In the final part of my three-part series on how to get a junior DBA job (Part 1), it’s time to talk about mentoring and training, and how they affect your salary.
Ask About Mentoring and Training
During the interview, ask how many other database administrators are on the team and what their seniority levels are. These are the people you’ll be learning from – your future mentors. If you’re joining a team of three people who’ve been DBAs since SQL Server 7.0, you’re in good hands. If there’s one other person who was a developer until about a year ago, things are going to be tougher because he’ll have less time to mentor you and less skills to pass on. If there’s no other DBAs at all, you’re screwed – you’re going to learn things the hard way.
You should be willing to take a lower salary if you find a company with a strong, friendly group of DBAs and a management team that’s committed to ongoing training. Consider it an investment in your career. Finding out how committed they are is simple: have you seen their DBAs at the local user group meeting? If so, then they’re interested in furthering their career and helping out with the careers of others. If you’ve never seen their DBAs at a local PASS Chapter meeting, then their lack of interest in the community might predict a lack of interest in training you, too.
What’s that, you say? You haven’t been to a local PASS meeting yet? Then maybe YOU aren’t too interested in your own training, either. This is why the PASS chapter question is one of my Top 10 Interview Questions to Ask Senior DBAs. Plus, the more often you go to PASS meetings, the more the other database administrators will see you there, and if they recognize you during your interview meeting, that’s bonus points. Imagine the post-interview conversation after you leave: “I remember seeing that guy at the SQL Server user group chapter. I don’t remember the other candidates, come to think of it.” Cha-ching!
Asking about the company’s training budget during the interview is a tougher one: it’s hard to ask this question without making it sound greedy. This one is a judgement call. There’s only one case where the training costs are considered a built-in part of your hiring, and that’s if you go to work for a consulting company.
Going to Work as a DBA-in-Training
Some consulting companies will take you on at a lower pay rate in exchange for teaching you DBA skills while you’re on the job. They have a large talent pool to draw from (compared to individual companies) and they can put you onsite with a senior person. The consulting company makes money off you, because they’re paying you a far lower rate than they’re billing the client. You get to learn from the senior person, and you take over as many tasks from them as possible.
The consulting company may require you to sign a contract stating you’ll work for them for a certain amount of time, and if you leave any earlier, you’ll be responsible for paying training costs. I have really, really bad vibes about this setup, because you’re basically becoming an indentured servant. The consulting company can treat you like dirt, and here’s the funniest part to me: they don’t really care whether you get trained or not. They’re making money off you every single day that you show up for work.
If you take this approach, here’s a few things to keep in mind:
- Don’t sign an agreement – frankly, every job involves learning on the job, and the company is making money off you every day anyway. I would love to get the chance to ask one of these interviewers, “So, did you learn anything on the job this month? Did you have to pay anybody for that privilege?”
- Get the training costs prorated – if you have to sign a two-year agreement and you quit after one year, then you should only be responsible for 50% of the training costs. If they tell you that the bulk of the training occurs in the first year, then get the agreement to only span one year.
- Be very wary of non-compete agreements – some consulting companies have non-compete agreements saying you can’t work for any of their customers for X years after you quit. Even worse, some say you can’t work for any PROSPECTIVE customer – which basically means any company in their market. As part of the interview process, ask for a copy of any agreements that you’ll need to sign. Otherwise, if you only get a copy of this agreement after you’ve already quit your current job, you’re screwed.
- Work hourly, not salary – the consulting company is making money off you by the hour, and they will work you as long and as hard as possible. Your salary needs to be a win/win for both you and the consulting company.
Don’t Regret Your Asking Price
No matter who you work for, salary negotiations suck, and I don’t have any good tips for how to pick your rate. However, I do have advice about what to do after you’ve picked your rate: write it down somewhere and tell yourself, “I am going to be happy if I get a junior DBA job for $X/year.” Put that piece of paper somewhere safe. Later, when you find out how much your coworkers or your friends are making, don’t get mad: get that piece of paper out and think back to what you were feeling like when you wrote those words down. You wanted a DBA position so bad, and you couldn’t figure out how to get in. In order to get your foot in the door, you took a salary that made sense at the time.
The last thing you want is to get six months into your new junior DBA position, find out that all your coworkers are making twice as much as you are, and feel like you got screwed.
