WINGED

A friend is looking at doing a Traineeship in Database installation, and he wants to know what it involves, or what it is?? what would be a good career in computers that does not involve programming???

FORDXR

Database installation.

I can’t see how you can install or implement a Database with out programming knowledge.

Venom XR

The computerised world revolves around the old database. Guys who go for specific database careers (Oracle certification, etc) can be reasonably well paid, but I personally find that aspect of the work to be boring.

Is the traineeship just database installation, not analysis & management? Installing a database doesn't require much more than whacking on some database software and contructing database tables, assuming the database model has already been defined (is this too techy?) The real work involves analysis/design of data models that become the database, or management of database clusters, especially now with storage networks becoming more mainstream.

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WINGED

i have an opportunity to get a traineeship in database installation and con*****tion. Do you think it would be better to do a traineeship or go to tafe and study Computer Systems. Im currently enrolled in the tafe course but have not yet started, and today i was offered the traineeship, but im not sure exactly what it involves. Or wether to do it or not!!!

Venom XR

Uni always looks better on a CV, but TAFE is usually good for hands on stuff. It's not a common IT area to focus on, so that's an advantage. Traineeships are good from a 'get paid and learn now' perspective, but depends who it's with and what it involves ultimately.

__________________
The Internet is so big, so powerful and pointless that for some people it is a complete substitute for a life. - Andrew Brown

FORDXR

Take the traineeship up over Tafe (u cant beat hands on)

I have many mates who wasted years at Tafe and UNI with computers where first year out of school I started to learn UNIX programming and database construction (no UNI OR TAFE Help 4 me) and here I sit earring good money and driving my Series III XR8 with more work then I know what to do with.

Where my mates are still going to TAFE no dam smarter then when they started.

WINGED

Just a few quick questions to FORDXR
If you dont mind me asking, what are you doing??
did you do a traineeship or just get a job??
Because i am not too sure if experience with databases will get me jobs in other aspects of computers, such as hardware and networking???

3Toed

Heya WINGED. Computers are a specialised field. I'm a systems administrator and therefore I look after the network infrastructure - the server hardware, operating systems, network hardware, maiking sure email flows and that people can log in OK, etc... I work for a software company and apart from applying the license code I know sweet FA about the products we sell.

You need to know what you want to do in computers and learn that. I get the impression that you're young. Are you in school or just left? Do you like mucking around with computers? If so, what do you like doing? Focus on what you like doing and apply that to what you want to do for a job. I remember one of my report cards from school saying, "Andrew should focus on software application rather than software hacking." hehehehe. I always liked to tinker and that's why I do what I do now.

As for whether to go with a traineeship or TAFE, that depends on what you want to do. I think employers regard experience (especially in a given product) over formal education. That said, employers also recognise that you are disciplined enough to sit through a course and pass it. Especially the industry certifications like Venom XR said. If you have certification in Microsoft, Cisco, Oracle, SAS, or whatever and you are going for a job that utilises those skills then the employer will recognise that you've studied for and passed the relevant axams.

At the end of the day when you're competing against others for a position you'll need more than what the other people have. Get educated, get a job, then get experience, then get the job you want and then (most importantly) keep your knowledge up to date. There's no use being certified in a product that's 2 versions old when the rest of the world is using the current version.

You might have to start in a job that you don't really want. My first job was installing MacIntosh's. I pestered the network guys to tell me stuff and I learned stuff that way. I also learned other important things that have nothing to do with computers such as working in a team, working by myself, working in an office environment, interacting with people, etc.

Go for it dude!

WINGED

Its not me its my partners brother im a plumber and have been for 5 years.
He wanted some advice so i said hey there is heaps of comp hippies on FF why dont you ask them.

Thanks for your advice it was very helpful.

FORDXR

As 3Toed Said

Computers are funny things you have what it takes or you don't and also what 3Toed said about software hacking if you don’t enjoy playing around with computer don’t expect to enjoy working with them and yea most IT ppl are really dull and its not the best environment to work in, but if you do enjoy it you can get a lot out of working with computers.

In no way em I implying that your partners brother should change his high schools webpage into a porn server or change his grades even thou the shit software that is used by so many public schools (oasis) is just asking to be hacked :-)

PS It was never proved that I had anything to do with my schools web page being turned into porn server.