From Noob to Employment -- How is it Done?

I am a junior in college, studying for a degree in Business Administration/MIS.

I intend on becoming a DBA.

How is it done?

I have a few books, and plan on obtaining Oracle Certifications. I know SQL, but plan on becoming expert at it. I'm learning PL/SQL, and general Oracle Administration, and plan on becoming expert in those too. I can design databases, normalize, and use diagramming tools, but plan on getting better as well.

Aside from learning the basics like this, what paths must I embark on?

Almost all of the job posts I see request multiple years of experience. How do I climb up the ladder to become a DBA? What internships/employment should I look for now? I haven't had much success in finding an internship with a DBA. I'm sure they exist, but I haven't found them openly advertised, except in the case of MySql, which I might have to take up just as an in to an Oracle DBA job.

I would love to hear your story about the matter.

Thank you,

Back before I knew anything about Oracle, I was hired to be an Oracle DBA by a company that did not know that they needed and Oracle DBA, and could not have paid for a DBA if they knew what they needed. And then I was an Oracle DBA. :p

14 years later, I feel more confident when I call myself a DBA.

Just get your foot in the door somewhere, and learn as much as you can.

Do you have any suggestions of what "role" I should attempt to obtain by getting my foot in the door? I would love to be a slave for a real DBA, doing database work; however, is it more practical to sign up for some IT support role that isn't necessarily related to databases?

What other job roles are available that relate to DBA?

Thank you!

You can always get a help desk job, with a company that supports Oracle.That way as you continue to learn Oracle and prove yourself in your job, you should eventually get a chance to be a Junior DBA.