Good question Maria and something a lot of us on the list either do, have
done or have considered.
I have no intention of questioning your abilities but being the sole DBA on
a site it is quite easy to be seen as a good dba because the users and your
management have nothing to compare against.
It is also most likely that you will have a set way of doing things and do
not try different methods or ideas that often.
I know I have been there and done that.
I had a very good job in a large company where I was the main dba and was
seen as good at doing my job. However I had the same concerns as yourself
and felt that I had a lot more to learn. I left and started working for
myself but the first place I went to was a large site and they had 30 DBAs
working just on specific project. That was a real learning curve for me. It
was an immediate chance to compare myself against a whole variety of DBAs
and realise where my strengths and weaknesses were and what I had to compare
myself against. It was quickly obvious to me that there were 3 groups of
DBAs,
1) Those who were adequate, wanted to make money and did not bother
themselves with niceties like doing a good job
2) Those who did good job , wanted to learn more but were not of the
highest calibre
3) A small number who were exceptionally good
Well I think I fitted into group 2, maybe below the half way mark in order
of ranking. But what I had, and you sound the same from your post, was the
desire to learn more. I will never get to be in group 3 but I certainly feel
I have moved up the ranking list of group 2 by taking in all the experience
I have gained by working with other DBAs and moving around between sites.
I think what I am trying to say is that perhaps a better move would be to a
larger company with a number of DBAs who you could work with and get a
better understanding of your weaknesses and strengths
I do not know about the job market in your area but in the UK and probably
the USA now is not a great time for stepping out on your own, especially if
you do not have a track record of doing so.
Perhaps another option would be to work for a consultancy where you could
gain the experience of working on a number of sites and still retain a
stable job
Hope all that helps
John
-----Original Message-----
Sent: 13 December 2002 05:24
To: Multiple recipients of list ORACLE-L
Gurus,
I have been an Oracle DBA for almost 5 years and would like very
much to venture into independent Oracle consulting (part-time). As i
have spent most of these 5 years as a sole DBA for different companies,
studying and learning the ropes of Oracle Administration through books,
magazines, test machines and this list, I feel confident enough to
handle most Oracle issues. At the same time, I still have that feeling
of inadequacy. I am not sure if I am good enough to offer my services to
local companies.
That said, I'd like to ask every one who are into consulting (on
their own or as a part-time gig) what are the technical and soft skills
necessary before I even think about consulting. How would you know that
you're "technically" ready for it. And how do I get started. Tips are
welcome too!
Thanks everyone.
=)
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