Hmm – Lots of Screwing Going On Here
More than once in these posts, I’ve said you can get screwed. This emphasizes a point I made in the first article: it’s easier to get promoted than to get hired. The money’s usually not as good, but if you’re just doing this for money, you’re in the wrong profession.
The first year or two of database administration is very challenging: you’re suddenly in charge of one of the company’s most expensive and risk-prone assets. There’s a lot of after-hours maintenance work, and when your cell phone rings, you gotta answer it anytime, anywhere. It can be scary taking over this position. The less risks you take, the easier your transition is, and that’s why getting promoted eases your transition path.
Once you’re in, though, it’s the most fulfilling and rewarding career I know. I heartily recommend database administration to anybody in IT.
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69 Comments. Leave new
“If there’s no other DBAs at all, you’re screwed – you’re going to learn things the hard way.”
Yep, that sums me up right now.
Thanks again for a great series of articles Brent. You inspire (shame) me to work harder on my blog. 🙂
That totally sums up how I got started too. There were two of us at a company both learning things the hard way, and we brought in a local DBA consulting group because we couldn’t figure out how to make our server perform better. We were walking ’em through our server activity, and they saw the size of our transaction log backups. They couldn’t believe we actually had the number of transactions we were having, and they kept insisting we were doing something wrong. After profiling the server, they said they’d never seen a server as busy as ours, and at that point, we knew we were totally on our own, hahaha.
Are there any good places to find junior dba salary information? I’m interviewing with a company in another state and don’ know where to look or have anyone to ask.
Thomas – ooo, great question. I haven’t seen a reliable source for that because the “junior DBA” job description is all over the place. Instead of asking how much you should be making, I’d instead look at what you’re making now, and look at what you’d take the position for. The junior DBA position is more of an investment in your own career rather than a way to get rich quick.
If I may expound upon Brent’s last reply, many companies require you to divulge your current salary for that very reason. Many of them will take what you are making now, add a certain percentage to it, and try to get you to accept that arbitrary number regardless of how much that position is actually worth. As Brent eluded to, most companies try to get you as cheaply as possible.
I wouldn’t lie about that number either as I had one employer require me to bring in a pay stub from my previous employer on the day I started work.
Thanks, buddy. I just googled get DBA job and this was one of the top hits. I’m trying to make over the transition from web developer to DBA because SQL Server just makes so much more sense to me than .NET ever will. This article was exactly what I was looking for.
Great set of articles Brent, and some really good advice. Thanks a lot for taking the time to write it.
Unfortunately we don’t seem to have PASS in the UK. Do you happen to know if there is an equivalent?
Thanks again
Iain – yes, PASS is worldwide, including a chapter in London:
http://www.sqlpass.org/PASSChapters/EuropeRegion.aspx
There’s also a popular group called SQLBits:
http://sqlbits.com/
Hope that helps!
That’s great thanks a lot. Love the website by the way …i’ve added it as a favourite and will be using your tips/tutorials on my way to the search for knowledge
Hello, starting out at zero here. I’ve done Access and SQL development for eleven years, with a little VB. I have no certs but I did finish my Business degree some time ago. I’ve been fortunate to stay busy with Access databases, and I want to move into a DBA career, administration not development.
It is damn near impossible to get a DBA to talk to me on the phone for any length of information interview. My initial questions are along the lines of certs and sequence, i.e. A+, N+, MCTS or MCITP, etc. Do I need to start at the hardware level, or should I just dive into the MCP and go for a DBA-centered software cert?
Hi, JN. I get these questions a lot – click on the Becoming a DBA link at the top of my site and I’ve got tons of articles about it.
Hi,Brent. I have no experience in IT field. I want to start my career as a sql server dba.
Please let me know, how can i get training for that? What books are good? Can i get on job training?
Hi, Garry. If you click on Becoming a DBA at the top of this page, I’ve got answers to these questions and more. Happy reading, and hope that helps!
Thanks Brent.
Thanx Brent. Interesting series.
Hello,
Can anyone please give me some suggestion? I am just graduated in IS/IT and don’t have work experience in IT field at all. I am thinking to get Oracle DBA training. Do you think having training will give more likelihood of getting a junior DBA job?
Secondly, in your opinion, which IT job would be easy to get just by having a training in a particular field?
Thank you so much.
Durga – hi, that’s a great question. I wouldn’t recommend putting any more money into training. As you’ve discovered, training is only part of what gets you hired, and more training isn’t going to get you a job.
I’ve asked my readers this question in today’s blog post: what’s the easiest IT job to get without experience? Hopefully you’ll get some good answers out of their comments. Hope that helps!
