RE: Certifications don't count!
- From: "Herring Dave - dherri" <Dave.Herring@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <Christopher.Boyle@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 12 Jun 2008 08:35:23 -0500
I've got to agree on the whole "oracle answer" vs. "real world answer". I
received my 8.0 certification as part of helping a large group of DBAs get
theirs. I found that I could tell what the OCP test questions were looking
for, even though I knew in the real world the OCP answer wasn't the best
option, at least in our environment. I ended up teaching a course to all these
DBAs on how all of what they learned in the process applies to our environment
(you know, Oracle's 5 row EMP to DEPT queries vs. multi-billion row table
joins).
So if I can summarize this thread correctly (and the previous thread on
OCP/OCM, and the previous one to that, ...):
1) Some recruiters and managers only look at certification for hiring.
2) Some people are great test takers and can get certified with little to no
experience.
3) Some people are poor test takers or don't bother with certification yet are
great DBAs.
4) Some people lie about certification (either including it or hiding it).
5) In the end, you need your interviewers to be as good at what they do
compared to the DBAs at what they do, to get the people you really need for the
job.
Personally, I never go off a script when interviewing DBAs. Instead I have
them walk thru their listed experience and try to force them to give details.
That always leads to interesting questions, answers, and hypothetical
situations that usually uncovers the DBA's skills and viability for the
position in question.
Dave
___________________________________
Dave Herring, DBA | A c x i o m M I C S / C S O
630-944-4762 office | 630-430-5988 wireless | 630-944-4989 fax
________________________________________
From: oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Boyle, Christopher
Sent: Thursday, June 12, 2008 7:58 AM
Cc: oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: Certifications don't count!
I am sure we all know someone that 'earned' their certification without
touching a database just as I am sure we all know fantastic DBAs that aren't
certified. . I got my certification VERY early in my career. This was a good
thing because the tests are looking for the book answers. As I progressed I
learned how to do the same task in more than one way but those newly learned
methods would have been 'wrong' answers for the test. From my experience an
experienced oracle DBA or Application developer would have a much more
difficult time passing the test for that reason. Also from my experience
having the certification qualified me to be considered for some jobs that I
otherwise would not have been. I still had to go to an interview and prove
that I actually know what I am doing.
Quite frankly, if you are basing a hiring decision on a single factor then you
deserve what you get
________________________________________
From: oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Helen Mitchell
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 5:29 PM
To: strickland.mark@xxxxxxxxx
Cc: oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Certifications don't count!
I also am certified and am passionate about being a DBA. After ten years of
being a DBA both in both Production and Development environments, I am still
happy in my current job.
Helen
From: oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Mark Strickland
Sent: Wednesday, June 11, 2008 12:05 PM
To: dreveewee@xxxxxxxxx
Cc: dannorris@xxxxxxxxxxxxx; dbvision@xxxxxxxxxxxx; oracle-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Certifications don't count! (from a good test-taker)
I'm certified AND I'm passionate about being a DBA. However, I'm becoming less
passionate about doing Production Support in a high-stakes, high-stress
environment. Probably happens to a lot of us sooner or later. I figure that
after nearly 15 years doing production support, I've probably got just a few
more years left in me. If I could do SQL tuning, er uh, I mean optimization
all day, I'd be happier than a pig in, well, what pigs are happiest in. Just
innocently putting that out there. I'm happy in my current job and not
looking. Just expressing a desire.
Mark
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