Re: Contradiction!?

In article <3lteja$33g@news.doit.wisc.edu> tsang@cae.wisc.edu (Irvin Tse Kwong Tsang) writes: >From: tsang@cae.wisc.edu (Irvin Tse Kwong Tsang) >Subject: Contradiction!? >Date: 5 Apr 1995 06:50:18 GMT >I help my friend to post the following message. However, any advice >are very welcomed to mail to my account. > ______________________________________________ >I am interest in to become a database administrator after graduation. >For the Sybase and Oracle, in an academic institution like >the one I attended, I cannot get any knowledge about them. There are >no classes even to mention them. In database class, they will only >teach concept. Few schools may teach them but I believe most don't. >Many positions require years experience in some areas like those >posted in the newsgroup for entry position. Say junior database >administrators positions which need candidates to have years >experience in Sybase, Oracle and/or other DBMS. I am wondering how I >can even get start in this kind of positions. This kind of skills >can only be learned in industry. Bottomline is "No experience means >no jobs; no jobs means no experience." For a fresh grad, how can I >deal with this situation? Any advice? First, don't give up before you give yourself a chance to succeed. I bet that most of the people offering opinions in this newsgroup did not learn Oracle in a university classroom. Speaking for myself, I learned it after starting as a geologist/sales engineer/customer services manager/operations mgr/omygod we need a database where's the dbase? person. When our company bought a turnkey oracle/unix solution, I was the only one who was willing to step and break/maintain the thing. Second, get hold of a desktop database and learn to use it. For instance, get hold of a copy of PowerBuilder desktop, which comes with Watcom SQL. this is a good SQL implementation, and you can learn a lot from playing with it. Personal Oracle would be another obvious choice. Third, read, read, read. Get books, subscribe to DBMS, Data Based Advisor, Oracle magazine (free, if you can fabricate a convincing set of company stats). Fourth, get into a company which can use the skills you have already, and hang around the DB staff. Ask questions, volunteer to help after hours, show interest. Fifth, develop your general business skills as much as you can. Many database developers fail because as good as their coding may be, if they don't understand the business side, the result is often hash. Sixth, don't give up. Keep an optimistic outlook. It could take longer than three weeks : -) Bob Blizard rblizard@bb.cmcsys.com | All these worthwhile CMC Systems, Inc. | opinions are mine, and 175 Littleton Rd Westford, MA 01886 | not necessarily CMC's... Ph (508) 392-1300 Fax (508) 392-1303 | "If you want to park in the first row of life, you must go there first."