Big Data, Security, Database Management: Oracle Offers IT All
Millennials interested in starting a career with database technology and database security are in a strong position. Many employers are seeking young and talented individuals who understand the Oracle Database and how it ties into the current marketplace demands.
Oracle has more than 300,000 Oracle Database customers who have deployments across a wide variety of industries, and who use databases for many different reasons. Oracle Database enables IT professionals to deliver more information, with a higher quality of service; to make more efficient use of their budgets; and to reduce the risk of change in datacenters. As companies continue to expand globally, they need to ensure that their datacenters are always up and running.
Is your employment future uncertain after college? Becoming familiar with Oracle Database technology could put you in line for a promising career that targets industries experiencing real-world business challenges. Many companies that use the Oracle Database are eager to employ more technologists who not only know how to perform the role of a DBA, but who are passionate about learning how to solve today's critical business issues as well.
There are a number of interesting jobs available to a DBA, but three of the most highly sought after roles are those of Database Administer, Database Security Engineer, and Database Scientist. Below are descriptions which outline some of the skills that individuals seeking these roles should develop:
Database Administrator
Responsibilities of a DBA typically include database Installation, configuration, upgrade, and migration. This requires knowledge of the hardware prerequisites for an efficient database server, as well as being able to communicate those requirements. The DBA installs database software and selects from various options in the product to configure it for the purpose it is being deployed.
A DBA must also deploy new releases and patches as they are developed, as well as be able to transfer data from legacy systems to new ones. DBAs are required to perform backup and recovery for the databases they manage. They must understand the particular security model that the database product uses and how to use it effectively to control access to the data.
Additionally, a DBA is responsible for monitoring the database server and tuning it for optimal performance. When problems arise, a DBA must troubleshoot the database server and correct any issues to avoid losing any data.
Database Security Administrators and Engineers
Evolving technology has resulted in several new database security roles. Because databases centralize the storage of data, they are desirable targets for hackers. The DBA must understand the particular security model that the database product uses, as well as how to use it effectively to control access to the data.
The three basic security tasks are authentication, authorization and auditing. Database security engineers are needed who can analyze the threat potential at every level of the database structure and suggest necessary security patches. This must be done early in the development cycle, as hackers will target any security weaknesses, potentially gaining access to the system's features and data.
Other database security engineer tasks require them to interact with DBA team members to make sure security standards are implemented across all company databases, stay current on best practices that are relevant to organizational requirements and recommend and implement security standards.
Database Scientist — Big Data
Entering the Big Data realm requires an aspiring data scientist to attain multidisciplinary skills, including Hadoop, MapReduce, database, data warehouse, and streaming. Data Scientists are responsible for designing, developing and implementing data analysis, and applying data science techniques for data exploration.
A key responsibility may include conducting data analysis, research and data modeling using structured and unstructured data. Data scientists will need to be able to verify the integrity of the data used for analysis within an organization and utilizing the correct database functionality can provide them with the right framework to do this. They will need to communicate complex results in a clear manner to help organizational leaders determine the best way to utilize the data to support company goals and business growth.
Growing Into These Roles
DBAs have a lot of responsibility when managing, administering and securing an Oracle Database and the industry needs to ensure that a potential DBA is qualified to handle these tasks in support of business-critical operations. Oracle has developed a robust number of certifications from entry- to master-level credentials to help individuals both gain and verify the important skills required.
With a certification to back you up, any organization you work for will trust that you have demonstrated you can effectively use database technology to deliver high availability capabilities, backup and recovery features, bundled development tools, security mechanisms, and the overall performance needed to support growing enterprises. As newer roles come in to play, there may be additional requirements to grow your profession.
Getting ready for a career as an Oracle DBA is all about having a plan set so that you can confidently respond correctly to common questions and situations that a DBA may experience when keeping the Oracle Database running smoothly. Oracle can help you start to gain the confidence you need with a full set of recommended training courses that help you to build these skills.
With the Oracle Database 12c and 12c Release 2 certifications, database professionals have the opportunity to continually grow their careers as they gain more experience, knowledge and skills. You can choose to become an Oracle Certified Associate (OCA), then move up to the Oracle Certified Professional (OCP) ranks.
From there, you can learn more specialized skills and become an Expert in specific areas, like Performance and Management Tuning, RAC and Grid Infrastructure, or a Certified Implementation Specialist in an Oracle solution. There is even an Oracle Certified Master (OCM) level where you perform hands-on tasks to solve real-world problems in a performance based environment.
By achieving your Oracle Database 12c Administrator Certified Associate credential you demonstrate important skills DBAs need to properly execute daily operational management and maintenance. The top hiring skills employers are looking for — 12c, DBA, Database, Database Maintenance, Database Management, Oracle 12c, Oracle Associate, and SQL — are represented through a digital certification badge that is easily verifiable and can bring you instant credibility.
Once acquired, your digital badge can be shared across all social media platforms, signatures and profiles and can also be used to search for current job openings. Within your profile, you can click on the Related Jobs icon to view real time job postings by job title, country, city, state and even by salary ranges. There you will find top employers looking for the skills an Oracle Database 12c Administrator Certified Associate brings.
Not only can you view who's hiring, you can also apply for any of these jobs directly simply by clicking from within your badge. Country labor market data is available for Australia, Brazil, India, United Kingdom, United States and Canada.
What you will need to do to earn this badge is to pass two exams: Oracle Database 12c SQL exam and Oracle Database 12c Administrator Certified Associate exam. Passing the Oracle Database 12c SQL exam earns a credential on its own giving you recognition as an Oracle Database SQL Certified Associate.
Why is passing an SQL exam required in your path to becoming a certified DBA? SQL is the standard language used to communicate with a relational database. SQL query allows us to update or retrieve data. SQL can also be embedded in other languages such as Java when your application (WebApp, Servlet or simply HTML) needs to query a backend database.
Passing your Oracle Database 12c SQL exam proves you have captured the depth of knowledge and comprehension of SQL needed for data modeling and in using SQL to create and manipulate tables in an Oracle Database. Being certified proves fluency and a solid understanding of SQL language and how it's used with Oracle Database 12c.
When you take your Oracle Database 12c Administrator Certified Associate exam you will be tested on Creating Databases, Starting Up and Shutting Down, Managing Storage Structures, Managing Users and Security, Managing Schema Objects, Backup & Recovery and Monitoring and Tuning Performance. There are recommended training courses and exam prep tools available to help you along your path.
To find out more about how you can start to expand your career opportunities as a DBA by getting your Oracle Database 12c and Oracle Database 12c Release 2 certifications, visit Oracle Certification today.
