What Personality Types Are DBAs?

This post about the personality types of database administrators (DBAs) is in response to Sandra’s question.

Sandra, thank you for taking the time to tweet a number of my posts, I appreciate you

Personality types like the Jung Myers-Briggs Type are used to describe the psychological characteristics of an individual.

For example, the famous Myers-Briggs has 16 personality types grouped as: Extroversion vs. Introversion, Intuiting vs. Sensing, Thinking vs. Feeling, and Judging vs. Perceiving.

In this post, I will describe some of the personality types of database administrators (DBAs).

• Detail Oriented

  DBAs need to pay detailed attention to the performance of all their databases.

  This attention is required because production databases need to be monitored constantly for changes in performance, security holes and reliability.

  For example, if a DBA publishes a script without reviewing its performance, the production database may slow down unacceptably or even crash!

• Reliable

  DBAs have well-established work habits. They typically come to work early and leave late.They often support the production system on evenings and weekends.

  The entire organization may depend on the DBA to support and keep their databases running at all times, so DBAs have to be reliable and available especially when they are on call.

  Finally, DBAs are timely or punctual and they plan their work out into the week because they often have a routines or a series of tasks to perform on a daily or weekly basis.

• Protective

  DBAs are protective of their charge and they dislike other non-DBAS running scripts directly on their databases without their supervision.

  DBAs will go to lengths to protect the integrity of their data. They will execute manual scripts in transactions, carefully verify the results before they commit results or rollback their database operation.

  DBAs may get quite upset if someone performs an unauthorized action on their database even when that action is harmless. In other words, their database systems is protected turf or off-limits!

  DBAs take the view that if anything that can go wrong, it will go wrong … so they are always taking extra precautions or backups before making changes just in case something goes wrong on their database!

• Analytical & Handson

  DBAs are very handson and pragmatic folks who are not afraid to get their hands dirty by any chance.

  In answer to a problem, challenge or threat facing the database systems, they will often roll up their sleeves, formulate a hypotheses and start researching causes by querying log files, executing sql scripts, restoring and analyzing backups etc.

  DBAs typically review all the stored procedures or sql scripts submitted by database developers or computer programmers for compliance, performance or safety considerations.

  Imagine poring over the equivalent of 90 pages of printed stored procedure scripts on a daily basis?

• Strong Technical Mastery

  DBAs have strong technical mastery and are highly skilled at relational database design, database development, database maintenance or administration, server or network administration and programming.

  DBAs frequently have to write custom database stored procedures or scripts using languages like C/C++, Perl, Python, C# or VBScript!

While these are not all of the personality traits of a DBA, it is time to an informed guess as to the personality type of a DBA using Myers-Briggs.

The personality type of a DBA is: ISTJ Introverted, Sensing, Thinking, Judging).

Let’s take a look at what this means on the Myers-Briggs scale:

1. Introverted – likes to work alone, seeks to understand the world, prefers depth over breadth
2. Sensing – trusts facts and data, accepts the world as it is, prefers practicality
3. Thinking – is detached, logical, factual, causal, consistent and follows a given set of rules
4. Judging – gains control through planning, focuses on results

If you are interested, click here to take the Myers-Briggs personality test.

What is your personality type on the Myers-Briggs scale or any other?

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Ask IT Career Coach

Can one make a career or earn a living out of just writing SQL Reports?

Considering that there’s more to the SQL Report Writer’s job than just writing reports, the answer is yes!

The following question was posted by a report writer who is trying to get a handle on the duties, roles, responsibilities or functions of a SQL Report Writer.

Can I Make A Career Out Of SQL Report Writing?

Can one make a career out of just writing SQL Reports?

If so, do you think corporations are getting lazy by overpaying SQL Report Writers $65K+ just for writing Reports.

I develop database documents, flow charts, append revisions.. When approved i create the sql, the error checking, import required data for setup… Move on to programming … building database connections, run load performance tools (custom built).. modify tables as needed, modify documentation as needed.. bench mark the sites and move on to the next…

I failed to mention the part where i build custom reports based on the clients needs, exporting to csv/excel/data dumps for other programs/complex dump algorythms

Does the SQL Report Writer have to care about the semantics of database design or the value of the data stored?

The Job Of A SQL Report Writer

The SQL Report Writer’s role is often misunderstood as just writing reports.

The reality is that a SQL Report Writer’s job is often more involved!

