Here are some tips on becoming an Oracle database administrator. It will be useful for students interested in computer science and IT. 🙂
Tips to becoming an Oracle DBA
The Oracle database is the most sophisticated and complex database today. Knowing enough to become a database administrator is not an easy task. Oracle dataset administration is only recommended for information technology, information systems and computer science professionals who have undergone the relevant Oracle training.
The Oracle DBA’s position and salary attracts many young graduates, but few know exactly what it takes before they can earn this hallowed title in any company. An Oracle DBA is typically a senior-level manager in the smaller companies, mid-level in much bigger corporations, and their annual salaries can go as high as $ 100,000-250,000.
But the money does come with its load of responsibility – data management for the whole company, with the risk of grounding all operations with just a slight glitch. The first thing any aspiring DBA will have to remember is that database administration is just like any other profession; there’s no shortcut leading to the top.
Preparation, preparation and more preparation!
You can’t wake up one morning and decide to enroll for a DBA course, more so an Oracle DBA course. Majority of the successful DBAs in Oracle began to learn after obtaining their Bachelor’s and even Master’s degree in an IT related field. This is a career move that will require thought and plenty of preparation beforehand, and a lot of dedication after.
Oracle DBA requires 24/7 unfailing commitment, with long hours (since most of your work begins after everyone has checked out for the day) and on-call duty during holidays and other important occasions. That’s not all, as a DBA, you must keep yourself updated with every new change that comes in the Oracle and computer systems technology or you risk obsolescence.
You can now see that the Oracle DBA does earn every one of the dollars he’s paid, right?
Below is a list of qualities you should have in order to succeed in the pursuit of a career in Oracle Database Administration:
- Communication skills
An Oracle DBA will constantly be in communication with end-users and managers to determine their data needs and act accordingly. College-level communication skills will be a must, with outstanding abilities to communicate through any medium and interpret information provided.
- Business degree
It helps a lot if you have a college degree in business administration from a proper graduate training institution. This equips you with the foundational understanding of business systems and processes, which is required in order to best perform your job as an Oracle Applications DBA.
- Foundational DBA skills
Prior to becoming an Oracle DBA, which is more demanding and complex, it’s recommended that you practice database administration at lower levels. Oracle has designed levels of learning for beginners, and practicing as you pursue OCA and OCM certification will be very helpful. This is because an Oracle DBA should understand other related database technologies as well e.g. Oracle Application Server and Java – J2EE, JDeveloper, Apache.
- College classes
In preparation for a career in DBA, Operations Research is a class you want to take in your CS or IT course. This involves the development of complex decision rules and their application to real-life datasets. The back-end data store is usually Oracle, and it provides a great platform to prepare for the job setting.
Author Bio
Tom Foster is an expert in database administration. For more information on WordPress, SQL, Oracle and other database management and administration, contact the database professionals by visiting their website.
