Contracting as an Oracle DBA

[tifereth]

Hello world,

I am a newbie from London, first of all thanks for the CUK website and this board

My main area of expertise are databases, Oracle above all, and I was considering to jump to the dark side of the IT arena and start contracting.

My big concern is that all the contractors I know are developers or project managers and I was wondering if the contracting world is suitable for DBAs and system admin too.

When I look at the job boards, for Oracle DBAs for example, I only see a but few contracts advertised, are they all or many simply don't make it to the boards?

My current permie position in a big company seems very solid (well, I'm sure now that I wrote this things will be different ), I wouldn't like to leave for my first contract and then remain benched for a long period of time while looking for my second contract.

What do you guys think I should do? Should I make this jump?

Cheers
Tifereth

[stek]

I'll have a go...

Seems to me Oracle is no longer just a DB, it's PL/SQL, RAC, ASM, SP, loads of other stuff as well, if you know it go for it but it is a long time since Oracle was just a database so if u r just adding tables etc, committing this etc you need to expand.

[northernladuk]

It concerns me that we have to tell you what to do. Contractors run small business's and are in charge of their own destiny. If you can't make a simple decision on skills and market what will you be like when you are in?

But anyway.... Try looking at this from a different angle. Rather saying what you do and can you get a contract why not look at what the better paying or most popular contracts are and spend some time in your current job to skill up? I am sure if you can identify an area that is related to what you do you could start training yourself up, getting bits of work in that area to learn, mention it at your appraisals and get your career path to head this way inc training. Once you are skilled up and have evidence then you can come with a valuable skill. Might take a year but you will have many more contracting.

[tifereth]

Hi guys, thanks for your replies, both very useful In details:

Seems to me Oracle is no longer just a DB, it's PL/SQL, RAC, ASM, SP, loads of other stuff as well, if you know it go for it but it is a long time since Oracle was just a database so if u r just adding tables etc, committing this etc you need to expand.

Yes, I should have been more specific in my initial post maybe, but I do have most of the skills around Oracle DB (RAC, Dataguard, RMAN, PL/SQL, etc.) together with skills on other DBs, storage solutions and strong Unix and Linux system admin skills. I have little short of 10 years experience in what I do.

It concerns me that we have to tell you what to do. Contractors run small business's and are in charge of their own destiny. If you can't make a simple decision on skills and market what will you be like when you are in?

Fair point, thanks, this can be a clue that I'm not ready to switch to contracting yet. However, I'd still consider it useful to hear from people with my same core skills about the actual availability of contracts around London for DBAs and even sysadmins. Don't get me wrong, I don't ask people to decide on my behalf, I am "collecting data" in order to be able to make a more informed decision.

[CUT] why not look at what the better paying or most popular contracts are and spend some time in your current job to skill up? [CUT]

The idea of making the most of my time as a permie and skill up is surely valid, this is effectively what I have always tried to do but reminders are always welcome, otherwise we may lose focus

Tifereth

[nomadd]

Hello world,

I am a newbie from London, first of all thanks for the CUK website and this board

My main area of expertise are databases, Oracle above all, and I was considering to jump to the dark side of the IT arena and start contracting.

My big concern is that all the contractors I know are developers or project managers and I was wondering if the contracting world is suitable for DBAs and system admin too.

When I look at the job boards, for Oracle DBAs for example, I only see a but few contracts advertised, are they all or many simply don't make it to the boards?

My current permie position in a big company seems very solid (well, I'm sure now that I wrote this things will be different ), I wouldn't like to leave for my first contract and then remain benched for a long period of time while looking for my second contract.

What do you guys think I should do? Should I make this jump?

Cheers
Tifereth

I did around 7 years of contract Oracle DBA'ing. Loads of work around then - lates 90's to early 2000's. The market since then has turned down, with most day-to-day DBA work sent offshore.

I do have a couple of my contracting mates who are still Oracle DBA'ing. Rates are down, and jobs - as you've found - are scarce. Unless you are prepared to travel for work, and take some pretty low rates at times, then I say stay permie. Both my mates are very seasoned DBA's, with at least 10 years contracting under their belts; both have had 6+ month stints out of contract, even though they are very flexible on work location.

Oracle contract DBA'ing is not the land or riches it once was. I'd say think long and hard before giving up your current job.

[tifereth]

Thanks nomadd, the info you posted are very useful, although not what I hoped to hear I'll think it through, but probably wait a bit longer and stay where I am for now...