More career advice - Oracle/PeopleSoft

[cerebus]

Hey, I'm in a situation where I'd appreciate some input from those who have gone before.

Firstly, my background. I'm not really qualified in anything (English degree - take note prospective humanities students), and I've definitely suffered as a result. But through time I've managed to get into a line of work which seems to have a good direction, is related to my degree, and I'm in a great working environment. I still don't earn a great deal but I can support the family on it if I supplement a bit with extra work.

Now my father is an Oracle/PS/RDBMS architect, and as it happens a bit of an expert in his field in the USA. He got chatting to me and offered quite sincerely to teach me what he knows. I can learn from him, and then get an Oracle certification and just continue in that way. So far from what he shows me I think I can get my head around it, and he really is very good at teaching and wants me to succeed.

So it presents me with a dilemma. Firstly, it's a TOTAL detour from my current direction - but obviously a more lucrative career. However I'm not super young - mid-30's, and already needing to support a family. I don't know if I can afford to go bottom-rung again, even for a couple of years till I get the experience.

Secondly it will require a fair amount of dedication. Am I setting myself up for too much? I already do supplementary evening work on some evenings a week - very ad hoc. This will mean having really no free time. But I'm prepared to make the sacrifice if it can pay out.

Thirdly I told my friend and his response was "Isn't Oracle a bit 90's?" So is this stuff outdated, is it relevant?

Your feedback welcome

 

[foozball3000]

Oracle is pretty good. And seeing as you have an expert to show you the ropes, and might even hook you up with contacts, that's a good route to go. Think about this.. then you'll have one job to support everything and even go forward. But at your current pace, if your expenses spike a little, you're in trouble.

So, one step back to take two steps forward is a good way to go.

 

[cerebus]

Oracle is pretty good. And seeing as you have an expert to show you the ropes, and might even hook you up with contacts, that's a good route to go. Think about this.. then you'll have one job to support everything and even go forward. But at your current pace, if your expenses spike a little, you're in trouble.

So, one step back to take two steps forward is a good way to go.

I wouldn't say I'm in trouble if expenses go up. We always have options. My wife can work if need be, and I can ALWAYS pick up more supplementary work, there's no shortage of that, rather than the drips and drabs I do now. It also won't be more than a couple years before I'll be looking at another salary bump from where I'm at now. It's just... it's a fairly niche and not highly technical arena, versus Oracle which is lucrative and technical.

Thx for the advice.

 

[hellfire]

Oracle is still a very relevant company, and produce very relevant technology. So your friend was wrong.
You also won't necessarily have to start bottom rung - you could go into a support function as opposed to a development/architecture function thus using your background as well as your knowledge of Oracle (there is nothing worse than an HR or Finance employee that actually doesn't understand the business).

 

[I.am.Sam]

if you can get someone to show you the stuff and teach you then you good to go

exams are quite cheap ..doing the courses are very very very expensive

how good is your dad

me and you can have a class cause i need to learn more

 

[Maverick Jester]

Have you measured up if it is financially feasible being paid a "bottom-rung" Oracle DBA (as an example) salary vs. your current one? I would assume that you have though...

Another question though- what is your primary motivation for considering this move?

 

[cerebus]

if you can get someone to show you the stuff and teach you then you good to go

exams are quite cheap ..doing the courses are very very very expensive

I see, thanks.

how good is your dad

Well according to him, he's one of the very best architects in the US.

me and you can have a class cause i need to learn more

You want in? He asked if I had a 'partner' to do the studying with. We could perhaps talk.

You also won't necessarily have to start bottom rung - you could go into a support function as opposed to a development/architecture function thus using your background as well as your knowledge of Oracle

That is very useful to know. In fact my organisation uses PS as a 3rd party vendor and has devs and support in-house. It might even be possible to move internally then?

Have you measured up if it is financially feasible being paid a "bottom-rung" Oracle DBA (as an example) salary vs. your current one? I would assume that you have though...

No, this is what I don't know. I do know that an experienced DBA earns much more than I do now.

