Reply to: Newbie Question about skill level

[EqualOpportunities]

That must be very reassuring for the people who employ you as a DBA

Indeed it must

[Back In Business]

Give the "Contract Search" under CUK Navigation a try (top left). Searches a couple of boards at the same time, including JobSwerve

[icw]

Ok , with that all in mind, tomorrow I am going to look in the contract job ads in Jobserve for something matching my skill set and send off my (tailored) CV.
Cheers Guys

ICW

[MarillionFan]

"I don't think I am defeatist, I am reading and studying constantly at the moment, and I'm sure that I'll have those data cubes sorted soon. Currently i am getting my head round sql server 2005 and sql reporting services."

Any idiot can read a book. Contracting is not necessarily about skill, but what almost what 100% of contractors have will be savvy.

Savvy to make recommendations, savvy not to get bogged down, savvy to understand the business, savvy to make out more than we know and savvy to deliver, hit targets, not whinge, not get involved in politics, savvy to deliver.

Thats what you need, not reading a book.

[Spacecadet]

I'm doing SQL Server 2005 reporting services on my current contract
2 points about this

1. I've never done any proper reporting type stuff before, let alone SQL Server reporting
2. It was never brought up before i took the contract, either in job specs or the interview.

I'm spending every spare minute in the day (after posting on here) messing around with a test install and seeing what it can do.
The clients urgent need for it is not for another 3 months but I know that when time comes, I need to have to answers for them.

As a contractor you need the attitude that what ever comes up you can get on with it and deal with it. Never ever complain that something can't be done or its too difficult. You come across a problem? You give the client a range of possible solutions, with costs, pit falls, pros cons, time scales whatever. They're paying you for your expertise as well as your time.

[icw]

I don't think I am defeatist, I am reading and studying constantly at the moment, and I'm sure that I'll have those data cubes sorted soon. Currently i am getting my head round sql server 2005 and sql reporting services.
But as Gable said in an earlier post in this thread "jobs are advertised stipulating an almost unimaginable array of skills ", and without really any experience of the market place personally i am a little unsure as to whether I am up to the mark.
I'll probably find that once I am in there and have experienced the ccontracting world first hand for a while, i will relax a bit more about it.

[thunderlizard]

Your attitude's a bit defeatist, for a contractor. If you don't know how to do something, read up on it and practice a bit until you can. How hard can data cubes be after all?

[icw]

Without wishing to appear sycophantic, I am really grateful to you guys for your comments. Reading some of the stuff on here helps me to feel a lot more confident about getting myself in there!!
Cheers

ICW

[To BI or not to BI?]

Hi I am soon to start contracting.
My Skills are sql 2000 admin (but not expert)
Crystal Reports
Data manipulation
CRM COnsultancy, implementation and support (GoldMine and Sage CRM qualified)

I fancy going for "Data analyst" but am not quite sure what that is ,
Do I need to be able to make data cubes? because I don't know how to.
Do I need to use SQL analysis services? Because I never have.

My point is that I am not really sure if my skills are really good enough yet.
How do you manage to find a job that matches your skill set?
Any suggestions would be really appreciated.

You could always say that you are vey good at "delivering"

[SallyAnne]

Likewise - I am the least skilled person I know and have contracted since 2000.

HTH

That must be very reassuring for the people who employ you as a DBA

[marcus2704]

Mate, i have no skills and have been contracting for over 5years now.

What sort of work are you involved in? Im in need of some inspiration, my current gig is hardly taxing me at all and its getting soul-destroying tbh. I have little in the way of IT certificates, just 7-8 years experience of Windows environments. Ive not had problems securing roles so far but Im after something more now before I go insane.

[EqualOpportunities]

Mate, i have no skills and have been contracrting for over 5years now.

Likewise - I am the least skilled person I know and have contracted since 2000.

HTH

[el duder]

Hi I am soon to start contracting.
My Skills are sql 2000 admin (but not expert)
Crystal Reports
Data manipulation
CRM COnsultancy, implementation and support (GoldMine and Sage CRM qualified)

I fancy going for "Data analyst" but am not quite sure what that is ,
Do I need to be able to make data cubes? because I don't know how to.
Do I need to use SQL analysis services? Because I never have.

My point is that I am not really sure if my skills are really good enough yet.
How do you manage to find a job that matches your skill set?
Any suggestions would be really appreciated.

Mate, i have no skills and have been contracrting for over 5years now.

[gables]

<snip>..I quite often find that jobs on jobserve have a lot of important sounding guff that is initially quite intimidating - but the actual job behind it is normally well doable.

I've just started looking in an attempt to re-enter the IT market and it seems to me that nowadays* that (alot of) jobs are advertised stipulating an almost unimaginable array of skills and then some suggest fairly low rates. I get the impression that the agent has listed everything he heard in a meeting with the client.

Any tips on how to approach it?

Tony

* it may have been the same when I was contracting but just didn't notice.

[Robwg]

Really it isn't that dissimilar from going for permie jobs. Search on jobserve for jobs that look up your street - send your CV. The agents will send you to the interview if they think you are a good match. Then either get job or not.

You shouldn't really be aiming for contractor roles if you don't know what they are....although on the other hand - if the role said data analysis and then listed all of your skills you have got nothing to lose by sending your CV along - you can always ask the agent what exactly he means by data analyst as you have heard many different types - that sort of question (implies you have a lot of experience).

I quite often find that jobs on jobserve have a lot of important sounding guff that is initially quite intimidating - but the actual job behind it is normally well doable.