Reasonable Training Expectations

[Dawnrenee0516]

I am a manager (business-end, not technology manager)that has hired an individual with limited knowledge in Access. This individual has done some database modification and has built queries (unsure of the level of complexity) in Access.

Our organization uses FileMaker Pro. This individual will need to be able to create databases by importing multiple tables, change field/data types, join tables, query information and export information to meet a designated file specification.

Assuming the individual understand the basic concepts of relational databases, what is a reasonable time frame to expect this individual to learn FileMaker to do the specific tasks above? If I were able to secure training in two hour increments twice a month, what would you say is a reasonable time frame?

Thank you!

 

[melmitts]

Tough question... Trying to access someones learning curve. I moved from Clipper to FoxPro to FileMaker. I am still learning FileMakers capabilities. As for training, you might want to take a look at John Mark Osborns training videos at VTC.com. You can get a full year access to all the VTC videos for around $250.00 to use at your convenience. This is how I made the transition easier.

 

[TStriker]

I agree with melmitts on the training videos. These are relatively cheap and take you from beginning to end in a pretty straight line. I would guess that your guy should be fairly competent by the end of the series.

I think Filemaker may come more quickly and with less pain to someone with no technical database experience than it does to someone with deep experience in Oracle, MSSQL, etc. The reason I say this is because FM does many things in a vastly different ways than does the more mainstream database systems. For instance if your guy has experience writing SQL statements like

SELECT this FROM that WHERE this = 'this' ORDER BY that.

he will have a bugger of a time figuring out how FM does queries. He will be scratching his head for a long time yet in my opinion FM's method is more intuitive, just not for users with experience in other systems.

-Striker

 

[JeanW]

Indeed a tough question and maybe one that doesn't make sense....

I have seen folks with little to no knowledge of databases getting along the FileMaker logic in no time.

And folks with an CS degree, after months still do not get the basic into their fingers/head.

The videos, although not bad, will give a view on how to work with FileMaker, but will not tell you how to build a database.

>>Assuming the individual understand the basic concepts of relational databases....

You didn't asked when you hired him ??