Another question though- what is your primary motivation for considering this move?

2 reasons: 1) To support the family in a way that we can be comfortable in a normal, not scrambling to meet the month's finances kind of way. 2) I am a technically-minded person and I have been floundering for years to get a handhold on what I can do. I've started courses of study and been stymied by practical issues that came up.

 

[Maverick Jester]

No, this is what I don't know. I do know that an experienced DBA earns much more than I do now.

This might be of use to you.

2 reasons: 1) To support the family in a way that we can be comfortable in a normal, not scrambling to meet the month's finances kind of way. 2) I am a technically-minded person and I have been floundering for years to get a handhold on what I can do. I've started courses of study and been stymied by practical issues that came up.

Fair enough. Do you have a timeline set out to achieve this? Or rather- is the timeline you expect for this to be completed in line with what you can manage (time wise and financially)? I think an important factor here is what your backout plan will be should things not go as you want them to.

Just on the age thing- I think you are in a great position to make this switch. By the time you are 40, you should have settled into your role and this is the age where I feel that you should really solidify your career.

 

[cerebus]

Fair enough. Do you have a timeline set out to achieve this? Or rather- is the timeline you expect for this to be completed in line with what you can manage (time wise and financially)? I think an important factor here is what your backout plan will be should things not go as you want them to.

Timeline again I'm not sure on. I can dedicate probably 10-15hrs a week on the PC doing practical lessons, and another 5-10hrs of reading. That's in line with my capacity and personal situation.

I would HOPE to be taking an exam in a year, give/take. Is that realistic? The finances of it - well, we'll muddle through as a family and maybe get help for the exam if need be, but I can manage something. It's the adjustment from one payscale to another that concerns me.

If things don't go as planned I've still got this job. It's not going anywhere and it has room to grow.

Just on the age thing- I think you are in a great position to make this switch. By the time you are 40, you should have settled into your role and this is the age where I feel that you should really solidify your career.

Thanks.

 

[grok]

Lots of people in Oracle, myself included, started the way you want to. Learning from your dad is a good opportunity but Oracle is huge, so you don't have to sardine yourself into a specific field you're not really enjoying.

 

[I.am.Sam]

yeah oracle is huge and best to see what companies use it and what they use

and yes cerebus if i can learn with someones help i will be intesrested

i do have notes for database learning and dashboard creation so if you want just shout

 

[cerebus]

Okay I wanted to update this since things have moved on from August when I posted the thread.

I undertook a self-study course in Oracle SQL as the first level. I'm still having to balance that in between working 2 jobs and commuting enormous amounts and all the other things that my life throws at me, but I finished the reading part and I decided to do another passthrough to be confident to take the certification test.

But in the meanwhile I got called up for a position in my field where one of the requirements was - booyakasha - Oracle SQL. Sat the interview and they made me an offer the next day that I'm accepting. It isn't an enormous salary spike but it will be enough to ease up on the second job nonsense and focus on my studies. My intention is to take the certification track as far as it's still relevant to me. I'm not sure why it took me so long to figure out that the key was to just find a way to advance my learning by whatever means I had available.

 

[Cius]

Well done! Sounds nice. Also, people don't always need to completely change careers to make money. Its normally in the intersection of a few skills that you are good at that one finds a lucrative niche. Best person who explained that skill mix and how it applies to careers is Scott Adams here: Career Advice

Seems to me you could pick up a valuable package by being in the literary world and understanding it while also having valuable technical skills. Just a thought.

 

[hellfire]

Okay I wanted to update this since things have moved on from August when I posted the thread.

I undertook a self-study course in Oracle SQL as the first level. I'm still having to balance that in between working 2 jobs and commuting enormous amounts and all the other things that my life throws at me, but I finished the reading part and I decided to do another passthrough to be confident to take the certification test.

