Advice on making a career move...

[woodglass]

I have gained a degree with the O.U. in Computer Science, specialising in RDBMS.
I would like to make a career move into IT full time, working within the 'database arena'.
In your opinion, what would be the best programming language & RDBMS to concentrate on/learn to maximise my chances of securing a job ?.
(I have done a little bit with VB6 & Access)

TIA
woodglass

 

[johnherman]

SQL is the best language to know. Know it and know it well. Also the procedural version of SQL for the database you decide to specialize in (Transact SQL for Microsoft, PL/SQL for Oracle and SQL/DB2 for DB2).

SQL Server and Oracle are the two best DB's to use as far as being able to get work and work where you want to, however, DB2 DBA's make bigger bucks. Oracle database people generally make more than SQL Server guys.

This is across the board whether DBA, Data Analyst, DB Programmer, etc.

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The reasonable man adapts himself to the world. The unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man. - George Bernard Shaw

 

[woodglass]

Thanks johnherman, your feedback is much appreciated !

woodglass...

 

[alvechurchdata]

I'd go with johnherman's advice but it depends what you want from your career. If you can get a job where you'll learn DB2, Oracle, or SQL Server then you'll earn a lot more than you would in Access. OTOH, These big databases have remote admin tools and a lot of well-paid jobs are being outsourced. The same holds true for the web databases.

I've moved to the desktop systems because the supply of work here is less liable to disappear. I'm always being undercut by amateurs in Access but I also get a lot of the work that's needed to rectify their mistakes.

Geoff Franklin

http://www.alvechurchdata.co.uk

 

[ZmrAbdulla]

I'd go with johnherman's advice but it depends what you want from your career

I also agree with it. Some need to grow into a bigger stage with corporate business groups that use huge databases; Some others like to live with small desktop applications. Both have their own beauty and benefit/loss

As per MS VB(A) will be dissappeared in the nearest fututre. It has to give way for .NET (or already given). Sooner or later we are all will be forced to move to that (if we are not enemies of MS). It is also told to be cross platform with a Framework support. So I believe it is also required to learn .NET.



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Zameer Abdulla
Visit Me
By the time a man realizes that may be his father was right,
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[jrbarnett]

Woodglass,

Although slightly off topic, I think this is worth making:

Your post indicates that you have moved from a non-IT career and are looking to move. If this area of work involves computers/IT of any sort, you will find that being able to apply your IT knowledge and expertise with this background business knowledge will make you far more valuable than just as a pure IT person, whether to your existing employer or a new one.
It will give you the ability to talk to the people who run the business (not the IT side of things) in their terms and understand what they want/need from a system.

I'd strongly recommend looking at organisations that write/support specialist software for your area of business knowledge because this will give you an edge over people with just the IT expertise.

John