Hi Brent,
It is a great article. I got your website, while I was searching some articles on PerfTunning. I wonder, if you can advice me regarding SQL Performance Tunning. About me, I am having 5+ years of IT exp with more than 2.5 years in SQL Server Administration (rest in Windows Administration). Most of my time with SQL Server was devoted in the following way:
1. Installation of SQL Server (2000/2005)
2. Backup and restoration of databases (SQL 2000/2005)
3. Transfer to logins and Users between different instances of SQL Server.
4. Replication, Log-Shipping, Database Mirroring on Clusters & Stand-alone servers.
5. Installation of Reporting and Analysis Service.
However, I didn’t get exposed to Performance Tunning stuff. Could you please let me know, from where should I start?
I want to learn about Database Performance Tunning and Query Optimization.
Thanks in advance.
Hi, Deep. One way to learn is to have a local mentor you can work with. Try joining the local chapter of http://sqlpass.org to find people you can learn from.
Next, go to http://sqlserverpedia.com where we’ve got articles and training videos on performance tuning.
Finally, check out my recommended books list in this site – at the top of the page, click Becoming a DBA, Best SQL Server Books.
Hope that helps! If not, try to leave more specific questions. Thanks!
Hi Brent,
Thanks for the quick response. My next question is “What exactly mean to you, when someone said about Query Optimization?” What I understand, it means optimization of the running query to reduce the resources usage, in other word, ‘Performance Tunning’. How these two terminology differs from each other.
Thanks once again, Brent.
Performance tuning is making your application go faster. Sometimes it’s done with server hardware, sometimes with SQL Server configuration settings, sometimes with storage, sometimes with OS tweaks, and sometimes it’s done by tuning the individual queries. That one part is called query optimization. Query optimization is a small part of the overall performance tuning practice.
Excellent article and 100% true on all accounts. Getting a junior DBA is absolutely all about getting in a position in a company where you can work near/with actual DBAs and then move into the position by doing small DBA related tasks.
Part 4 should be “Do you really want to be a DBA or not?” One thing many don’t realize is that DBA jobs aren’t as nice as they seem from the outside.
You have to ask yourself “Do I want to be on call all week waking up at 4am to answer the pager as to why the database failed?” Thats the reality of a DBA job for many. Im not a DBA myself but I work in a small team on the same servers with DBAs and will have the opportunity to basically perform DBA tasks(on call 24/7…the whole nine yards). Im going to take the experience because it would be stupid not to but after seeing these guys getting no sleep working late hours I question if thats for me. You have to ask yourself if thats for you also
Peace
Hello Brent,
Thanks for your reply on my question. It really help a lot. I am looking forward to get my first book on SQL Performance Tunning.
Thanks once again.
Hi Brent,
I would like to have your advice- I am planning to establish a career and here is my case:
Graduating from school last year, I have worked as an Oracle DBA-Intern for 6 months hoping that the company would make it a full time(company liked me alot) but then the company was hit by recession. I searched for new job and landed in web developer position (to temporarily get through the recession period and earn my living).
Now I would like to go back to become an Oracle DBA. What do you think I should focus on? I would like to get an Associate certification but will it be sufficient for the companies to trust and pick up my resume? How should I showcase myself? More advises are welcome.
Thanks in advance.
Sri – I wish I could mentor everyone individually, but I’ve only got so much time, and I wouldn’t be able to dedicate the time you need. I’ve put a lot of my own time into writing the articles on this site in order to help you get started. If you have specific questions for me, I’d be glad to help, but I can’t give you enough detail in this short of space to really guide you on your path. I’d recommend finding a local user group and getting a mentor who can help you on this journey. Good luck!
Hi Brent,
I’m currently a Reporting Analyst here in Seattle area, with 4 years experience in SQL reporting. I’ve been studying every night for the MCITP Database Admin Certification and am about halfway through. Until reading your blog, I thought getting certified was like a golden ticket into a DBA position… now I’m starting to have second thoughts.
In your experience, do you think I can leverage the 4 years SQL Reporting + DBA Certification and land a DBA position, or does the Certification even matter?
Hi, Eric. I’ve written about that topic here:
https://www.brentozar.com/archive/2009/04/certifications-are-the-icing-on-the-cake/
That should help clarify things. If not, let me know and we can talk more about it. Hope that helps!
