sure it's a really interesting career path. I think both careers can be equally well-paid and challenging, with good opportunities for progression and the chance to work for yourself one day if you want to.
September 4, 2014 at 8:43 am
Hello there,
I would recommend another lecture: http://www.red-gate.com/community/books/exceptional-dba-book
You can download the free PDF of the "How to become an Exceptional DBA". Consider the characteristics that Brad highlights for the DBAs to have, they are essential to our profession. Such as (some examples from the book): Do you like working off-hours? Or being called out at the middle of the night to work on a critical issue? . You already have the initial skills required (or even more) , so maybe these questions can help you narrow the decision.
September 4, 2014 at 9:22 am
First, for what it's worth - I started as a network guy and moved into SQL because I loved it (I liked Cisco). I even took a little pay cut at the time but have never regretted it.
I would say I am an high amateur SQL user currently. I can set up jobs, schedules, backups, replication, write basic queries and have had a hand in writing basic stored procedures.
Don't sell yourself short - I would consider that to be a higher than amateur. Especially if you understand Replication. The market for SQL talent is bonkers right now; I know companies that have had DBA/SQL Dev jobs open for over a year. If you are serious about making a move into the world of being a DBA I suggest that you come back to SQL Server Central (SSC) as often as you can. I have been doing SQL since 1999 and feel like I learned more in the past few years digesting as much info as possible. This site is a goldmine and the people who write articles here are some of the best in the business IMHO.
-- Itzik Ben-Gan 2001
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