All our everyday activities are now extensively recorded on Databases. You may not be familiar with a lot of it, but you will find many actions you perform each day are documented, filed and stored in a number of ways. The sum total of our economy is managed with information from Databases. Files like share-values, bank documentation and property information are all indexed upon sophisticated Databases, & though plainly we can still retrieve most of this detail on paper, digital records are infinitely less complicated to access. If you use a credit or debit card to make a payment, the information is documented on a Database. If you've ever wondered why you suddenly started getting discounted coupons for dog food from your supermarket, the chances are you purchased some goods that suggested that you, more than likely, own a dog. The DVLA's car registration database is used everywhere; go into a car service area & ask for a part - and they'll be able to tell you the precise make and model from the vehicle registration number. This database is also employed as the foundation for the congestion charge in the Capital and to establish Road Tax avoidance, by working jointly with the cameras that adorn our streets.

It's a good idea if you are just starting out to begin your career-track with a training course in software-support. You will gain a few lower-level accreditations to start your career, and discover more about connected sectors within the industry while doing so. The 'MCDST' ('Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician') is quite suitable in these circumstances. If you then follow this certification with the 'MCTS' & the 'MCITP', you'll have a whole career track that should more often than not take around five hundred hrs to do. Don't get under pressure to make the right decisions on the best career-track by yourself though. Talk to a reliable advisor with practical experience of the profession first, in order to make sure your selected career will be interesting, and your learning style matches the style of training. Begin with the result in your mind; failing to follow this one simple guideline has cost many students significant amounts of cash and lost time.

The characteristic profile of a Database Administrator or Developer is somebody who is incredibly precise, is well-disciplined and methodical, & can effectively work either by themselves or as part of a smallish team. They frequently talk with higher or senior managers, and so require professional communication skills. Security is becoming an ever growing dilemma as a large amount of highly sensitive information is recorded and held - making database jobs highly responsible. A very high standard of personal ethic and professional trustworthiness will be required - and in a number of areas you will be asked for some sort of security-clearance. Those who have recently worked in business 'processing' or accountancy typically do very well in database Management. Many 'DBAs' achieve successful promotions to higher office since they inherently build their business management skills.

We've demonstrated that 'databases' undoubtedly are a key aspect of the life we live, so what sort of careers are there within this sector? There are really two important sectors if we take 'databases' from an I.T. mind-set. Designing & constructing the databases - & the actual software that manages & accesses them; and administering them - as well as building reporting-systems which use the data. The Administrator position is much more sought after - in industry a 'Database Administrator' is more frequently referred to as a 'DBA'. A DBA will generally be employed by a mid-size or larger company, & manage the every day operations of a certain Database. They'll manage the systems which impact the information, including 'security' and back up, & interact with senior management to produce reporting - to ensure the organisation can make use of that 'intelligence' to perform better. They will also have an understanding of the database 'language' of SQL (Structured Query Language) - pronounced as 'see-quel' - which provides a standardised way of interrogating a Database for the information required.

Globally, the most commonly used database systems are Oracle & MS SQL Server. 'Oracle' is an older system still used on large scale installations, but 'SQL' Server is much more prevalent now in standard business-environments; SQL has become the 'de-facto' standard for databases on the internet. Needless to say, as SQL Server is owned by Microsoft, the organisation has built it into all its platforms & programs. For those looking to become commercially accredited therefore, its the obvious route to take. The MCITP ('Microsoft Certified IT Professional') and 'MCTS' (Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist) programs have superceded the previous 'MCDBA' ('Microsoft Certified Database Administrator') certifications. Despite the fact that 'SQL' Server '08 is beginning to gain some foothold, the existing prevalent commercial edition of MS SQL Server is 2005, & its this release that features in the MCITP DBA qualification. In accordance with a number of MS's other accreditations, a number of 'MCTS' modules precede the final MCITP.

If you're keen on the development side of things, then Microsoft supply the 'MCITP' DB Developer certification. It will include more of the initial design, rationalisation and set-up of databases, although doesn't really extend to full database programming. If you're looking into database programming you should go to the appropriate programming pages on this web-site. All in all, there's a much larger focus from students & employers alike on the administration of databases. If you are exploring the Developer track, it makes much more sense to take that qualification as part of a Programming career-track. It may also turn out to be more useful to you in time to take an additional 'MCTS' in the SQL Server 2008 version.

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