Sql Server DBA vs. Oracle Apps DBA

  • Hi:

    I am an Oracle Apps DBA and have been looking for a Apps DBA job for over a year. 🙁 I really don't know when/will I find one... A friend of mine suggested that I should learn and become a Sql server dba.

    I have two questions here and hope you can give me some advise. BTW, I am not young and have not work on Sql server ever but I am willing to learn if it can get me a job (a stable one).

    First, is Sql server DBA market is better than Oracle?

    Second, should I/do I have to get a certificate to look for a sql dba job?

    Thank you very very much in advance for your advice.

  • In what part of the world do you live?

    Generally speaking, certification is sometimes, but in my observation, not that often a requirement. It never hurts though.

    Converting oxygen into carbon dioxide, since 1955.
  • I live in the east coast of USA but I can go any where if there is an job offer.

  • A certificate is significantly helpful. But it is not necessary. I would like to recommend you to post your resume on internet and find recruiters to help.

    Some recruiters still send me emails for openings because I posted my resume online 4 years ago. Here are several popular sites,

    http://www.monster.com

    http://www.hotjobs.com

    http://www.dice.com

    May you have the best luck.

  • useruser888 (6/27/2010)


    I am an Oracle Apps DBA and have been looking for a Apps DBA job for over a year. 🙁 I really don't know when/will I find one... A friend of mine suggested that I should learn and become a Sql server dba.

    This is a really unusual situation. Oracle Apps DBAs are a pretty specialized breed that usually has no problems to find a job. A quick search on dice.com e.g. "oracle apps dba" returns over seventy job offers.

    In a situation where I would find myself not able to find a Oracle Apps DBA job I would look for a "general" Oracle DBA job - dice.com returns over 600 job offers for plain Oracle DBAs.

    Having said that I agree that by adding SQL Server skills to your personal profile would certainly widen your potential field of opportunities.

    _____________________________________
    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.
  • I used to be an Oracle DBA but am a SQL Server DBA now. Companies who are converting from Oracle to SQL may hire experienced Oracle DBAs and offer them SQL DBA training. That's how I got my current job. This applies to any other db platform for db conversions or who run concurrently on several db platforms - DB2, MySQL, etc.

    You should also look at jobs for system administrators in whatever your platform expertise is (Unix, Windows, etc.) since there is a significant overlap in the DBA and sys admin job.

    Training/certification in other areas helps also:

    SharePoint administration

    Powershell scripting

    T-SQL programming (easy to learn if you know Oracle PL/SQL already)

    SSIS

    Good luck,

    Jeff

  • Jeff and all:

    Thank you for your reply. They are very helpful.

  • If you are willing to relocate to the Washington DC area and you are a US citizen check out job vacancies at the U.S. Census Bureau (on opm usajobs site). They are a big Oracle shop there and usually have a lot of IT vacancies. They probably have a need for an Oracle apps DBA, but the positions posted may be generically listed as "IT Specialist".

    Jeff

  • I have looked and applied from that site for 5 month but no luck so I gave up. May be I should start to look there again - it takes a lot of time to apply though. Do you know anyone who got job from that website?

Viewing 9 posts - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Login to reply