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robvolk
Most Valuable Yak
USA
15559 Posts |
 Posted - 03/13/2003 : 13:18:50
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quote:
BUT.. how on earth do you get the experience if you can't get the job?!
Ahhhh, to be 24 years old again and ask this question in all innocence... I miss it.
Not trying to be a smartass or to discourage you, but that's exactly the situation: you SHOULD NOT get the job if you don't have the experience. It's a Catch-22, and it's meant to be. The point is you have to somehow get the experience and get a job that fits your experience. You cannot assume that the cert will get you the job, although (unfortunately) it sometimes can. If the job is a little over your head but you can handle it and grow into it, that's normal. But you will get nowhere if you expect to land a job just because you have the certificate. I'm not suggesting that that's what you said, but that little conundrum you posted is a great attitude to have if you want to go nowhere fast and stay there a long time. It's certainly a great learning experience.
quote:
For 2 years experience and wnting to fo freelance which is safest option though?
What's safe? A safe option 2-3 years ago was to freelance and job hop to the highest bidder. Nowadays employers look at your succession of 3 or 6 month stints at 5 different companies and think A) you CAN'T hold a job or B) you're not loyal to the companies you work for. Got nothing to do with experience or knowledge.
Safest bet? If there actually is such a thing, it's this: Learn everything you can and everything you're the slightest bit interested in. Don't have enough hours in the day? boo hoo. Go back to college. No one said it would be easy, don't complain if it isn't. Nothing worthwhile is easy. Get it done however you can.
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Crespo24
Village Idiot
Iraq
144 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2003 : 13:23:08
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quote:
Freelance, I would guess you better know a bit about a lot of stuff.
The guys I know that freelance know .Net, COM, C++, C#, VB etc...
of course they aren't that strong at SQL. Also, I am speaking from a US perspective. We are getting more and more .Net projects. I can't remember the last time we got a VB 6.0 project.
-Chad
I think I know quite a bit and don't get me wrong... I do know VB.. alright.. VBA.. but that is really more specific to the objects of the current software that I am using.. I don't even have a bloody development sorted out yet  I am using Excel to develop the utilities they ask me to do every so often.. oh that's on top of my other mountain of data migration of course  ....
I am tempted to learn all to be honest... but the question is... Energy dedicated to MCDBA or C# etc?
I am not really sure!
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nr
SQLTeam MVY
United Kingdom
12543 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2003 : 13:28:47
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On a project you probably spend about 3 months learning (maybe 6 if you're inexperienced) - after that you're just consolidating and getting bored (and effective).
Important to find out why things go right or wrong and to learn as many techniques as possible.
There are not many ways of doing things well.
I would say don't go freelance - but work for a large company (preferably a software house) and try to work on as many new systems as possible with good people to lead you.
When you do go freelance employers will look at your track record and you probably won't be considered if you have a lot of short stints.
==========================================
Cursors are useful if you don't know sql.
DTS can be used in a similar way.
Beer is not cold and it isn't fizzy.
Edited by - nr on 03/13/2003 13:29:55 |
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Bambola
Posting Yak Master
Italy
103 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2003 : 13:37:16
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There comes a time when you've really got to face facts. I've recently renamed a server and it fubared the sql agent stuff running on it. It now thinks that the jobs I had defined are part of a master/target relationship, only there is no freakin master. I can't modify, delete, or do anything to the jobs. arrrggg. I just can't rename the server back either. It'll be fixed when I reformat that server, but christ is it annoying in the meantime. I don't have a clue how to fix it the "right" way though.
update msdb.dbo.sysjobs
set originating_server = 'new_server_name'
where originating_server = 'old_server_name'
Never tried it though.
Bambola.
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Crespo24
Village Idiot
Iraq
144 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2003 : 13:47:41
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I do work for quite a large company... well it's HUGE.... the American dudes will know it..... It's Hewitt Associates.... I've been with them for 13 months (on contract).. so I must be doing something right....
I've been working mainly on Data migration from their old system to the new one.... very frustrating.. but quite rewarding at times...
Like I said... we developed a form of batch load utility to load data from excel spreadsheets to the database etc so yes I do know VBA quite well...
Like you said... I will forget freelance for now and I will probably concentrate on learning VB (more of it), .NET in my spare time and C# which is something I really want to do.
By the way.. I also have a degree in Applied Computing (don't ask what I got though)... so I ain't that bad really. 
Thanks for all the help and advice... I do appreciate it even though I act like a n00b sometimes
but you must surely admit it... did I not bring back this place to life again?! No?
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Crespo24
Village Idiot
Iraq
144 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2003 : 13:52:56
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quote:
Ahhhh, to be 24 years old again and ask this question in all innocence... I miss it.
you are as old as nr!
Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
quote:
Not trying to be a smartass or to discourage you, but that's exactly the situation: you SHOULD NOT get the job if you don't have the experience. It's a Catch-22, and it's meant to be. The point is you have to somehow get the experience and get a job that fits your experience. You cannot assume that the cert will get you the job, although (unfortunately) it sometimes can. If the job is a little over your head but you can handle it and grow into it, that's normal. But you will get nowhere if you expect to land a job just because you have the certificate. I'm not suggesting that that's what you said, but that little conundrum you posted is a great attitude to have if you want to go nowhere fast and stay there a long time. It's certainly a great learning experience.
Man that's harsh!!!!
You've really given me confidence!
Seriously though... I thin I will be OK getting a job, but freelance is probably out of the window from what you guys say.. I think I will need to wait quite a while for that!
Damn..... I was really hoping to build my dream house by the time I am 30
quote:
What's safe? A safe option 2-3 years ago was to freelance and job hop to the highest bidder. Nowadays employers look at your succession of 3 or 6 month stints at 5 different companies and think A) you CAN'T hold a job or B) you're not loyal to the companies you work for. Got nothing to do with experience or knowledge.
Safest bet? If there actually is such a thing, it's this: Learn everything you can and everything you're the slightest bit interested in. Don't have enough hours in the day? boo hoo. Go back to college. No one said it would be easy, don't complain if it isn't. Nothing worthwhile is easy. Get it done however you can.
Well said... can't argue with that...
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nr
SQLTeam MVY
United Kingdom
12543 Posts |
Posted - 03/13/2003 : 14:45:08
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>> I've been working mainly on Data migration from their old system to the new one.... very frustrating.. but quite rewarding at times...
This is a good thing.
You get to learn two database structures and why one is better than the other (hopefully the new is better).
==========================================
Cursors are useful if you don't know sql.
DTS can be used in a similar way.
Beer is not cold and it isn't fizzy. |
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X002548
Not Just a Number
15586 Posts |
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JimL
SQL Slinging Yak Ranger
USA
1530 Posts |
Posted - 07/02/2010 : 10:10:31
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You had me going there for a minute.
I did not pay attention to the date stamp.
1st response was WTF who let that @$$ back in here.
Jim
Users <> Logic |
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Topic |
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Why I'm not a DBA
