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Home > Archive > microsoft.public.cert.mcdba > January 2004 > Certification
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| Jon Reade 2004-01-09, 8:24 am |
| Rob,
Hope I can offer some practical advice here, from 'the
other side'. I've been a SQL Server DBA for over 7 years
now, and whilst I don't claim to know everything about the
product, I do have good, solid day-to-day working
experience of it and the problems you hit in practice. My
first observation, having seen my girlfriend revise for
the exams is that they are very often far away from the
reality of what you will be expected to know and do in the
job. I've found some of the tthings you are expected to
know either dubious, or downright wrong, from drawing on
estalished practice (and not just my own). Moral is that
you may learn some stuff for the exams that you will have
to un-learn in practice.
Following on from that, my second criticism is that they
do not test you on nearly enough of the basics that you
need to do on an everyday basis. Which leads me to my
third criticism...
I've personally interviewed a lot of DBAs for various
employers over the last 3-4 years. I have found that some
people who are apparently very well qualified (Ie : MCDBA)
can talk the talk, but when it comes down to answering
some very, VERY simple questions about SQL Server, they
are singularly clueless. I've had to cut two interviews
short in the last three years, because it got to the point
where the MS "qualified" candidate could not answer the
first 3-4 basic, everyone-should-get-these questions that
I put at the start of the interview test to settle them in.
That's not to say all MS qualified people are bad. It's
just my experience that a certificate does not a DBA
make 
However, on the plus side, so many out-of-work developers
are claiming to have DBA skills these days, that many
employers are filtering out applicants who do not have at
least an MCP. From a personal point of view, I had little
time for the exams until recently, but the vast influx of
cheap overseas labour into the UK market now means that
the only way I can partially guarantee to get myself an
interview with 50% of the employers out there is to get
myself certified.
So yes, it is valuable, but just beware of the downside,
and do get experience under your belt too, even if it's
shadowing the DBA in your current job and learning what
it's REALLY about 
In a nutshell, certification might get you past the HR
department's advert. It won't get you past an experienced
DBA.
Best wishes,
Jon Reade.
>-----Original Message-----
>Go for it, a cert with no experience in databases looks
better than no cert
>and no experience in databases. I would reccomend you hit
labs and actually
>do things with SQL server as you stufy for the exams not
just hit the books.
>
>GL
>
>--
>Ray Higdon MCSE, MCDBA, CCNA
>--
>"Rob" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
message
> news:07f201c3d607$e962fe80$a00
1280a@phx.gbl...
MIS[color=blue]
I'm[color=blue]
are[color=blue]
career.[color=blue]
because[color=blue]
of[color=blue]
get[color=blue]
books,[color=blue]
would[color=blue]
>
>
>.
>
| |
| Mohammed Farouk 2004-01-09, 9:24 am |
| can you write these questions please , I am MCDBA with about 1 year
experience and I will be looking for a job very soon , so I am interested in
your questions .
one thing to mention ,someone who has experience in DBA went into the exam
,but he failed and he posted that here in the news ,so do the MCDBA and Real
world are that different ,any way I think we can start with certification
and take a junior position under supervision ,then after we gain experience
we will be the best. as from my point of view, how can I go to ask for DBA
job -even junior- and I know nothing about DBA.
again I want to know these questions,it is very important to me
thanks
Mohammed Farouk
"Jon Reade" <jonreadeAT@yahoo.DOTcom> wrote in message
news:08ed01c3d6b1$8537adc0$a60
1280a@phx.gbl...[color=blue]
> Rob,
> Hope I can offer some practical advice here, from 'the
> other side'. I've been a SQL Server DBA for over 7 years
> now, and whilst I don't claim to know everything about the
> product, I do have good, solid day-to-day working
> experience of it and the problems you hit in practice. My
> first observation, having seen my girlfriend revise for
> the exams is that they are very often far away from the
> reality of what you will be expected to know and do in the
> job. I've found some of the tthings you are expected to
> know either dubious, or downright wrong, from drawing on
> estalished practice (and not just my own). Moral is that
> you may learn some stuff for the exams that you will have
> to un-learn in practice.
>
> Following on from that, my second criticism is that they
> do not test you on nearly enough of the basics that you
> need to do on an everyday basis. Which leads me to my
> third criticism...
> I've personally interviewed a lot of DBAs for various
> employers over the last 3-4 years. I have found that some
> people who are apparently very well qualified (Ie : MCDBA)
> can talk the talk, but when it comes down to answering
> some very, VERY simple questions about SQL Server, they
> are singularly clueless. I've had to cut two interviews
> short in the last three years, because it got to the point
> where the MS "qualified" candidate could not answer the
> first 3-4 basic, everyone-should-get-these questions that
> I put at the start of the interview test to settle them in.
>
> That's not to say all MS qualified people are bad. It's
> just my experience that a certificate does not a DBA
> make
>
> However, on the plus side, so many out-of-work developers
> are claiming to have DBA skills these days, that many
> employers are filtering out applicants who do not have at
> least an MCP. From a personal point of view, I had little
> time for the exams until recently, but the vast influx of
> cheap overseas labour into the UK market now means that
> the only way I can partially guarantee to get myself an
> interview with 50% of the employers out there is to get
> myself certified.
>
> So yes, it is valuable, but just beware of the downside,
> and do get experience under your belt too, even if it's
> shadowing the DBA in your current job and learning what
> it's REALLY about
>
> In a nutshell, certification might get you past the HR
> department's advert. It won't get you past an experienced
> DBA.
>
> Best wishes,
> Jon Reade.
>
> better than no cert
> labs and actually
> just hit the books.
> message
> MIS
> I'm
> are
> career.
> because
> of
> get
> books,
> would
| |
|
| how can I go to ask for DBA
job -even junior- and I know nothing about DBA.
You probably cant.
>-----Original Message-----
>can you write these questions please , I am MCDBA with
about 1 year
>experience and I will be looking for a job very soon , so
I am interested in
>your questions .
>
>one thing to mention ,someone who has experience in DBA
went into the exam
>,but he failed and he posted that here in the news ,so do
the MCDBA and Real
>world are that different ,any way I think we can start
with certification
>and take a junior position under supervision ,then after
we gain experience
>we will be the best. as from my point of view, how can I
go to ask for DBA
>job -even junior- and I know nothing about DBA.
>
>again I want to know these questions,it is very important
to me
>
>thanks
>Mohammed Farouk
>
>
>
>"Jon Reade" <jonreadeAT@yahoo.DOTcom> wrote in message
> news:08ed01c3d6b1$8537adc0$a60
1280a@phx.gbl...
the[color=blue]
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in[color=blue]
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>
>
>.
>
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