I have a college degree in electronics and I have some knowledge of SQL

So, I want to become a Database Administrator (DBA).

Can you tell me what DBA is?

What are the sources I must refer to gain knowledge – books or materials?

What certification should I take to be a DBA? Please help me.

How To Become A DBA

In today’s technology-driven world, organizations need databases to manage their voluminous data and run them efficiently to stay ahead of competition because businesses are data-driven.

These companies use different types of databases including Oracle, Microsoft, IBM, MySQL and Sybase.

DBAs are professionals who organize data in an appropriate manner so that data can be maintained, accessed, and updated.

A Database Administrator is responsible for maintaining and overseeing databases in an organization.

The DBAs Roles & Responsibilities

1. Maintaining and executing actions such as disaster recovery, backups of databases
2. Conducting tests on backup data
3. Analyzing the performance of networks and systems
4. Ensuring user and data security
5. Designing databases
6. Working with developers and network administrators

The DBAs Required Skills

1. Familiarity with the concepts such as Tables, Views, Queries, Primary Keys, Foreign Keys, Types of Indexes, Columns and the different data types
2. Programming knowledge
3. Query language knowledge (PL/SQL or MS-SQL)
4. Visual Basic
5. Excellent communication skills – both verbal and writing skills
6. A degree in Business Administration or Computer Science
7. Knowledge of technologies like Java and Oracle Server or Microsoft Server
8. Analytical and problem-solving skills

Employers generally look for candidates with an IT degree such as BE, BTech, MCA, and BCA .

However, a degree alone won’t be enough to get a DBA job. There are so many certifications that aregeared towards DBAs. Of these. two database vendors, Microsoft and Oracle, offer widely accepted DBA certifications.

They are:

1. MCDBA
2. Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS)
3. Oracle Certification Associate (OCA)

If you want to become a Microsoft SQL Server specialist, you must go for either MCDBA or MCTS.

OCA is meant for those who want to be specialized in Oracle technologies.

Oracle is the leading database vendor. However, many organizations use a combination of both technologies. Therefore, whichever certification you choose, you will be still in demand, provided you can meet the expectations of employers in terms of your skills. Hence, focus more on developing your skillsets.

Since you have already an engineering background and knowledge of SQL, please further your IT skills and SQL query skills. Learn as many program languages as possible.

The following resources will help you further your SQL skills:

1. Sam’s Teach Yourself SQL in 24 Hours – the contents of this book are available online for free
2. Beginning SQL Server 2000 Programming
3. Inside Microsoft SQL Server 2000
4. SQL: A Beginner’s Guide
5. SQL in a Nutshell
6. Oracle8 DBA Handbook
7. Oracle Database 10g DBA – DBA handbook
8. Oracle DBA Automation – Quick Reference
9. Microsoft SQL Server 2000 DBA Survival Guide

I want to caution you by saying that although reading books is good, it is not enough. You also need to convert your knowledge into actual hands-on experience.

However, please try to take some internship with organizations that require free DBA services or freelance for DBA related jobs online.

I am STUDYING engineering and I want to know what certifications I need to take to start a neww database career.

Is it OCP, OCA, MCDBA or some other certification?

Is certification essential for a Database Developer?

What are the other things I must focus on to develop a career in databases?

Starting My Career On Database Certifications

1. We live in a world where easy management of information and fast sharing information draws the thin line between the success and failure of a company.
3. Managing mission-critical data has become an essential part of every business in this technology-driven world.
5. E-commerce just compounds this situation. Hence, every company has specialized people who manage databases of company or who write scripts/develops databases.
7. This brings us to the point that being Database Administrator or Database Developer are two main career options in the database industry.

How To Become A Database Administrator (DBA)
A Database Administrator maintains and oversees database technology in a large organization.

He performs tasks such as disaster recovery, backups of databases, tests on backup data, and analysis of performance of network and systems.

DBA Roles also include determining the needs of users, planning data-flows, categorizing data, securing databases, etc.

How To Become A Database Developer

A Database Developer manages a company’s databases, organizes data, controls and implements security measures.

Designing new database structures, writing the required applications, testing scripts and technical documentation, setting and defining access controls to databases are some of the responsibilities of a Database Developer.

Some of the skills that a database specialist may include:

• Knowledge of logical database design
• Skills in SQL data definition and SQL data manipulation
• Knowledge of entity-relationship (ER) modeling
• Knowledge of indexing, performance tuning and optimization
• Strong skills in SQL/data analysis
• Knowledge of querying data using SQL

Qualifications of Database Administrators (DBAs)

There are no required college degrees for Database Administrators.

IT colleges for BE, BTech, MCA, and BCA degrees are good enough for you to be eligible to make an entry into this field.

