From Noob to Employment -- How is it Done?

[DBANoob]

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,

[gandolf989]

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.

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.

[DBANoob]

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!

[gandolf989]

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.