June 6, 2017 at 2:42 am
Dear All,
I am currently working as a database support engineer form last 5+ years but i am little bit confused which role is best and easy Sql Developer or Sql DBA? and i also love to work in sql.
I want career in sql profile but confusion is that what is easy and best (Sql Developer or Sql DBA) and what is best for my profile please suggest me ?
June 6, 2017 at 3:20 am
I wouldn't say any one of them is "easy" or "best".
Go down whichever path you find yourself orienting to, I would say.
Its more important to be very good in the area you choose to work in than pick one because it's perceived as easier or the "better" career path.
June 6, 2017 at 4:11 am
Sir,
but i am confused in witch line is best some friends told me for DBA and some friends told me for sql developer
June 6, 2017 at 4:42 am
Both are valid options, go with whatever you enjoy more.
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
June 6, 2017 at 4:48 am
Sequel_Lover - Tuesday, June 6, 2017 4:11 AMSir,
but i am confused in witch line is best some friends told me for DBA and some friends told me for sql developer
I bet the friends that told you DBA was best were DBA's and those that said developer was best were developers.
The only career path that is best is the one that interests you the most. I started off as a BI developer but quickly realised that the DBA element interested me more and started to learn more and more about that. I now work in a a kind of hybrid role, my day-to-day job is BI developer but we're currently in the process of preparing for a full upgrade of all our servers so I'm wearing my DBA hat most of the time.
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June 6, 2017 at 7:00 am
it entirely depends on what interests you...
for me it breaks down like this; I enjoy performance tuning, and making sure databases run smoothly and as efficiently as possible... and in a perverse way corruption can be interesting (when not in production environment). Therefore I'd prefer dba.
however, I am also required to provide BI reporting, and whilst this is interesting I find this more pressure as the demand from managers/directors is a lot higher. What they see in their mind, is never what they tell you, and is never what they want to see!!! There is a lot more dialogue and interpretation involved, and some development cycles can be very laborious. Having said that, the end product can be something special.
It entirely depends on how you get your kicks... neither is easy if it's done properly, but both are great fun and interesting.
June 6, 2017 at 7:12 am
Well any role is easy if you don't care about the quality of your work.
June 6, 2017 at 7:17 am
No matter which path you choose if you want to be good at your job you will need to dedicate a portion of your free time to study and practice your craft. So ask yourself which of those areas you're willing to work on in your space time. Do you like writing T-SQL code or would you rather study SQL Server internals? If you're not sure then study and practice both and see which one interests you more.
June 6, 2017 at 7:37 am
Most of the statistics and information out now is saying anything developer related is churning more value than those purely operational (i.e.: ensuring backups happen, performance tuning, installing servers, etc). This is because a lot of the operational type jobs, which used to be pretty standard for a DBA, are becoming more automated and or outsources to third-party companies. Thus, a lot of skillsets have shifted towards development than purely operational, even on the DBA side. It's not uncommon to find a DBA these days who is both the DBA and SQL Developer because of that value change as the industry grows.
I personally would lean towards anything Developer focused with data. If that was a DBA for an organization, then I would be the DBA. If it's a SQL Developer for another, then I guess I would be a SQL Developer. Titles don't matter as much as what you are doing to learn, gain experience and most importantly, enjoy doing.
June 6, 2017 at 8:13 am
My job title is DBA, but I do both DBA work and developer work (both database and software).
It really depends on what the company is looking for. I've read about some companies where the DBA even has some IT related duties. I fit into that role, but in a very limited manner. I try not to touch much on the IT related duties unless I have to.
The above is all just my opinion on what you should do.
As with all advice you find on a random internet forum - you shouldn't blindly follow it. Always test on a test server to see if there is negative side effects before making changes to live!
I recommend you NEVER run "random code" you found online on any system you care about UNLESS you understand and can verify the code OR you don't care if the code trashes your system.