It is not necessary to have a certification to break into the industry if you have the right qualifications, skills, and experience. However, having a certification may increase your chances.

Let me remind you that having a certification alone will not get you the job unless you have the right skills and hands-on experience.

Having said that, let me tell you about the different database certifications that are available today.

Microsoft Office User Specialist Certification

If you are going to work in a small-scale company where data is managed using Microsoft Access, acquiring your Microsoft Office User Specialist program is enough.

If your plans are bigger than just being an Access Specialist and want to be a specialist in Microsoft SQL server or Oracle, you can choose to do one of the following:

The MCDBA Certification Path

If you complete this program successfully, you will be a certified Database Administrator. You need to complete the following four examinations:

1. One Microsoft SQL Server Administration exam
2. One SQL Server Design exam
3. One Microsoft Windows 2000 Server or Windows Server 2003 exam
4. One elective exam

The Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS)

This is the most widely accepted certification today in the industry when compared to MCDBA.

You can select any of the programs such as SQL Server 2008, Database Development and Microsoft SQL Server 2005 under Microsoft SQL Server technologies category.

The Oracle Certification Associate (OCA)

This is an Oracle certification for those who want to be specialized in Oracle Database and technologies. You have to complete the following exams.

• 1Z0-001 Introduction to Oracle: SQL and PL/SQL (retired) or 1Z0-007Introduction to Oracle9i SQL® or 1Z0-047Oracle Database SQL Expert or 1Z0-051Oracle Database 11g: SQL Fundamentals I
• Oracle Database 11g: Administration I 1Z0-052

Once you complete OCA, you take OCP, which is an advanced level certification.

Before you choose to do any certification, you must first decide which database track you want to specialize in. If you want to specialize in Microsoft Technologies, then you must go for the Microsoft certifications.

Besides having certifications, you must have very good skills in databases. So focus on developing these skills. Try to take up an internship with organizations that want fresh database administrators or developers.

All the best. . .

I always have been attracted to Oracle and have been keen to build my career in Oracle Database industry.

However, certain situations in my life forced me to take up a career in sales. Now that I am free, I want to build a career in Oracle technology.

Is it too late for me to make a career in this field? Can anyone give me expert suggestions so that I can do what I always wanted to do – be an Oracle expert?

So You Want To Become An Oracle Database Administrator (DBA)

It is not very clear where you want to be in Oracle technology. Is it as a Database Administrator or Developer?

I will go ahead and answer your question by presuming that you want to be a Database Administrator.
Let me start by answering the question

Who Is An Oracle Database Administrator(DBA)?

A Database Administrator is a professional who maintains and oversees database technology in a large organization.

He is expected to maintain and execute actions such as disaster recovery, backups of databases, tests on backup data, analysis of performance of network and systems.

His responsibilities will also include designing databases which is a highly critical role in an organization.

Becoming a DBA is not as easy as you may think.

Every profession requires many years of preparation and likewise becoming a DBA requires hard work.

DBAs have a mission-critical job. If you don’t have the right skills, it will be difficult to get this job because no company wants to entrust their critical data to someone who can’t manage it efficiently and effectively.

Without saying, an Oracle Database Administrator is a professional with expertise in Oracle database technology, who can work on Oracle software tools and maintain Oracle databases.

To be a successful Oracle DBA, you must have the following skills:

• Since the role of a DBA involves constant interaction with users and developers, they must have excellent communication skills in terms of both verbal and writing skills.
• A degree in Business Administration or Computer Science is desired together with good understanding business processes.
• It is important to have one or both of Oracle certifications, namely, OCP and OCM.
• Knowledge of technologies like Java and Oracle Server is very essential to excel in this field.
• You must have very good analytical and problem-solving skills, as a DBA’s day can be encountered with unexpected challenging problems

You can also do the following:

1. Take up courses on Operations Research which helps you learn to develop complex decision rules. Once you have learned this, try and apply them in your practice datasets. Even courses on multivariate analysis can help you prepare for a career in Oracle technology.
2. A computer science degree or degree information systems will also boost your chances. Employers usually prefer candidates with both computer science and MBA degree as it is important to understand business areas such as accounting, finance and marketing.
3. Develop or gain experience in a broad range of database systems such as OLTP, OLAP and batch databases.
4. Gain as much experience as possible by working for free for non-profit organizations.
5. Network with people who are already in the industry, this will give you a real world knowledge of how best you can prepare for this job.

From the information you have shared, it is not very clear what your qualifications are.

I understand that you have considerable experience in sales. Can I presume that you hold a degree in business or an MBA? Do you have also any IT related qualifications?

If you do not,, you may try work on getting an OCM or OCP certification from Oracle.

