Comments on: What Do You Do When Your Employer Doesn’t Want to Support Your DBA Career?

By: bradmcgehee

bradmcgehee — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:12:01 +0000

I think one of our jobs as DBA is to slowly educate an organization’s management of our importance. This is not an easy job, but one that can be done. One way to start is to put together a monthly or quarterly “scorecard” about the accomplishments of the DBA team, and share it with all those concerned.

By: Raj

Raj — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 00:20:44 +0000

It is strange how organisations/Clients, expect the best from their employees yet do little to encourage this.(with reference to training) what I find even more interesting though, is despite organisations having written policies, the policy can be conveniently waived!

Somehow DBA’s are seen as part of the machines, they administer, like a server that needs to be available 24×7
with minimal or no downtimes.

By: Tweets that mention What Do You Do When Your Employer Doesn’t Want to Support Your DBA Career? | SQL Aloha -- Topsy.com

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:06:22 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by sqlbelle, Brad M McGehee. Brad M McGehee said: Blog Post: What Do You Do When Your Employer Doesn’t Want to Support Your DBA Career? http://bit.ly/47C96n [...]

By: @sqlaj

@sqlaj — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:26:09 +0000

Brad,

Nice article and I agree with you on several points. Unfortunitely I am in a similar situation right now. We were required to submit training we wanted to attend but some how never seem to have it approved. I do my best to learn something new every day. Even if it is only reading blogs and following the #sqlpass Tweets. Something is better than nothing at all

I also agree you need to ask questions about training during interviews. Hopefully the new employer will hold true to what they tell you. I don’t mean to sound cynical but that has happened to me the past two jobs. Say one thing and do another. All the more reason to do what you can on your own.

Cheers!

By: David Stein

David Stein — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:09:30 +0000

I’d also like to point out that a DBA needs to make sure those “policies” are in writing and are not promises made during the negotiating process.

Managers often “forget” about those promises after you’ve accepted the position if they are not in writing.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:14:10 +0000

Brad,

Interesting post. I too am in the same situation with my employer. They will not allocate any funds to training for IT, considering all of us (not just DBA’s) simply as non-revenue producing overhead. I cannot even admit to opening up a book or attending an online webcast during what they deem to be the company’s time (8am-5pm).

My direct manager opposes the unwritten policies verbally in one-on-one’s with me, but refuses to pursue any changes in policy in fear of her job security.

Sadly, there are are more employers out there than many would believe. Simply considering IT as overhead who deserve no “special treatment” which is what they consider training to be.