Thanks for the reply Brent, but I already read the icing on the cake article, good stuff. Let me rephrase my question. Does 4 years of SQL reporting count as the Cake? Do you think it can be leveraged into a DBA position?
-Eric
Eric – I think that’s enough to get you into a junior DBA role where there’s a senior DBA who can mentor you, but I would advise against going into a small shop where you’re the only DBA. You’d get burned pretty quickly. As long as you’re going into a team of DBAs, it should be enough to get your foot in the door. Just be aware that the salary for a junior DBA may be lower than a report developer with 4 years of experience – you’ll take a short-term hit in order to get into a better career long-term.
I have been in IT for over 20 years mostly as a programmer. Most of that time I been have coding with sql server. I would however like to eventually become a DBA. This will not happen at my present job. I am reading DBA books and have installed sql server 2008 developer’s edition on my laptop. You don’t seem to feel that certifications would count for much and since I haven’t performed any DBA functions at my job I’m open to suggestions on how to get a DBA position.
thanks
Alan – click Becoming a DBA at the top of this page, and I’ve got a ton of articles. Let me know if you’ve got more specific questions. Thanks!
Brent,
I did read your articles. I will try to summarize what I feel the problem is for me.
Even though I have plenty of sql server developer experience I do not have any experience with DBA functions.
Mentoring won’t happen at my present company nor any DBA opportunities. My shop is continually becoming smaller every several months and prod DBA work has been sent outside of the country.
Certifications obviously aren’t the answer.
I’ve rarely seen junior jobs advertised. All I do have is my developer experience and sql server 2008 on my personal laptop.
Given all of the above what suggestions would you give me on how to obtains interviews once I feel more proficient from reading books and practicing on my own machine?
thanks
Alan – so it sounds like you’re saying you can’t get DBA experience at your current job. If that’s the case, your only answer is to get a non-DBA job (like your current developer one) where you CAN get the experience. You can’t jump directly into a fuill time DBA job without any experience in DBA functions. Reading books and practicing on your own machine isn’t going to cut it.
Brent,
thanks for your honesty but your response to Eric confuses me. You told him that 4 years of sql server reporting can get him a junior DBA job. How can that experience land that job while my many years as a sql server developer can not?
thanks
Alan – I told him the same thing I’m telling you – you need to get into a job where a DBA can mentor you. Note that I told Eric not to get a job where he’s the only DBA in the shop, just like I told you to get a job where someone can mentor you as well. Does that help clarify it?
Also, to be perfectly clear, none of this is going to get you the job by itself. You have to get out and network, as I explain in this post:
https://www.brentozar.com/archive/2009/10/how-to-get-a-better-job/
Awesome series for becoming a DBA, your articles have encouraged me to be more confident to apply for the job, since I didn’t count my class hand-on experiences as my experience but you did remind me that we can count them on our resume. Thanks again and if you do know company that looking for a junior DBA just kindly contact me 😉
Great Series Brent! I got started as a DBA by just asking. I worked in Network Operations and had no experiences with databases. However, I told my director that I was interested in databases and asked how I could get involved with the DBAs. He set me with interview with the DBA manager. Within two months I was a junior DBA. If you work for a large company it definitely will not hurt to just ask.
hi, i have done DBA 9i from Oracle university calefornia, USA.
i do not have experience as DBA but really want to be DBA in a company. how can i get the job. what is the procedure.
Arpender – I talk about that in this exact blog post series. You need to read it, and then you’ll gain the information you’re looking for. If you have another question though, feel free to let me know. Thanks!
Hi Brent,
love the site and also the way you’re prepared to help others who are just getting started in this discipline. Perhaps you’d be able to offer me some advice? I’ve been working with SQL Server for 3 and a half years. Two years as an applications support engineer and the last 18 months as a “Senior” ahem DBA. I recently spent some personal time getting my MCTS in SQL server 2008. The problem is that whilst I maintain my employer’s SQL server environment, most of the databases are supported by third parties. I recently applied for a “proper” DBA position with another company and during interview, found my experience lacking. They liked me and there may be a junior DBA postion on offer. In your opinion, should I take the position and grow my experience and if so, what would a realistic salary expectation be? I know it should be a no brainer but I can bike to work for my existing employer and the new role would require a 1.5 hour journey each way. I know you will probably say “it depends” but I’d appreciate your comments anyway.