The Report Writer has to know the value of the data, where it is coming from, how to get at or extract it, how to clean it and verify that it is accurate and how to present information correctly using charts, graphs, aggregates, statistical computations, etc.

1. The Report Writer’s duties includes optimizing or fine tuning slow running reports. The performance of a report may degrade over time as additional data is loaded into tables or as more tables are joined to get at the required data.

   A report may degrade in performance over a period of time or run slowly because the joins are inefficient or because the sql statements need to be optimized or because the data structures (indexes) used in the tables need to be optimized or for other reasons.

   Whatever the situation, the Report Writer is responsible for monitoring the performance of reports and taking corrective action to optimize or improve the performance of the reports when necessary.

2. The Report Writer’s job role includes reconciling discrepancies between the expectations of data managers and information presented in their reports. A report writer has to spend part of their time validating or proving to decision managers that the data presented on their results are valid or accurate.

3. The Enterprise Report Writer is responsible for writing the reports needed for different teams, managers, decision makers or departments.

   Some of the reports may use computed or aggregated columns (averages, sums or statistical computations) and the report writer has to write subqueries, nested queries and complex sql statements to present the required data.

4. The Report Writer may have to access, import, extract, transfer or load data from heterogeneous data sources (Oracle, AS/400, SQL SERVER, TEXT FILES, Microsoft Access).

   As enterprises grow, they collect data across a network of legacy mainframe applications, geographic boundaries, time zones, and corporate divisions, data warehouses and databases.

5. The Report Writer’s job description includes presenting timely, up to date or current data. This is especially important for time sensitive reports or nightly reports that need to run successfully before the day shift starts or reports that are compiled at the end of a quarter or business cycle.

   Time sensitive reports include monthly statements (bank statements) or reports that need to be printed or mailed by a certain date or reports that need to be available early in the morning for a trading / securities desk or financial / investment team.

Yes, there are lot of reasons why a company will hire dedicated SQL Report Writers and Pay them Well

This post answers a question about “Making A Career Out Of SQL Report Writing”!

If you have any Question about your career, Post IT as a comment on this page and I will be sure to answer it for you!

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The report writer as a key member of the database, sql or data analytics team is responsible for creating, validating, distributing and documenting the reports required by an organization.

Report Writers work with various types of relational databases, sql query writing and report writing tools because they need to retrieve, aggregate and present data from different databases including Oracle, SQL Server or ODBC Compliant Databases.

Since it is not practical or feasible for Report Writers to learn or master all the available database reporting tools, they specialize in a few and then learn any additional reporting tool come along on the job!

Report Writers can port report writing skills from one Reporting Platform to another because Reporting tools are based on these major components:

1. Report Writing Databases:  Report Writing Databases act as repositories of the company’s reporting data. The data needed for report writing projects may be stored in data warehouses, proprietary databases, relational databases or ODBC compliant databases.

   Report Writers usually have to create Reports based on data distributed across multiple databases or tables. Because writing all the SQL queries, sub queries, joins, aggregate queries, rollups, etc. can get quite involved, they need to have strong SQL Skills, database skills and data analysis skills.

2. SQL Queries: Report Writers have to identify the tables that contain the required data based on the reporting requirements handed to them.

   After identifying Reporting Requirements, they may have to write complex SQL queries to extract the information, trends, or patterns contained in the data. The final query is often saved for re-use as a stored procedure.

Report Writer Duties

Report Writers work closely with end-users, stakeholders or management to gather and document reporting requirements and to test or validate their reports after.

Here are some of the roles and responsibilties of Report Writers:

1. SQL Data Retrieval: Report Writers need to write SQL code for extracting, summarizing, aggregating or presenting data from one or more database systems.

2. Data Validation: Report Writers need to validate the results of their SQL Queries with the end users because of discrepancies that may exist between what the reports say and what the users expect!

3. Data Presentation: Report Writers present their results in the form of tables, pie charts, bar charts and other plots or diagrams. The data presentation duties of a Report Writer is facilitated with Reporting Tools like SQL Server Reporting Services, Crystal Reports or Microsoft Access Reports.

Report Writer Careers

Report Writers use tools that they are familiar with to retrieve data from different databases including Oracle, SQL Server or ODBC Compliant Databases.

