Reply to: Career change to Oracle?

[Platypus]

I'm very interested (and surprised) to read that your non-stop skills are not in demand. Non-stop skills seem to be very rare, and as far as I can tell, once a client is running apps on non-stop, they can't ever get off (i.e. migrate to something else).

Sorry, nothing to add on Oracle as a career path. But thanks for some interesting insight into the non-stop world

[rsingh]

Right, it's SQL Server then!

Well make sure you learn about the BI stack (SSRS,SSIS,SSAS). They are in big demand.

[ghost22222]

WHS. There is far more SQL Server freelance work these days. mySQL seems big in freelancing as well. A lot of web shops use it and when they get stuck that's an opportunity.

Right, it's SQL Server then!

[lilelvis2000]

I would echo this.

I moved from SQL Server to Oracle 10 years ago, and am now seriously considering moving back, such is the lack of contract PL/SQL developer roles (to be specific, "classic" PL/SQL + Unix shell scripting roles).

WHS. There is far more SQL Server freelance work these days. mySQL seems big in freelancing as well. A lot of web shops use it and when they get stuck that's an opportunity.

[Bob The Drummer]

There is quite a lot of DBA work about but pure oracle development roles i.e. just writing PL/SQL, OCI code and and so on seem to be few and far between these days.

I would echo this.

I moved from SQL Server to Oracle 10 years ago, and am now seriously considering moving back, such is the lack of contract PL/SQL developer roles (to be specific, "classic" PL/SQL + Unix shell scripting roles).

[TheFaQQer]

I thought about doing similar a dozen years ago and asked a couple of Oracle DBAs I was working with about it. One of them reckoned that from scratch to being fully competent would take about four years. Does that figure sound right to the experienced Oracle folks?

Whatever you end up doing, reducing your exposure to HP-anything specific skills is definitely the way to go.

Good luck!

Depends on what parts of Oracle you are working with. Bespoke Oracle DBA is a completely different matter to being an Oracle Apps Patch Monkey DBA.

I've done DBA work on and off for 12 years now, and have the certification, but never sell myself as a DBA because it's incredibly dull. It's a nice to have (and sometimes I've sold myself as being able to do top cover in an emergency), but I wouldn't let myself near a production environment as a DBA by any means!!!

[Sysman]

Thanks for your reply.

A permie job would be fine right now. I have reasonable SQL experience having used HP Nonstop SQL for a number of years. I paid for the courses I did, but won't be doing so again as I think self-study is possible and considerably cheaper. I did the courses with the goal of getting certification, which I can then put on my CV.

I thought about doing similar a dozen years ago and asked a couple of Oracle DBAs I was working with about it. One of them reckoned that from scratch to being fully competent would take about four years. Does that figure sound right to the experienced Oracle folks?

Whatever you end up doing, reducing your exposure to HP-anything specific skills is definitely the way to go.

Good luck!

[TheFaQQer]

I have an OCA, an OCP DBA and two OCE certifications.

No-one has ever asked about them, and I can't imagine that they make any difference.

Just doing the training isn't going to make people take you on - when the market is a challenge, you are up against people that have the experience to do the job rather than needing time to get up to speed with the nuances of Oracle.

If you find a contract where you can walk into it with no relevant experience, I would worry about either the client or the project - why can't they find someone who knows what they are doing who wants to take the role on?

[lilelvis2000]

Certifications okay, But you might find a simpler path is to get with a Oracle consultancy. Perhaps initially as a DBA. I fell into Oracle really, as the company I was consulting for switched from SQL Server to Oracle and I learned Oracle in order to migrate the software I built for them.

[northernladuk]

Now training as an oracle DBA would be a better move. But I've never understood how you can be a DBA and escape IR35.

I see what you mean with the rest of it now yes.

re the IR35 point. You can be a specialist consultancy LTD providing DBA solutions/consultancy to companies that do not currently have it or have issues with their current resourcing.

You have a set piece of work to carry out for the customer that is laid out in the contract. You go carry that work out making sure you are not under client control (dictated times, client expenses etc etc) and can substitute if need be (amongst a host of other things) and bobs your uncle. Your LTD is providing DBA solutions outside IR35.

What bit makes you think you can't do it outside IR35?

[ghost22222]

I agree but maybe I wasn't clear. What I meant by the change of tech and contracting not going hand in hand is contracting needs specialists with years of experience, not capable people that could learn the technology. Permie land will take a good person and train them possibly but not in contractor land.

Ok, so it seems that doing the DBA Associate exams may be a better route in.

[eek]

I agree but maybe I wasn't clear. What I meant by the change of tech and contracting not going hand in hand is contracting needs specialists with years of experience, not capable people that could learn the technology. Permie land will take a good person and train them possibly but not in contractor land.

My comment is coming from where I'm currently sat (permie consultancy) and rapidly escaping from. There is no oracle development work out there nowadays that is not enterprise server requiring years of experience. The days of plsql developers creating oracle forms at xxx a day are long gone and won't be returning.

Now training as an oracle DBA would be a better move. But I've never understood how you can be a DBA and escape IR35.

[northernladuk]

I know as a general rule flogging none specialised oracle (i.e. not financials or manufacturing modules) is getting very hard to do. I know some consultancies where the only oracle work they get is due to the company wanting a website or three while having a global oracle licence.

I agree but maybe I wasn't clear. What I meant by the change of tech and contracting not going hand in hand is contracting needs specialists with years of experience, not capable people that could learn the technology. Permie land will take a good person and train them possibly but not in contractor land.

[ghost22222]

You need to think if you will be going down the developer or DBA career path.

There is quite a lot of DBA work about but pure oracle development roles i.e. just writing PL/SQL, OCI code and and so on seem to be few and far between these days.

Thanks doodab. That's the sort of info I'm looking for.

[doodab]

You need to think if you will be going down the developer or DBA career path.

There is quite a lot of DBA work about but pure oracle development roles i.e. just writing PL/SQL, OCI code and and so on seem to be few and far between these days.