Thanks
Chris – I hate to say this, but in order to give you the best advice, I would need to know more about your desires, career challenges, and situation. That wouldn’t be something I could handle publicly, unfortunately. Your best bet is to find a mentor who can help you make decisions like this. Start by going to your local SQL Server user group and talk to other people in similar situations. Wish I had a better answer for you!
Thanks for answering Brent. I will try to locate a SQL user group in my area. I hope to catch one of your lectures at SQLBITs sometime soon. I was gutted that I was unable to attend your recent seminar at York, hopefully you’ll be returning next year.
Thanks again.
Chris
Hi Brent,
Could you please let me know if there is any SQL job that will not force you to work on Sundays?
I am particular reluctant to work in this day for some religious/personal reasons.
I have another question too. I have worked as developer for 2 years to find out that I do not like this; I got no satisfaction from that job. Partially this was because I was not that good as my peers were, because I am not a fast learner, or not able to compute the things that fast like my peers were doing.
I have also worked in hospitality business and enjoyed that, although that was a strange path (and a reason to see US)
Back home I worked for 5 years as a technical support for external users, starting with Level 1 and ending up on multiple product on Level3. I have also supported some application servers (clustered setups too), with thousands of users, that used database synchronization, with lots of log files to investigate.
I feel that helping users and interacting with them is something that I like and it is rewarding for me.
Still, in the place/country where I am now I am unable to find such a job. I have enjoyed SQL in the past and I am feeling comfortable to learn this.
One more thing to add is that in the past I haven’t liked to do QA (testing).
Do you think that changing to DB path would be a good idea or should I keep trying on the support side?
I am thinking too that career in support paths is quite short unless a move to a managerial position will arise.
If DB is a good answer, what path would you suggest?
Thank you,
Dan
Dan – about not working on Sundays, that’s a tough one. Most IT support-style jobs will require you to be on call until you become senior enough that you’re in more of an advisory or architect role. Developer jobs aren’t usually on call, but DBAs are.
I’m hesitant to give personal career advice over the web without knowing someone better. Have you thought about attending a local user group, getting to know the volunteers, and seeing if one can help mentor you to get a job you want?
Hi Brent,thanks for what you’re doing. I’m currently self studying and hoping to get the first junior Oracle DBA job. Please any idea where I can find a forum for Oracle DBAs in the UK . Thanks. Jules
Jules – if only there were some kind of engine that could help us with searches like this:
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=uk+oracle+dbas+forum
😉
Hi Brent, thanks for your quick response. I was hoping that you knew of an existing forum like the PASS for SQL.
Hi Brent,
Just read your post and it was really helpful. You’ve cleared a lot of niggling doubts that have been pesturing me for a while now. I’ve been working as .Net Developer in sydney for 1 yr now. I’d really want to get into database administration. But at my work place I wont be able to learn anything as everyone (except me) is experienced and busy in their field and dont have time to teach me anything and wouldnt want me to think about anything other than coding. My general sql skills are ok(t-sql, sp’s, triggers etc). I dont see any point in buying those sql admin training dvd packs. No matter how much you learn of them, you wont experience the real time scenarios. How do i go about this? Is there an alternative or do I have to stick to development for now and leave my ambition aside for a while(may be future company will let me learn a bit off the dba ). Please advise.
Thanks,
Veron
Veron – you can’t get real experience without knowing the skills first. No one is going to let you just start banging on their database systems without any knowledge.
Brent,
Thanks for the post. I learned a lot from this post. I’ll take your advice; I will attend local PASS meetings from now on. Anyone knows where in Seattle that need database administration volunteer positions?
One thing I didn’t see yet was “take help when given”.
As a senior DBA with a large contact network, I’ve several times made recommendations and opened the door for a junior-in-waiting to talk to someone in my network. And !only once! did anyone follow through, with great results. This was the same person that took me up on my offer to borrow my set of Inside SQL books, I see a connection between these things.
Work your network, use the people you know – but when the door is cracked open, go for it, don’t let the opportunity pass.
I don’t care if it didn’t get you a job, it’s the fact that you tried, proving that ***it’s something you want***. Fact, people will try hardest for the the things they want the most.
If I’m going to help someone, I really want to see that they want a DBA career enough to pursue it.
Hi Tony, I am more than willing to learn DBA skills and move up from SQL development.Not sure, if you’re available around NY/NJ.
