Need advice

[babshy]

I am an accountant by profesion but have a strong flair for everything IT. Where i worked last i also doubled as IT person in-house unofficially because of the interest i have in IT and i performed creditably well. I sort of wondering why i missed my way into accounting and not IT in the first place.

I so much developed interest in RDBMS with SQL Server and want to take certification cause on MCTS 70-433 to be precise and downloaded quite a lot of ebooks including training kits for self study, but no practical job experience. Right now am studying 'Wrox - Beginning SQL' and practising with SQL Server 2008 express edition R2.
Any advice on my chances of suceeding. Am really determined to becoming a RDBMS Pro.

[BosonMichael]

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but your chances of realistically getting a job designing or administering databases without having any real-world IT experience are extremely low. Most people get into IT and work as a tech or a programmer before eventually working their way into DBA or DBD positions, so it's a bit up the IT career ladder.

Think of a job that might be performed by accountants, but not until after they've gained a few years of experience in accounting. I'm great at numbers and statistics - I'm a Chem major and a Physics minor. But would I realistically be able to get a mid-level job as an accountant with zero experience in the field?

All that said, learning about SQL is a good way to ensure that you will be ready for the challenge when it happens. If it's something that you truly want to do, I would recommend getting an entry-level IT job and begin steering your career towards database administration or design.

[babshy]

Originally Posted by BosonMichael

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but your chances of realistically getting a job designing or administering databases without having any real-world IT experience are extremely low. Most people get into IT and work as a tech or a programmer before eventually working their way into DBA or DBD positions, so it's a bit up the IT career ladder.

Think of a job that might be performed by accountants, but not until after they've gained a few years of experience in accounting. I'm great at numbers and statistics - I'm a Chem major and a Physics minor. But would I realistically be able to get a mid-level job as an accountant with zero experience in the field?

All that said, learning about SQL is a good way to ensure that you will be ready for the challenge when it happens. If it's something that you truly want to do, I would recommend getting an entry-level IT job and begin steering your career towards database administration or design.

thanks but am not looking for IT jobs right now. I already have accountant job am employed in presently. I only want to know my chances of success in the IT field.

[Fergal1982]

Originally Posted by babshy

thanks but am not looking for IT jobs right now. I already have accountant job am employed in presently. I only want to know my chances of success in the IT field.

BM's given you your chances of success in your chosen IT field of DBA: Slim to none if you want to enter the sector and do that at the start. If you want to be a DBA, then you have to be willing to start at the entry level positions. Its highly unlikely you will be hired to be a DBA with no formal experience in the IT sector.

If you meant: "how likely am I to become any good at DBA work?", then the answer depends on your skill levels, your capability, your intelligence, and a whole ream of other factors that make it impossible for anyone to know how good you will be. I'm pretty decent with maths, how would you rate my chances of success at being an accountant? See what im getting at?

[BosonMichael]

Originally Posted by babshy

thanks but am not looking for IT jobs right now. I already have accountant job am employed in presently. I only want to know my chances of success in the IT field.

Your chances of success in the IT field depends on you. With you having no IT experience, I'd not be able to guess how you're gonna do over the next 20 years.

What are your chances of getting an entry-level IT job? The same as everyone else's, though you improve those chances by having a solid CV, getting some entry-level certifications, and interviewing well.

What are your chances of going from a job as an accountant straight into a DB job? Like I said, slim to none.