June 6, 2017 at 8:47 am
xsevensinzx - Tuesday, June 6, 2017 7:37 AMMost of the statistics and information out now is saying anything developer related is churning more value than those purely operational (i.e.: ensuring backups happen, performance tuning, installing servers, etc). This is because a lot of the operational type jobs, which used to be pretty standard for a DBA, are becoming more automated and or outsources to third-party companies. Thus, a lot of skillsets have shifted towards development than purely operational, even on the DBA side. It's not uncommon to find a DBA these days who is both the DBA and SQL Developer because of that value change as the industry grows.I personally would lean towards anything Developer focused with data. If that was a DBA for an organization, then I would be the DBA. If it's a SQL Developer for another, then I guess I would be a SQL Developer. Titles don't matter as much as what you are doing to learn, gain experience and most importantly, enjoy doing.
I strongly agree with this and, even before it started to happen, will state that being a DBA while being relatively ignorant of T-SQL wasn't a real good combination even a couple of decades ago. I've personally very much enjoyed being a "Hybrid" DBA and started working on developing both system related and code development (T-SQL) skills from the git.
I'll also tell you that it takes a certain mindset, a tremendous love for the job and the data and, if you actually want to do it right, takes a lot of self drive, determination, and extra study time . I'll reiterate a bit and suggest that you concentrate on becoming a bit of a Ninja in T-SQL and performance tuning as a "major" in your studies with a strong "minor" in traditional system DBA things and then go for your second "major" as a system DBA to complete the "hybrid" package that so many are finding valuable now.
Also, a word on certifications. If done correctly (you actually do the work and achieve the understanding), they can help your career. Just keep in mind that they are not the end-all-to-be-all any more than college is in various walks of life. They mostly qualify and enable you to learn more about it all.
--Jeff Moden
June 7, 2017 at 12:14 am
I agree that you should go down the path you like and you will succeed. However, it depends on what you look for. If you look for just having a job, I think DBA has more openings.
I am a developer but I have worked as DBA too. In general, DBA positions require trust, you must be trusted to be put in a DBA position just as for network engineers. There is less a question of trust with developers. I think to be good, one must know both. Good developers must know admin's stuff and good DBAs must know developer's stuff too. I don't think that the DBA's position is easier than the developer's position, but I think it's easier to find job as DBA than developer just as it's easier to find a programmer job than an engineer job, supply vs demand.
June 7, 2017 at 6:14 am
Another thing to consider. As a production DBA you will most likely have to be on call. 3am calls... weekend calls. Maybe you're in a big company and you get to rotate that duty. But in a small company if you're the only one then it's on you. As SQL Developer I never have to deal with emergencies anymore. Everything I do is custom projects were everything is scheduled. No emergency late night or weekend calls. I have had to do some code upgrades during a weekend but that was scheduled in advance. I do like a lot of the DBA stuff but I hate the emergency issues more so I prefer the developer work. Maybe there are some production DBAs out there that don't have to deal with that. If so, I'd love to hear about it.
June 7, 2017 at 6:32 am
More and more we're seeing the successful companies move into a DevOps approach. The jobs, DBA & Database Developer, are congealing some. I wouldn't worry too much about the title and instead focus on the work. Neither path is "easy" though. Both require quite a bit of knowledge and skill to become highly paid and sought after. Have two resumes. One that shades a little more DBA and the other that shades a little more Database Developer, depending on the role you're applying for. The skills needed to be good at either job are roughly equivalent with some degree more server knowledge needed as a DBA and some degree more code knowledge as a Database Developer. Biggest and most important thing for either job, learn and focus on automation. Try to automate yourself out of a job. You won't be able to because the more you automate, the more work you'll be given, but that's a great thing.
----------------------------------------------------The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood... Theodore RooseveltThe Scary DBAAuthor of: SQL Server 2017 Query Performance Tuning, 5th Edition and SQL Server Execution Plans, 3rd EditionProduct Evangelist for Red Gate Software
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