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Hello. I live in Chicago, and I am thinking about becoming an Oracle database administrator.
First, here is some detailed information about my background. I have a BS in Mathematics and Computer Science (received in 1995) and an MS in Computer Science (received in 1996). I had steady work experience as an applications programmer from 1996 to 2004. Most of this work experience consisted of the following: 1) web development (Perl, Java, PHP, classic ASP) and 2) creating database tables and running SQL queries, in various database environments (SQL Server, Access, Oracle, and MySQL).
After 2004, I couldn't find work as a programmer for 1.5 years. So, I did some work in the entertainment industry as an actor/model. Unfortunately, the actor/model work was sporadic and did not pay much. After 1.5 years as an actor/model, I obtained another computer-programming job. However, I had to quit that job after only a few months because the company was in financial distress and was unable to pay my wages.
When I quit that job three years ago, I resumed doing sporadic, low-paying actor/model work, while continuing to look for programming work. However, during the past three years, I have not been able to find any programming work. Also, the more time that passes since my last programming job, the less willing employers are to hire me, because they think that my programming skills have eroded (which they have not).
So, since the actor/model thing is sporadic and since the programming work is not there, I thought about branching out into a different area of Information Technologies (IT): Oracle database administration.
Chicago has a community college called Oakton Community College, and Oakton offers several courses in Oracle database administration (all in Oracle 10g). The following course descriptions are from Oakton's website:
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Database Fundamentals I
Course provides conceptual understanding of Oracle database architecture and how its components work and interact with one another to perform administrative tasks used by the database administrator. Content includes how to design, create, maintain, manage, and troubleshoot an Oracle database; how to startup and shutdown a database; create a database, manage file and database storage; manage users and their privileges, organize the database and move data into and between databases under different environments. Course prepares student for the corresponding Oracle Database Administrator certification exam. Recommended: CIS 143 or comparable knowledge.
Database Fundamentals II
Course continues developing the knowledge needed by the database administrator to maintain a database. Content includes methods to backup, restore, and recover the database given various different scenarios; transporting data between databases and the utilities used; networking concepts and configuration parameters; solving common network problems; configuring network parameters to allow the database clients to communicate with the database server. Course prepares student for corresponding Oracle Database Administrator certification exam. Recommended: CIS 145 or comparable knowledge.
Performance and Tuning
Course continues developing the knowledge needed by the database administrator to maintain a database. Content includes methods and techniques to maximize performance of the database from the design to using the database in a production environment; recognizing, troubleshooting and resolving common performance-related problems. Course prepares student for corresponding Oracle Database Administrator certification exam. Recommended: CIS 245 or comparable knowledge.
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I have heard that a person who is BOTH a programmer and a DBA is an asset to a company. However, if my DBA experience is limited to the above-mentioned courses and/or a certification from Oracle Corporation, will that DBA experience, combined with my on-the-job programming experience and my college degrees, get me back into IT? Or should I abandon IT altogether and seek a career in a different field?
Thanks for any information.
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