But in the meanwhile I got called up for a position in my field where one of the requirements was - booyakasha - Oracle SQL. Sat the interview and they made me an offer the next day that I'm accepting. It isn't an enormous salary spike but it will be enough to ease up on the second job nonsense and focus on my studies. My intention is to take the certification track as far as it's still relevant to me. I'm not sure why it took me so long to figure out that the key was to just find a way to advance my learning by whatever means I had available.

Congrats! nice to hear some good-news feedback

 

[I.am.Sam]

congrats ...while im still sitting here doing the same schit

i really have to wake up

and yes as long as the company can provide as well for your training then you in the jackpot

 

[senyetse]

I also studied in a completely unrelated field but made the change to IT during my last year. Been a developer for almost 13 years, I'm very glad I did because I love it now and I'm not complaining about the salary. The problem was that I was never exposed to IT as my parents were never interested and we never had a computer in the house. Ironically, it was at university that I was exposed to computers and decided to do a short course in programming. Now I'm back to studying again to keep the old skills up to date.

Anyway, best of luck and hope you enjoy it!

 

[cerebus]

Well done! Sounds nice. Also, people don't always need to completely change careers to make money. Its normally in the intersection of a few skills that you are good at that one finds a lucrative niche. Best person who explained that skill mix and how it applies to careers is Scott Adams here: Career Advice

Seems to me you could pick up a valuable package by being in the literary world and understanding it while also having valuable technical skills. Just a thought.

Thanks that's a great article. I've also been coming to similar conclusions recently. I just don't see myself as a pure technical architect type of guy. It would drive me crazy. I'm a fantastic public speaker and writer and it would feel like a loss to forego all of that and try to restart my whole life.

congrats ...while im still sitting here doing the same schit

i really have to wake up

and yes as long as the company can provide as well for your training then you in the jackpot

Well, I think you just have to start even if you only have a vague idea of what you want to do. That's what I'm doing. I still can't see far ahead, just moving on instinct. So long as I'm moving.

 

[Maverick Jester]

Okay I wanted to update this since things have moved on from August when I posted the thread.

I undertook a self-study course in Oracle SQL as the first level. I'm still having to balance that in between working 2 jobs and commuting enormous amounts and all the other things that my life throws at me, but I finished the reading part and I decided to do another passthrough to be confident to take the certification test.

But in the meanwhile I got called up for a position in my field where one of the requirements was - booyakasha - Oracle SQL. Sat the interview and they made me an offer the next day that I'm accepting. It isn't an enormous salary spike but it will be enough to ease up on the second job nonsense and focus on my studies. My intention is to take the certification track as far as it's still relevant to me. I'm not sure why it took me so long to figure out that the key was to just find a way to advance my learning by whatever means I had available.

Well done, glad to hear that... I'm sort of in a similar boat, pending the invite for an interview...

 

[zippy]

Okay I wanted to update this since things have moved on from August when I posted the thread.

I undertook a self-study course in Oracle SQL as the first level. I'm still having to balance that in between working 2 jobs and commuting enormous amounts and all the other things that my life throws at me, but I finished the reading part and I decided to do another passthrough to be confident to take the certification test.

But in the meanwhile I got called up for a position in my field where one of the requirements was - booyakasha - Oracle SQL. Sat the interview and they made me an offer the next day that I'm accepting. It isn't an enormous salary spike but it will be enough to ease up on the second job nonsense and focus on my studies. My intention is to take the certification track as far as it's still relevant to me. I'm not sure why it took me so long to figure out that the key was to just find a way to advance my learning by whatever means I had available.

Grats, there is a shortage of good Oracle skills in just about every country. Get some experience, 2+ years. Holding a certification will put you at an advantage.

 

[cerebus]

Grats, there is a shortage of good Oracle skills in just about every country. Get some experience, 2+ years. Holding a certification will put you at an advantage.

Yeah I intend to go the certification route now. But I'm not 100% sure if I'll move totally into a technical oracle sphere. I'm just not sure at this point, playing it all by ear.

Spoke to my boss and had the resignation talk. It was taken gracefully, but it was a very hard talk to have. This has been relatively a very good environment to work in.