It is important to note that a Report Writer who is skilled in one tool like SQL Server Reporting Services and strong in the essentials of relational database design, development and sql query writing can connect to most databases (Oracle, Sybase, Microsoft Access, AS 400, JD Edwards), retrieve the data to SQL Server and then write the Reports.

Since it is not practical or feasible for Report Writers to learn or master all the database reporting tools out their, all that they need to do, is specialize in a few reporting tools and then learn any new reporting tools for their specific job situation.

A skilled Report Writers can be placed in a variety of positions including:

1. Sql Server Reporting Services Report Writer

2. Ms Access Report Writer

3. Crystal Report Writer

4. PL SQL/Oracle Forms/Report Writer

5. SQL Report Writer

6. Hyperion Report Writer

7. Cognos Report Writer

8. IBM COBOL Report Writer

9. Visual FoxPro Report Writer

10. Database Report Writer

11. AS400 Report Writer

Report Writer Training – How to Become a SQL Report Writer

Report Writers may choose only one of these two training options, based on their career aspirations or job requirements.

1. SQL Boot Camp: The SQL Boot Camp provides you with all the database development and sql query writing skills needed for Report Writing jobs.

2. Data Analyst Boot Camp: The Data Analyst Boot Camp provides you with all the database development, sql query writing, data analysis and statistical analysis skills needed for Report Writing jobs.

In this article, I discussed the skill requirements, duties, roles, responsibilities and career paths available to Report Writers.

If you have any question about becoming a Report Writer, go ahead and post it as a comment at the end of this post and I will be glad to answer it for you!

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How you value knowledge tells me a lot about who you are … because knowledge capital is the most important resource in any organization.

In the digital age, what makes one employee more valuable than the next employee is simply stated … the amount of knowledge, skill, expertise, training and learning they have managed to acquire and put to use.

Now, managers are not interested in employees that know it all … only in employees that constantly put their knowledge capital to work by solving corporate problems or challenges … those employees are the gold mines in any organization.

Now, think about it for a moment, if you are a trained, knowledgeable, competent, skilled Information Technology (IT) professional, your resume would display your accomplishments, success stories, skills, training and technical mastery. And because you have all these, you can send your resume anywhere in the the world … and be instantly hired! … just because you are very good at why you do … and you can prove it!

The singular reason why you, as an IT professional may feel undervalued or wasted in your career is that for some unknown reason … you have made the unconscious mistake of not investing enough of your personal time in improving your skills!

Here is why technology or software development professionals lag behind in their career:

Managers Have A “Show Me Proof” Mindset:

Managers tend to follow a show me proof strategy .. .simply put, you have to demonstrate that you have acquired or mastered a new skill … before you will get a break or the next promotion on the job. So, your manager will pay you more money when you show tangible proof that you have learnt a new skill, you have attended a new training or course, you have mastered a new technology or software development process like UML, Use Cases, Requirements Analysis or Object Oriented Software Development.

Without tangible proof that you are constantly improving or learning … you may not only be bypassed for new or important opportunities, you will also be more likely than others to be back-burned or fired in a recession.

Adult To Adult Relationship:

Several years ago, I was hired first after college into a Fortune 500 company as a Process & Technology manager. During the employee training sessions, I heard a great word that has stuck with me throughout my career … that word is “Adult – To – Adult Relationship“.

What that word really means, is that your employer wants to forge a new relationship with you, where you are treated as partner or co-business owner even though on paper .. you are just an employee. In the light of this, your employer wants you to take personal responsibility for your career, personal development, initiative or the contribution only you can make to the company … and that is where you may miss the boat!

Taking personal responsibility for your career means that you need to sit down and draw up a career roadmap of where you want to go in the next 1 year, make a detailed career plan for achieving your career roadmap … and then follow through.

You need to specify how long it will take you to master each skill or competency needed to perform your job 1 year from now and then personally ensure that you acquire the knowledge, expertise, skills, training or experience needed.

Some employees fall off the grid at this point by making the mistake of waiting on their manager to take personal responsibility for their IT Training and skills development.

You Are Only As Valuable As What You Know:

In today’s competitive digital economy, nobody gets ahead based on their good looks or their family connections or the type of college they attended! Even if you manage to get your foot in the door by “repeating the name of your alma mater three times” at the interview or getting your dad or mum to pull some favors for you … you will only last as long as the next round of corporate cost reduction / cost cutting a.k.a downsizing / layoffs.

