How to become a database developer?

Database Administration/Development Career

• What can I do to become a database administrator or developer if I'm starting basically from zero? Kind of on a whim I just did a short on-line SQL course (something very basic) and I really enjoyed it. I’ve worked with databases at previous jobs and I liked that too although I’ve never had any formal training. I’m looking to change careers and I’m wondering if I should try to become a database administrator or something similar. I have an unrelated degree (liberal arts) so what would I need to do to get into this field? I’m smart and I learn fast and I have some (very limited) experience managing and updating databases. I would like a job that involves a lot of problem-solving and, ideally, would pay a solid amount of money in the long term (it doesn’t have to pay a lot right away). 1. What do I need to know to make this happen in terms of programming/languages? 2. What’s the best way to learn it? 3. What’s the best way to prove that I’ve learned it? A certification? How would I get that? 4. Are there any jobs I could get where I would learn this stuff on the job? What kinds of job titles should I look for? I have a lot of debt so I can’t afford to go back to school full-time or pay a lot of money for a degree but I could probably manage a few courses if it were really necessary/worth it. Basically I'm looking for a road map so that I can do this thoroughly (I want to be good at it. I don't want to take a job I'm not qualified to handle) but as quickly and cost-efficiently as possible. What course of action has the highest ratio of reward to investment of time and money?

• Answer:

  1. Programming Languages: More SQL, more SQL and the stock languages for writing stored procedures on at least two of the following: Postgres, mySQL, Oracle, MS-SQL Server. Also useful, Python, Ruby or some other highly productive language for munging data. It is probably also useful to know a framework that makes it easy to create basic CRUD apps (create, retrieve, update, delete) and do basic web based reports. This is really the least of it though. Being a DBA is as much about understanding good data management practices and policies; the relational model; transactions & ACID compliance, and how they are achieved; how to index and tune the DB... as it is about programming. 2. By learning it, whatever works for you. Sorry, I don't mean to be flip, but a lot depends on your background, your learning style, and the particulars of your situation and the opportunities open to you. If it helps though, most self-styled database experts, aren't. If you can manage to correctly do joins and subqueries you are probably in the top 50% of people who do reporting. If you get constraints, transactions and understand why normalized data is a good thing, you are probably ahead of 50% of web programmers who use databases. 3. Successful projects. References from people you've worked with on successful projects. Start small, work your way up. 4. Yes, lots. Pretty much anyplace they use databases (which is a lot of places) they will need someone who knows more about them than anyone else in the department/office. The more they rely on a database or a database backed-application, the more true this is, particularly/especially if someone else (ie IT) is responsible for administering the database/application. This is true, even if no one in the department knows it yet. You shouldn't have to spend much/any money to learn what you need to know to start getting paid, but I don't know what path is going to give you the highest ratio of reward to investment, other than suggesting that you talk to a lot of people who might possibly be doing something you might possibly want to be doing. What do they do day to day, and week to week? What do they like about it? What are the challenges? How did they get to where they are today? Etc. Start by talking to 5 different people for 60-90 minutes, but plan on adjusting as you go until you've talked to 20-30.