Hi! I am a student (aka slave wage) worker. I work part time (10-20 hours/week) at a university center trying to learn all aspects of Oracle DBA and get experience so I can take the tests for certification and get hired as a DBA upon graduation. I am completeing a BS in CS and am planning to finish the MS also since I am geographically bound to this area until 2003 because I have a daughter in HS and I have yet to find any F/T job opportunities within commuting distance from my house.
ALL of my Oracle experience has been OJT, from books and web site info (especially this site!). Also, until last month, there was no other Oracle DBA, certified or otherwise, working here to even answer any of my questions. Yes, I was stumbling through trying to learn it on my own since last October.
I am also going through a custody/support legal case and since I work as a "DBA", I believe that his lawyer is going to argue that my income level should be based on what I could be making now as a "real" Oracle DBA.
I have a bunch of questions for people who work with Oracle.
1. How long did it take you to do the certification procedure from start to finish (i.e. seriously studying for the first to taking the last test).
2. On average,how many hours a week did you study for the tests?
3. Did you take any of these tests while also going to college FT or PT?
4. Approximately how much money did you spend on courses, materials, and the actual tests themselves.
5. Did you do this while working PT/FT with Oracle and how did that affect your certification timeline?
6. How long were you employed working with Oracle before you completed certification? ( I understand that you may have been working w/ ORA before you started the testing cycle)
7. Were you able to get a job as a DBA before being certified?
8. What is the beginning salary range for a DBA that you know about from your personal or co-workers experience?
a. WIth certification but no experience
b. With experience but no certification
c. With P/T student experience and certification
d. WIth P/T student experience and no certification
9. How difficult is it to get a F/T position as a DBA?
10. Do you work as an employee for a company, temporary work, contract, or free-lance?
11. Does your position require 24/7 availability, odd hours, or other than normal working hours?
12. Does your position involve travel? If so, is the travel on short notice and/or overnight?
13. What area of the country (or city/state) do you live and how high would you rate the cost of living in that area?
14. Do you perceive that there is a bias on hiring/ retaining someone for this type of position if they are over 40 years old and why?
Thanks - any help I get is appreciated.
E.
ALL of my Oracle experience has been OJT, from books and web site info (especially this site!). Also, until last month, there was no other Oracle DBA, certified or otherwise, working here to even answer any of my questions. Yes, I was stumbling through trying to learn it on my own since last October.
I am also going through a custody/support legal case and since I work as a "DBA", I believe that his lawyer is going to argue that my income level should be based on what I could be making now as a "real" Oracle DBA.
I have a bunch of questions for people who work with Oracle.
1. How long did it take you to do the certification procedure from start to finish (i.e. seriously studying for the first to taking the last test).
2. On average,how many hours a week did you study for the tests?
3. Did you take any of these tests while also going to college FT or PT?
4. Approximately how much money did you spend on courses, materials, and the actual tests themselves.
5. Did you do this while working PT/FT with Oracle and how did that affect your certification timeline?
6. How long were you employed working with Oracle before you completed certification? ( I understand that you may have been working w/ ORA before you started the testing cycle)
7. Were you able to get a job as a DBA before being certified?
8. What is the beginning salary range for a DBA that you know about from your personal or co-workers experience?
a. WIth certification but no experience
b. With experience but no certification
c. With P/T student experience and certification
d. WIth P/T student experience and no certification
9. How difficult is it to get a F/T position as a DBA?
10. Do you work as an employee for a company, temporary work, contract, or free-lance?
11. Does your position require 24/7 availability, odd hours, or other than normal working hours?
12. Does your position involve travel? If so, is the travel on short notice and/or overnight?
13. What area of the country (or city/state) do you live and how high would you rate the cost of living in that area?
14. Do you perceive that there is a bias on hiring/ retaining someone for this type of position if they are over 40 years old and why?
Thanks - any help I get is appreciated.
E.