Getting into Data Warehousing (Microsoft)

[Pogle]

Sorry, I cant ignore that, yet again that is some shockingly poor advice.

You have all the right basic SQL Skillsets to move into Data Warehousing and BI. Certification shows you have undertaken the courses and passed. This will allow you to get past agents where they ask for it, but if you can talk it & do it then this will be even better.

The main key is how to gain the ability to get past the interviewer and obviously the ability to do the job. Now if that means studying at home in your own time in the evening, writing your own ETL, learning (and being able to discuss Kimble), SSRS, OLAP, MDX etc, then go for it.

Buy a number of books and work your way through, MDX Solutions by Wiley, Microsoft Data Warehouse Toolkit by Kimble, Smart Business Solution Intelligence Solutions with SQL Server 2008 by Microsoft Press etc.

If you can learn it at work and use it brilliant, if you have time to do certification even better, but there is nothing wrong with learning it at home, and then adding into your CV as part of your experience on your present role if you can back it up in practically and in interview.

It aint all about years and years of experience. The best contractors in the world can learn a skill in weeks in their own time, add it into the CV & arsenal be able to interview on it, talk about it and practically implement it. Thats what contracting is about!

Good luck and go for it.

Yeah I've interviewed a few contractors who think that.

[Jeebo72]

I’ve been in the B.I. game for over 10 years, and the best developers tend to be those who’ve had experience in the business side, have an understanding of the requirements a business is likely to need, and the frustrations of poor performing IT systems.

I try and avoid hiring people who have the technical “experience” but not the business acumen.

The company you are working for now, do they have a data warehousing team that you can get involved with? Are they running reports from your SQL server Dbs in anyway, can you help with that? It's a start to understanding reporting and analytical requirements.

The data warehousing toolkit book mentioned earlier is a great introduction; I’d defo get that as a starting point...

And remember Kimble over Inmon!

[doodab]

The best contractors in the world can learn a skill in weeks in their own time, add it into the CV & arsenal be able to interview on it, talk about it and practically implement it. Thats what contracting is about!

WHS

Specific technologies change and evolve continuously. The most important things to have are the "theoretical grounding" and basic, transferable skills that help you pick up new things quickly.

If your current client wants something done, and you have taken, or are prepared to take, the trouble to become familiar with the necessary technology, you are in a position to a) help them and b) gain commercial experience with said technology.

In fact, once you have a track record with a particular client they will often be happy for you to do a certain amount of learning on the job as they'll trust you to get a result at the end of it. It's often quicker and cheaper for them than sending people on a course or trying to find another suitable contractor.

[Olly]

I'm in a similar boat perhaps.
I'm not a 'developer' as such. I deliberately moved away from that, but what I'm realising is that being a jack of all trades doesn't really cut it any more.

I've been lucky in the past and had some great paying roles though never any that were technically a challenge or really taught me anything techy.

As a result, what I do know; SQL, VBA the MS BI suite I don't know in depth and have forgotten a lot.

So, about the certificate, I'm probably going to do it to be honest, my Ltd has never paid for a course for me and it's about time I did something to keep up and specialise. You can do them a bit cheaper in India over 2 weeks or in a week in UK but cost is high. Of course self study is an option but I find I'm not so good at that.

There are two choices MCTS BI and MCITP BI, haven't really looked at them in detail yet though so any pointers welcome.


I intended to have 3 arrows in my bow;

1. Full end to end BI, from the requirements stage right the way through to providing insight based on the figures and all steps in between, SSAS, SSIS, RS etc

2. Data migration: done a lot of this on a small scale but never big enough to warrant use of software like Datastage etc. Have a feeling this is going to be harder to break into.

3. Procurement analysis: which usually only means Excel and Access / VBA

I'm hoping that trio will secure £400(ish) a day contracts for quite a while.

First step is a probably contractor/perm role in BI. Telephone chat/interview about just such a position this afternoon but worried I really am too rusty to pull it off.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

You are still in your first contract arn't you? Some solid experience behind you in what you do now would be my first call so you can get contracts readily without long periods on the bench. You have yet to end your first contract and go out and secure another. You were in the cushy position of being in a job last time and could turn them down as you pleased. This time you will not and I think it is going to come as a bit of a shock to you.

