You studied, passed, donned cap and gown and graduated. With a two- or four-year degree in a technical field in hand, you may be thinking, “now what?” If back-packing through Europe isn’t exactly in the cards, it’s probably time to get a job (and get off your buddy’s couch). Very generally speaking, in-house IT positions (i.e. a member of a company’s IT team) fall into two buckets: You’re an IT generalist who has a basic level of expertise to manage all aspects of the IT environment – desktops, servers, networks, communications systems, applications, etc. Small- to mid-sized companies with limited IT resources will likely look for a generalist who can do it all, basic database management included. You’re a database administrator with deep and specialized skills in DB management, usually specific to one type of database (SQL Servers, for instance). Larger companies with multi-person IT departments will look to hire DBAs in addition to professionals with experience in network management, desktop management, IT security, IT storage, communications, and so on. A quick search on Monster.com reveals tons of posts for in-house positions within the second bucket, specialized positions for SQL Server DBAs. We analyzed the job requirements and skill sets lists among a handful of these posts and came up with some interesting observations. While familiarity with SQL Servers (usually versions 2000-2008) is a given, requirements go so far as to outline skills and experience proving effective database management. On the word cloud you’ll see references to “tuning,” “monitoring” and “performance.” It’s clear IT hiring managers and other IT execs understand the value of optimizing database performance and look for pros who can deliver. Want quick optimization tips to start off right? Download the webcast titled “Essential Tips for Managing SQL Server” here . “Replication,” “Recovery” and “Backup” are featured within many job posts. The best IT pros abide by Murphy’s Law: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. Practical knowledge on how to best configure SQL Servers to ensure zero downtime in the event of a crash will set you apart. Aside from the technical expertise required for DBA jobs, certain skills are often desired. To go from candidate to new hire, its best to showcase your ability to problem solve, work in teams but also self-motivate, organize and prioritize. Once you’re on board, come back to visit the SQL Server DBA Pros blog on Toad World ™ for posts on SQL Server management optimization tips, tricks and best practices. You can also visit our SlideShare page here to view demos and instructional videos.
↧