Hi Brent,
Ur blogs are excellent and humorous too.. I read them almost three to four times in a week . I am a jr sys admin in a consulting firm where i am working for an year. I want to switch to dba mostly sql dba administration.. but there is very less(no) work related to sql admin were I work . For that reason i had started applying for sql admin job outside my firm , but i m finding it difficult to get an job of jr DBA without relevant exp,and hands on exp. Can getting a certification help me .. Please suggest.
Thanks,
Sanjay
Sanjay – Thanks, glad you like our work! I’ve written about the value of certifications here:
https://www.brentozar.com/archive/2009/04/certifications-are-the-icing-on-the-cake/
Hope that helps!
“…but if you’re just doing this for money, you’re in the wrong profession”
If I had a cent every time I heard that for ANY job, I would be very very rich. (Although I say the same for my area, development)
Hi Brent,
Found your site quite great.
I have a degree in computer science about 10 years back but have always worked in the finance industry since then. I’m not out of job and the pay here is really good, but I definitely want a career change and will like to get back to IT.
I find the job of a dba quite interesting and will like to build a career it.
Do you think this is too late or impossible in anyway?
If not where would you advice i start from considering the fact that i have no real IT or server administration working experience.
Will appreciate your candid advice.
Thank you.
Hi !,
I have MCP certificates for MS sql server 6.5 and 7.0 administratration but for 14 years i was in some another profession. Now I want to be DBA What should i do? Will it work? please reply as early as possible
Read the posts here on how to become a DBA. 😀 That’s what our posts are for.
Hi Brent,
Great article!! I come from an IT background (I’ve been a tech, network analyst, tech support and now I’m an IT buyer) I want to get a junior DBA position but have no experience in the sql server field beside installing sql server 2008 on vmware machine at home and testing backup and restore using adventureworks and northwind db and learning my ways around ssms . I’ve been reading about sql and watching a lot of videos. Do I have any real chances of getting a junior dba position with what Im doing?
Frank – realistically, no. That’s why I wrote this blog post series. Make sure you read it carefully.
Sir, I have just completed my Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science… My overall percntage at degree level is quite low… i love databases.. i’m currently planning 2 prepare for oracle certified dba exams.. wot would be the prerequisites i’ll need to aoproach my first job? I am currently a student and have no experience in the field..
Hi, Sandeep. Unfortunately we don’t do Oracle work, so I don’t know that.
Okay.. thnx Brent.. 🙂 can u suggest which one is better?? Microsoft or oracle certification??
@Brent Ozar’s you are awesome! Your blogg as been such as big help!! I am so glad someone has taken the time to help the “Newbe” find there way in the door.
Hi Brent, thank you for the great articles.
I am a fairly new junior DBA. I am planing to attend to attend SQL Pass Summit for the first time this year.
Looking at the pre-conference options I feel like a kid in the candy store. Well, a kid in the candy store that has a limited palate and no idea what to buy. I feel like I should aspire to have a fundamental knowledge of it all. But I am afraid that I don’t know what course will be too easy, too hard, or just right for where I am and where I want to be.
We have a new senior DBA on staff that is providing me with mentoring and is mostly focused on keeping the fridge cooling. I prefer being on the infrastructure team more than the thought of joining the development team, yet I get more excited about troubleshooting data warehouse issues or why a job failed and picking apart a script than I am about IO and Raids and SANs oh my.
Any advice on where to start track wise at the conference?
Green – ooo, that’s a good question. It’s tempting to just pick something that sounds fun, but the first 1-2 days of the conference are your mentally sharpest. You’ll also be in all-day classes that really dive deeply into a subject. This is honestly your best time to focus and learn, whereas the rest of the conference is really good for networking. There’s just so much going on during the regular conference sessions, and often it’s tough to feel like you’re really learning things in depth. So these pre-con picks are pretty important.
If your company is paying for you to attend, then I would turn it around and ask, “What’s the #1 thing that your senior DBA and your manager want you to be able to do, that you don’t currently feel comfortable doing?”
If you’re paying out of your own pocket, then I’d ask, “What do you want your job to focus on 3-4 years from now?”
Yup, as expected. Pretty awesome response. Thank you!
I’m going on the company’s dime so the first option makes a lot of sense. I’ll feel more confident in my role and the company will hopefully see a return on their investment having sent me to the conference. Win win.
I have 3 years of experience as SQL Server DBA.I am currently doing my masters.I want to work as summer intern as DBA.Please let me know how to get a dba intern position.
You need also to recreate to recharged yourself and being effective to handle all this hard task working on Data base ad.