So, there is no getting around it, you simply have to know what you are doing or strive to be the best on your job or just simply play the sorry, loser on your team … the butt of off-handed, not so subtle remarks on the need to shape up or shape out.

So, what is a knowledge worker to do?

The Attitude Of A Knowledge Worker:

Start by recognizing that knowledge is one of the core prerequisites for wealth, personal empowerment and career advancement. Tell yourself this “without knowledge I bring nothing to the table , no usefulness to my team or manager and therefore I may not have a job … and you will being to get the big picture.

To Be The Best:

Accept the challenge to be the best … you simply must accept the challenge to be the best at what you do, whether you are a business analyst, a computer programmer, a project manager, database developer or you wear a myriad of hats on the job!

The problem with individuals who do not accept the challenge to be the best on the job is that, they constantly allow themselves to under-perform because they don’t hold themselves to a high-standard! This may be due to a poor self-image or a feeling of incompetency or a “I could never be that good” mindset.

Unfortunately, this has a way of proving itself right. If you lower the bar for yourself, you will fulfill the expectations set for under-performers or inevitably shoot yourself in the foot. The saddest part of it is that you cheat yourself by losing out on the opportunity to discover that you are in your own unique way, a gem, a virtuoso, a top performer … who can achieve just like anyone else!

Take Your Training:

You have heard it all … you are only as valuable as the knowledge you bring to your team or manager … take personal responsibility for your career development … accept the challenge to be the best at what you do … so, what next?

No one ever achieved anything much without the help of other people … that is why I’m referring you to these great resources for becoming the best, the most competent professional, the top dog and not the under dog on the job!

We are now accepting registrations for the next batch of INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY BOOT CAMPs … Early Bird Registration Discounts Are Available … Register Now And Use This Discount Code: EarlyBirdCoupon For A Special Discount

To Register for the Business Analyst Boot Camp Training … Click Here:
To Register For SQL BOOT CAMP Training (Database Developers, Data Analysts Or SQL Programmers) … Click Here
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In addition, if you haven’t already done so, read How To Learn Or Master Computer Programming Fast – Book OR How To Learn Or Master Business Analysis Fast – Book.

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Popular Programming Languages

SQL is one of the most popular programming languages. SQL is a programming language used to query or analyze data and develop databases. SQL is as widely successful as it is common in the software development industry. SQL is a language familiar to both geeks and the technically savvy business users or powers users as they are sometimes known.

Why Is SQL So Popular?

SQL is popular because it is the programming language used to manipulate relational databases. Relational databases are employed in practically every major business application, web development project or software application to store information.

So, computer programmers, software developers, web developers, data analysts, business analysts and database developers use SQL to retrieve or manage data corporate.

SQL and Database Skills

An understanding or mastery of SQL and relational databases are needed by database developers, data analysts, business analysts, computer programmers, web developers, software developers, database administrators, software testers and project management professionals.

SQL Developer Training / Database Developer Training

Our SQL developer classes for 2008 start on February 15 and we are open for enrollment from February 1. We are offering a substantial discount (more than 50%) if you register now for the online SQL or database training course now. The course fee you are getting today, is a specially discounted, limited time offer and you are not guaranteed the same price tomorrow! Note that the course fee only covers the tuition fee. You will be given a list of textbooks to order for the couse when you enroll.

Who Is The Database Developer Training For?

The database developer training is for data analysts, business analysts, software developers, computer programmers, helpdesk analysts, report developers, web developers and other professionals who want to learn or master SQL, database design, database development, data analysis, and report writing.

Data Analyst Training

The SQL training course includes “how to query databases using SQL“, “how to write both simple and complex queries“, “how to perform complex joins and subqueries” and more!

Report Writing Training

You will learn how to write reports for the data contained in relational databases.

Database Developer Training

You will learn how to normalize and design a database. You will be able to develop databases using enterprise database applications by the time you complete the training.

SQL Interview Training

You will be trained on the job interview questions and answers needed for a data analyst, report developer, database developer and SQL developer position.

How Will The SQL Training Be Done

The SQL training will be done online. This is a distance learning program, so your location or work schedule is not going to be a problem. We will walk you step-by-step through all the concepts you need to master. You will be working with the latest database development software programs … the same programs used by large organizations to store and manage millions of customers and their transactions. This is a 12 weeks online training program for the professionals who want to take their skills or career to the next level.

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