Skills do not come easily in contracting. I got lucky and dipped into a role that changed as I did it but I had to take a course before hand to make sure they didn't bin me off and replace me with someone skilled in the technology. Remember people take you on as a contractor generally because you are an expert or at least experienced in your field.. If you want to swap roles, learn new skills and get paid you are better off back in permie land.

The two options you have though are... courses, that will give you lines on your CV but no experience. They will probably be expensive and have to be done out of contract time when your money is burning up. You could fall lucky in a current contract you are in which isn't common but it does happen.

Applying for roles will not work for sure. You are not a permie, they don't invest in you. If you haven't done it before no way will they take you on and you are up against people that have good skills and qualificatiosn. Home learning could be something but depends on what you do. Reading some books and creating a half baked plaything certainly won't work. Consulting and creating real life working models might.... but still... no solid industry experience.

I am afraid this is one of the mind sets still to change from your transition from Perm to contract. You have a skill to sell and thats it. No chances, no free training.

I am hoping to stay in my current gig for at least a year if possible. It's conveniently close to home and I want to show that I can deliver and keep extending. However, now I am in the contracting world and no longer a permie (as you keep pointing out) I have to think about the future and how to keep ahead of the game. 5 years in SQL and a couple in C# aint a bad skillset to start off with but I need to progress and advance myself so that I can keep getting gigs and improve my rate (as well as do something even more challenging).

Has anybody tried this MS online certification where it gives you the material online for 2 years for something like £600? Is it worth trying that out or should I just learn the skills using the development setup?

Also thanks for your advice MF, I have heard of those books and had a very brief look at them. I will start to read into it.

Thanks guys

[Zippy]

MF being helpful?? Shome mishtake shirley?
I agree though - swot up in your own time and relate it back to your current gig. Even if the link is tenuous it should get you round the agents.

Bon chance mon ami

[MarillionFan]

Sorry, I cant ignore that, yet again that is some shockingly poor advice.

You have all the right basic SQL Skillsets to move into Data Warehousing and BI. Certification shows you have undertaken the courses and passed. This will allow you to get past agents where they ask for it, but if you can talk it & do it then this will be even better.

The main key is how to gain the ability to get past the interviewer and obviously the ability to do the job. Now if that means studying at home in your own time in the evening, writing your own ETL, learning (and being able to discuss Kimble), SSRS, OLAP, MDX etc, then go for it.

Buy a number of books and work your way through, MDX Solutions by Wiley, Microsoft Data Warehouse Toolkit by Kimble, Smart Business Solution Intelligence Solutions with SQL Server 2008 by Microsoft Press etc.

If you can learn it at work and use it brilliant, if you have time to do certification even better, but there is nothing wrong with learning it at home, and then adding into your CV as part of your experience on your present role if you can back it up in practically and in interview.

It aint all about years and years of experience. The best contractors in the world can learn a skill in weeks in their own time, add it into the CV & arsenal be able to interview on it, talk about it and practically implement it. Thats what contracting is about!

Good luck and go for it.

[northernladuk]

Currently in a SQL development gig, SQL skills include 2000/2005/2008 all the basics (i.e. stored procedures, triggers, general t-sql etc) also got a couple years experince in more advanced stuff (DTS/SSIS), Crystal Reports (not more advanced but extra), optimisation. I am interested in going to the next level and getting involved in data warehousing i.e. cubes, analysis services etc.

Any advice on how to make this step? Am I ok to skill up at home and then advertise the skill or do I need to find myself into an actual role? Certification of any use?

Advice appreciated

Hmmm seems my experience in different areas wasn't the same as the requirements here so my advice was a bit poor so removed it to keep the rest of the advice consistent... Doh!!

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

Currently in a SQL development gig, SQL skills include 2000/2005/2008 all the basics (i.e. stored procedures, triggers, general t-sql etc) also got a couple years experince in more advanced stuff (DTS/SSIS), Crystal Reports (not more advanced but extra), optimisation. I am interested in going to the next level and getting involved in data warehousing i.e. cubes, analysis services etc.

Any advice on how to make this step? Am I ok to skill up at home and then advertise the skill or do I need to find myself into an actual role? Certification of any use?

Advice appreciated