Voice of the DBA

Author: way0utwest

  • The Certification Debate

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    Is certification worth it? I think it can be.

    Today’s editorial was originally published on Aug 7, 2007. It is being re-run as Steve is on holiday.

    Is it worth getting certified? What do you get out of it? I’ve noticed a few debates on the site, and many threads asking about the exams, preparation, and even requirements for certification. Since we’re primarily a learning site, publishing new information for you on a daily basis, the whole certified v real world experience question is interesting to me.

    I read this interview with the CEO of New Horizons and it kind of annoyed me since the guy has an inherent bias towards certifications. Most of the New Horizon’s classes are “official” classes from Microsoft designed and built to move you along the path to certification, not really to do your job.

    And make both Microsoft and the training company money.

    I have to admit that I have a bias here since I used to own part of a training company that delivers custom training in Orlando. However our intention in starting the training company was to help those with a need for SQL Server training that would teach them things needed in the real world, not just things needed to pass some test. There’s a difference and I might not feel quite the same way if Microsoft offered an SSIS certification, an HA certification, a replication certification and more. Heck, I write the QODs, granted sometimes badly , but I know there’s enough stuff to test people on in each of those areas.

    I think the idea of certification is a good one and it has the potential to really help differentiate those with the ability to perform well in a job and those that won’t do as well. However the testing has to be geared towards that and we need ways to differentiate the skills and abilities. Without some type of internships, residencies, and focus on some specialty, attaining some certification doesn’t really help. And I’m not sure that many of us know what we want to do and are willing to invest 5 years in training in one area.

    Most employers now realize that a certification, or at least most certifications, in the IT industry is one small measure of an employee’s skills. It shows a commitment for someone with experience and shows a desire to work, but not necessarily skill, for those new to an area. It’s usually a filter these days, and a low one at that, with no guarantee of employment.

    I still argue that certification exams are a good thing IF you have experience. You can use them to bolster your claim of skills and show that you care something about your profession.

    That’s if you pass.

    Steve Jones

  • Holiday

    Sort of.

    I’m off for a week to Camp Alexander near Pikes Peak for Boy Scout summer camp. My 13year old is attending and working his way toward Eagle Scout. He’s a Star scout now, and with any luck, this week we’ll get 3 more of the Eagle required merit badges and be that much closer to that amazing achievement.

    There’s no cell service, and no real Internet, so I’ll be completely out of touch for a week.

    Everyone behave.

  • Technology Guilt

    Guiltless Gourmet Bean Dip
    Do you feel guilty or not?

    I was reading a piece recently about the problems many new college graduates will face as they enter the workforce. There are less and less jobs available in many industries and a large reason for this is the advances in technology that have eliminated many jobs. Technology has made people more efficient, allowing companies to hire less staff. Or at least management thinks less staff is needed. New applications and devices have allowed self service operations for many types of tasks that might have required an employee in the past. This is a trend that is likely to continue.

    Do we just need less people working in the world? I don’t think so. For every job we eliminate, there are new opportunities that come about. Unfortunately the new openings often require different skills from the position eliminated, which means that often the person who lost the job can’t take advantage of the new opening without some re-tooling of their skills.

    Those of us in technology find ourselves moving from place to place, learning new skills and technologies easily because that’s the nature of the business. However in many other fields, it’s not as easy for individuals to gain new skills. This Friday I wanted to ask those in technology if they think about the impact their work has on others.

    Do you feel guilty about the jobs that technology eliminates?

    I used to feel that it was up to everyone to ensure they could find a new job if they lost their current one. It seemed to be a capitalist market idea that change will occur, new industries will arise as old ones die, and everyone ought to be prepared to transition to a new career. However technology seems to hasten the process, and so many people do not seem to be able to make the change quickly to a new field or a new industry.

    Or perhaps they are too slow to embrace the idea of change.

    I feel that technology has made the world better overall, and the tremendous amount of data that we capture, analyze, and use to make decisions allows the world to function better. We have room for improvement, and we certainly have security and privacy concerns, but we do need to find solutions to those problems and prepare for change in the future. We also need to make sure the next generation also understands that they will need to be more flexible and better trained then in the past.

    Steve Jones

    The Voice of the DBA Podcasts

    We publish three versions of the podcast each day for you to enjoy.

  • A Speaker’s Dilemma

    I read Eddie Wuerch’s post on cross-submissions for SQL Saturdays and found it hitting close to home. It provoked a few thoughts, and I wanted to write a little bit about what I think since it’s something I think more and more people will deal with over time.

    The idea behind SQL Saturday was to get more local events, more local speakers, and improve our industry at a grass roots level. That was Andy Warren’s vision, and it was something we strived for as we grew the SQL Saturday framework. Over time it’s evolved into something we never expected, with many speakers traveling from remote locations to talk.

    It’s also grown so much that many of the weekends of the year have multiple events. This year we have 58 events (completed or scheduled) and we have multiple collisions, including

    • 3 on Apr 21, Apr 28, Aug 4, Sept 15, and Sept 29,
    • 5 on Apr 14

    There are also plenty of weekends with two events.

    As a speaker, I like attending these events. I’ve been to quite a few, and I turn many more down because of scheduling conflicts. I try to get to 4-5 a year, and meet a lot of people. These are fun events, and I’d like to do more, but travel is hard and it takes away from other things in my life.

    When I decide to submit to a SQL Saturday, I usually start making plans to attend. I don’t book travel, but I free up my schedule, and I don’t submit to events on consecutive weeks. Traveling two weeks in a row, while it might not seem like much, is a big impact to my family, and to me.

    My method for dealing with multiple events and choices is to contact the organizers of my first choice. I don’t ask them for a favor, but I do ask if they would like me to submit and attend. I’ll give him an idea of what I am prepared to talk about and let them know that I don’t want to submit if I’m not being chosen, only because I would like to attend some event that weekend. If they decline, and I have had some decline, I thank them and contact my second choice.

    I don’t like the idea of adding in more rules, or restrictions, or even asking the organizers to work out among the various events who will get speaker X. I think it’s the burden on the speakers to make as little an impact on the organizer’s workload.