Try and intern with an organization that is ready to try out someone who is new to databases.

At the end of the day

, it is more about your skills and what you can do than your degrees or even your certifications.

If you are so passionate, start reading a lot of books on Oracle DBA and familiarize yourself with technologies like Java, SQL, MySQL, VB and the like.

I repeat that becoming an Oracle DBA is involves taking on a very critical role and therefore you don’t want to fake it.

I would like to ask this question about learning database design from the ground up. Because I want to know how I can become a database developer.

I have no idea what I should learn to become a database designer?

What is the salary scale of a junior-level database designer / developer?

Can your database career advisor help me with this?

How To Learn Database Design From The Ground Up
Today information management technology plays a more critical role than ever before because of the increasingamounts of data each organization creates and handles.

This is compounded by the growing e-commerce industry which generates a large amount of data that is stored and accessed using Web-based technologies like PHP, ASP.NET, Java.

Industries such as healthcare, telecommunications, financial, manufacturing industries handle large amounts of data on a daily basis and they require skilled database developers / designers who can design efficient enterprise databases.

With this demand set to learn database design, you have to get some training because there is a lot to learn.

Learn What A Database Designer / Developer Does

A database developer is responsible for managing databases of a company, organizing data according to the specifications laid out by employers, controlling and streamlining access to the data, and implementing security measures.

The Duties, Roles and Responsibilities of Database Designers
Database developers work with data analysts for importing data into new databases.

They also work with report developers and design new database structures. Moreover, they closely work with software developers to developing data storage systems.

Their responsibilities may include:

• Designing new database structures
• Estimating the time needed for the completion of the project
• Setting deadlines
• Writing the required applications, test scripts and technical documentation
• Supervising on the work of other programmers
• Setting and defining access controls to databases

Required Database Designer Skills

1. A database developer should have the following:
2. Knowledge of logical database design
3. Experience in physical database design
4. Skills in SQL data definition
5. Skills in SQL data manipulation
6. Knowledge of entity-relationship (ER) modeling
7. Knowledge of indexing, performance tuning and optimization
8. Strong skills in SQL / data analysis
9. Knowledge of querying data using SQL
10. Programming knowledge with T-SQL
11. Knowledge or experience in database development using Microsoft SQL Server
12. Knowledge of SQL Server Analysis Services (SSAS), SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS) and SQL Server

Reporting Services (SSRS)
You may also be proficient in any of the following:

• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft SQL Server
• MySQL
• Oracle
• SAP
• IBM DB2

Knowledge in various programming languages such as SQL, VB and Java and Knowledge of MySQL, Data Migration in XML, Transact SQL Programming will be an added advantage.

Salary

According to Robert Half Technology, the salary of a database developer is anywhere between $73,500 and $103,000.

Yet another survey reports, a skilled database developer takes home approximately $84,000 as salary.

Qualifications
The most common qualifications employers seek in a potential employee are a degree in computer science or management information systems or information sciences.

If you are passionate about mathematics and complex puzzles and have a degree in software development or computer science, this job is apt for you.

Getting an industry valid certification in database development is highly advisable.

There are hosts of certifications on the offer today. You can choose to do any of the following:
Microsoft Certifications

1. Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA)
2. Database Administrator: Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist (MCTS)
3. Database Developer: Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist (MCTS)
4. Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)

Oracle certifications

1. Database 11g Administrator Certified Associate
2. Oracle PL/SQL Developer Certified Associate certification

In short, you must first decide in which database server/application you want to specialize in. Then develop your skills accordingly.

You can work towards becoming a database developer in a planned manner. Gain as much experience as possible because you can’t get a job merely with a degree or a certification.

You need to showcase significant amount of experience in database development.

1. You can gain this experience in various ways. Some of them are given below:
2. Contribute to open source projects: There are slews of open source projects available online. Do a research and try to get one. Contribute to such projects by writing scripts.
3. Internship: Look out for organizations that need database developers as interns.
4. Freelance: You can get a lot of freelancing projects online. Try to bid for such projects.

With a valid degree, a certification and significant amount of experience, it won’t be difficult for you to get a database developers job.

Let me say that this is a promising world of opportunities. With the right qualifications and skills, you can be a successful database designer / developer.

I am a very skilled user in Word and Excel and I am learning to use
Microsoft Access.

Are Microsoft Word and Excel skills necessary or helpful to learning relational databases?

Also, I have basic self taught IT skills and i have been using the computer since the 70′s.

I am developing a local database for about 200 prices of heavy equipment.

My design has about 8 tables and as many forms and reports.

Do I need Visual basic and perhaps not SQL for the SQL Boot Camp?

My education is a B.S and MS Ed.

