Career change to Oracle?

**Clippy** · 1 July 2010, 11:28

You will probably get more of a response if you ask Admin to move this thread into a more appropriate section - Business/Contracts.

**rsingh** · 1 July 2010, 11:35

Oracle as a career change would be a good move. It is considered a 'hard' database to work with compared to SQL Server and there are opportunities around. You would probably have to go permie for a year or so as it is difficult to get a contract with no experience. Once you have that experience things should get easier.

I am currently on an Oracle contract having not used Oracle for over 5 years. However with over 10 years database experience I was taken on. So it might be worth branching out into various different SQL flavours to get an overview of them all as well as Oracle. SQL and relational theory are a very portabler skill across the various DBMSs.

Note that I wouldn't spend too much on the courses. You might get trained up by an employer. What is your situation at the moment? Are you paying for the courses yourself or is an employer?

**ghost22222** · 1 July 2010, 11:44

Originally posted by rsingh View Post

Oracle as a career change would be a good move. It is considered a 'hard' database to work with compared to SQL Server and there are opportunities around. You would probably have to go permie for a year or so as it is difficult to get a contract with no experience. Once you have that experience things should get easier.

I am currently on an Oracle contract having not used Oracle for over 5 years. However with over 10 years database experience I was taken on. So it might be worth branching out into various different SQL flavours to get an overview of them all as well as Oracle. SQL and relational theory are a very portabler skill across the various DBMSs.

Note that I wouldn't spend too much on the courses. You might get trained up by an employer. What is your situation at the moment? Are you paying for the courses yourself or is an employer?

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.

**northernladuk** · 1 July 2010, 11:58

My question is how are you going to change and what are you expecting to happen?

Oracle is a serious bit of work and you can't just switch overnight. You also cannot just take a course and get work overnight either. If you are going to switch you are going to have to think long and hard about your path. Are you going to go permie for a bit to get experience? Are you going to train and just hope for the best? etc... Contracting is not the best place to book learn a product and then expect work.

I don't know about Oracle as a career path but I do know changing any technology and contracting do not go hand in hand.

**ghost22222** · 1 July 2010, 12:44

Originally posted by northernladuk View Post

My question is how are you going to change and what are you expecting to happen?

Oracle is a serious bit of work and you can't just switch overnight. You also cannot just take a course and get work overnight either. If you are going to switch you are going to have to think long and hard about your path. Are you going to go permie for a bit to get experience? Are you going to train and just hope for the best? etc... Contracting is not the best place to book learn a product and then expect work.

I don't know about Oracle as a career path but I do know changing any technology and contracting do not go hand in hand.

Thanks for your reply.

I realise this is not an easy option, but I am not finding Tandem contract work, so I am having to re-train. I am SQL proficient however, so switching to Oracle, I believe, is achievable. Thinking 'long and hard about your path' is the reason why I posted on the forum. I was hoping for advice from Oracle contractors on these matters. And yes, I am happy to go permie, so forgive me for asking fellow contractors for their advice.

**eek** · 2 July 2010, 08:00

Originally posted by northernladuk View Post

I don't know about Oracle as a career path but I do know changing any technology and contracting do not go hand in hand.

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.

**doodab** · 2 July 2010, 08:29

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.

**ghost22222** · 2 July 2010, 08:37

Originally posted by doodab View Post

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.

**northernladuk** · 2 July 2010, 08:39

Originally posted by eek View Post

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.

Career change to Oracle?