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 Before life as a DBA...

Author  Topic 

nathans
Aged Yak Warrior

938 Posts

Posted - 2008-01-13 : 15:55:38
I worked as a cook for the world famous Ribline [url]http://www.ribline.com/[/url] I lived on baked beans and cornbread all through college

What about you guys? In my experience, the jobs we held early in life are more defining and influential than any of our "real world" adult jobs.

dataguru1971
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

1464 Posts

Posted - 2008-01-13 : 17:18:06
I was a golf pro at a country club.

So instead of solving imaginary problems for people who thought they had money, I am now solving problems for people who think they understand data. Not really much of a difference in my experience LOL.



Poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.

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tkizer
Almighty SQL Goddess

38200 Posts

Posted - 2008-01-13 : 19:05:31
Before becoming a full-time DBA, I was a student worker in the DBA team. My work experience only goes back two more years before that when I was a student worker in the District Attorney's office (doing data entry). Both student worker jobs were for the County of San Diego. I was fortunate enough to work with a previous classmate whose mother knew the manager of the DBA team. When they found out I was looking for an IT job, I laterally moved departments but it was the beginning of my career.

Tara Kizer
Microsoft MVP for Windows Server System - SQL Server
http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/tarad/
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jezemine
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

2886 Posts

Posted - 2008-01-13 : 23:30:40
I am not a DBA. Just a mere dev that knows some SQL.

before doing software professionally I was a physicist in this research group: http://www-heller.harvard.edu

before that I was a machinist/instrument maker at my dad's machine shop, and then later at the physics machine shop at the University of Washington.


elsasoft.org
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eyechart
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

3575 Posts

Posted - 2008-01-14 : 01:01:24
bartender. i think about going back to that every day that I'm on call..



-ec
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elancaster
A very urgent SQL Yakette

1208 Posts

Posted - 2008-01-14 : 03:42:07
i was a professional musician for about 15 years. only started working in IT when i decided to start getting up in the mornings

Em
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ditch
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

1466 Posts

Posted - 2008-01-14 : 03:49:03
For extra cash while I was in High School - I worked behind the counter at a KFC outlet .

Then I did my (In those days) - Compulsory national service (Artillery) - then on to studying and my first job in Accounts - from there I moved on to IT.


Duane.
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spirit1
Cybernetic Yak Master

11752 Posts

Posted - 2008-01-14 : 03:51:07
quote:
Originally posted by eyechart

bartender. i think about going back to that every day that I'm on call..

-ec



and chances are that you'd be making more money bartending

i was doing programming all through college... did some construction work in high school... but that's about it.

_______________________________________________
Causing trouble since 1980
blog: http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/mladenp
SSMS Add-in that does a few things: www.ssmstoolspack.com <- new version out
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eyechart
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

3575 Posts

Posted - 2008-01-14 : 04:07:32
quote:
Originally posted by spirit1

and chances are that you'd be making more money bartending





ouch! I don't know about that, but I was probably a little happier. It's a lot easier to explain to people what you do when you tend bar, and there were more women around as well.

thats it, i quit..


-ec
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spirit1
Cybernetic Yak Master

11752 Posts

Posted - 2008-01-14 : 04:41:21
coctails & dreams

_______________________________________________
Causing trouble since 1980
blog: http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/mladenp
SSMS Add-in that does a few things: www.ssmstoolspack.com <- new version out
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RickD
Slow But Sure Yak Herding Master

3608 Posts

Posted - 2008-01-14 : 04:47:31
I was a cabinet maker, got bored of it, a bit like IT at the moment I guess.
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SwePeso
Patron Saint of Lost Yaks

30421 Posts

Posted - 2008-01-14 : 05:00:59
Not a professional DBA. Yet.

I started out as college math teacher. Turned IT about 1992. Still here.



E 12°55'05.25"
N 56°04'39.16"
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jaybee
Yak Posting Veteran

72 Posts

Posted - 2008-01-14 : 07:31:19
NT Admin for a year or so, before that Sales rep for a firm of Printers. I'm leaving the industry a little later this year for greener pastures, but I'll leave an instance of SQL running on my pc for the memories... :)
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henrikop
Constraint Violating Yak Guru

280 Posts

Posted - 2008-01-14 : 08:12:28
I sold kitchens, and before that turned into a half greek and worked in Greek restaurants serving. IT is a perfect place to make money if you have no education.

Henri
~~~~
There's no place like 127.0.0.1
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jackv
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

2179 Posts

Posted - 2008-01-14 : 08:13:23
Prior to becoming a SQL Server DBA , I worked as a Java Programmer and prior to Java I worked as a meat packer

Jack Vamvas
--------------------
Search IT jobs from multiple sources- http://www.ITjobfeed.com
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TG
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

6065 Posts

Posted - 2008-01-14 : 10:59:35
Here is my Ted Baxter "It all started at a 500 watt station..." speech:

After a few odd jobs during and after high school I did 16 years of cabinet and furniture making. The last 9 of which I was self employeed. I got my first computer to be able to generate invoices, statement, proposals, and drawings, etc. By the time I got all that implemented including a little job cost system (dbase III+) I realized I was having more fun doing that then the real work I was supposed to be doing. Plus that nifty job cost system allowed me to realize that I was only earning about .12 cents an hour

I'm not working as a DBA but as a developer.

Be One with the Optimizer
TG
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Michael Valentine Jones
Yak DBA Kernel (pronounced Colonel)

7020 Posts

Posted - 2008-01-14 : 11:19:05
Some of the ones I can remember: Truck driver, farm worker, construction worker, painter, building maintenance, plumber’s helper, furniture maker, sales clerk, jewelry maker, computer operator, developer, sys admin, project leader





CODO ERGO SUM
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spirit1
Cybernetic Yak Master

11752 Posts

Posted - 2008-01-14 : 11:29:47
so that's the road from truck driver to project leader... wow

_______________________________________________
Causing trouble since 1980
blog: http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/mladenp
SSMS Add-in that does a few things: www.ssmstoolspack.com <- new version out
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dinakar
Master Smack Fu Yak Hacker

2507 Posts

Posted - 2008-01-14 : 11:41:12
wow..amazing how you guys can do construction work and become DBA's..ofcourse its probably harder to go the other way..
I've never done anything other than programming.. .. I wish I had some outdoor experience like you guys..

Dinakar Nethi
************************
Life is short. Enjoy it.
************************
http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/dinakar/
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X002548
Not Just a Number

15586 Posts

Posted - 2008-01-14 : 11:53:27
I ran a cafe overseas....Rick's as I recall



Brett

8-)

Hint: Want your questions answered fast? Follow the direction in this link
http://weblogs.sqlteam.com/brettk/archive/2005/05/25/5276.aspx

Add yourself!
http://www.frappr.com/sqlteam



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JimL
SQL Slinging Yak Ranger

1537 Posts

Posted - 2008-01-14 : 12:00:58
Went from being a mainframe computer operator to a US Army Ranger and then a IT Administrator. I just keep getting confused on fix their problem or kill them.


Jim
Users <> Logic
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