The prerequisites for learning relational databases

You need to have strong familiarity with the Ms Office suite of applications (Word, Excel).

The SQLBootCamp.com course is open to beginners or students without a knowledge of programming or SQL … because we take you through all those basics before moving on to the more advanced databases development and SQL query courses.

You don’t need to worry about pre-installing additional software programs on your machine as long as you have a computer that is equipped to get on the internet and run office productivity applications like Microsoft Word and Excel.

You don’t need to learn Visual Basic (VB) or Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) except if you want to also learn software development.

If you feel that learning VBA is required for your job, contact us and we will add it to your course.

Microsoft Access has been around for a while and it still is a popular Relational Database Software.

This issue reviews what you need to know about upgrading your Microsoft Office Access Skills:

1. Easy of Use – Microsoft Access is one of the easiest relational database platforms used in business because of it's intuitive graphical user interface (GUI).
2. Office User – Microsoft Access is popular with business or office people. It is relatively easy to install, configure and use even on a desktop, laptop or home computer which makes it a winner in these scenarios.
3. Low Support Costs – Unlike enterprise databases like Oracle or even IBM DB2, Microsoft Access databases do not need dedicated database administrators. The Microsoft Access developer (you) in this case is the Database Administrator unlike enterprise databases where there tends to be a split between the duties of a database administrator and the database developer.
4. Data Entry Forms – Microsoft Access is a unique database for offices because it comes with a set of forms for building data entry (entering, editing, deleting, updating) forms. It eliminates the costs and complexity of building a data entry form using custom tools like you will find with Oracle, IBM DB2 or any other enterprise database.
5. In-Built Reporting Capability – Microsoft Access also incorporates the ability to generate simple or complex, customized reports based it's data. It is not a full fledged reporting tool like Crystal Reports or SQL Server Reporting Services. This eliminates some of the complexity, costs and learning curve associated with building external reports.
6. In-Built Application Development Tool – One reason why Microsoft Access is an extremely powerful and flexible application is that it allows you to customize or write full-blown software features using a popular and easy to learn programming language known as VBA or Visual Basic for Applications. Many people actually use the VBA feature of Microsoft Access to jump start their programming careers.
7. Graphical SQL Query Building -Writing SQL is made easy in Microsoft Access because of it's Graphical Query Designer which allows you to join tables and add filters or clauses to them. You can easily see the generated query actual Access SQL statement and modify it accordingly.
8. Data Analysis Tool – because Microsoft Access allows you to build tables, data entry forms and reports quote easily, it is used as a Data Analysis tool in many organizations. Using Microsoft Office Access, you can for example, design a Survey, create a table to store the data, build a simple data entry form, build a report and then give multiple users access to the report. When the report is completed, you can also easily run SQL queries to analyze the report.
9. Enterprise Database backend - users who are intimidated by enterprise databases like Oracle or even SQL Server can actually connect to any one of these databases, download or browse the data and write SQL queries without having to leave the safety and comfort of the Microsoft Access environment!
10. Multi User Access - Microsoft Office Access supports a limited number of users accessing or editing it's data. It is sometimes seen as a better choice for data analysis projects where multiple users have to update, edit, delete or work with the same information while retaining each individual's ability to rapidly prototype, build or extend it using forms.

So, as you can see, the Microsoft Access Database Development tool is a powerful office productivity tool.

To get started, one thing that Microsoft Access can't do is enforce proper database design practices or write subqueries, complex joins, etc. That is why people go back to taking a strong SQL / Database Class after first falling in love with Microsoft Access.

Dear Friend,

you have been using Microsoft Access, and you can visualize all the results you would like to achieve using it’s powerful + flexible relational database engine.

The SQL Boot Camp will teach you how to write those efficient, complex precise or accurate SQL Statements that you have been wanting to do.

Yes, you can enroll at the Online SQL Boot Camp Class and begin to upgrade your Microsoft Office Access Skills … Would you Like to Start Now?

We do provide a SQL Developer completion certificate as part of our SQL Boot Camp Training.

How it works is that your SQL scores from Quizzes and Hands-On
Assignments are recorded on your report card.

The report card functions as an online transcript and by the end of
your course, there is a detailed record of all the specific SQL + Database exams, tests or projects you worked on.

So, you receive a SQL + Database completion certificate or a transcript that you can share with your employer.

SQL Boot Camp training is designed specifically for your career or job goals
and not for your diploma or educational goals.

If you are looking for more diplomas, educational credentials or qualifications then a traditional 4 year college program will suit you better.

If you are looking for functional skills, hands-on SQL Development experience for an IT workplace then you can choose SQL Boot Camp training

Report Writer Job Role

The Database Developer Role