This I believe is my third post to these forums and I'd like to say hello to all. This is by far the best forum resource on Oracle I have found in the past weeks bar none
As an introduction I am in the midst of a career change from the food/chemical/sensory industry. My soon-to-be previous employer is providing me with a large chunk of change for re-education so I am following my dream if you will to enter the IT field ; more specifically Oracle. A jump from virtually no experience (although I was a part time help desk tech for 4 years) to Oracle DBA is about as steep as you can get but my choices are somewhat limited as to where and what times I can train. I intend to devote approx. 12-16 months if needed to achieve certification all the while using as many real world type examples (sample databases etc.) as I can.
Once complete I will not look for a DBA job right away but possibly a DBO or other true entry level position until I get at least a year under my belt to gain the confidence and actual experience needed to know my limitations and strong points. This will in turn begin to validate the OCP I have acheived and slowly build my worth. My question to you folks is how realistic in your mind is this agenda and what jobs should I look for when I am ready to start applying my training?