Just been benched...in time to retrain for December?

[JaybeeInCUK]

Hi all, SQL DBA for umpteen years but had enough of agents asking me for Dev skills I don't have (and I've been a DBA long enough to remember when we didn't have to create code!) and screwing me ever further down on rates, so going to hit the books on RS/IS (as well as a damn good brush-up on T-SQL). All this should take about 2-3 weeks, and wanna aim for about the 400/day mark.

Questions:

1) Good idea, businesswise?

2) Is December totally dead? I could batten down the hatches until Feb but I'd rather be generous with friends/family this Christmas;

3) If #2 is a "Yes!", any of you lot take non-IT work to fill in bench time? What kind? (just not pulling pints, please!)

[northernladuk]

Hi all, SQL DBA for umpteen years but had enough of agents asking me for Dev skills I don't have (and I've been a DBA long enough to remember when we didn't have to create code!) and screwing me ever further down on rates, so going to hit the books on RS/IS (as well as a damn good brush-up on T-SQL). All this should take about 2-3 weeks, and wanna aim for about the 400/day mark.

Questions:

1) Good idea, businesswise?

Adding extra skills to your portfolio is always a good idea. Are they marketable and bring you contracts is another thing. You have read some books. This does not give you industry skill and expertise that clients need. Unless you are very liberabl with your cv (i.e. lie) you are going to struggle against the guys with 10 years doing exactly this. Shouldn't stop you though, you only need one lucky break. Go for it but don't pin your entire future on it from day one.

2) Is December totally dead? I could batten down the hatches until Feb but I'd rather be generous with friends/family this Christmas;

It is potentially one of the worst months yes but doesn't mean it is completely dead. There is still work out there, just a bit of a dip. It could be that guys finishing now may not want a contract until after xmas so roles still out there. If you don't apply I you will definitely get nothing

3) If #2 is a "Yes!", any of you lot take non-IT work to fill in bench time? What kind? (just not pulling pints, please!)

Fill bench time by learning your skills and applying for jobs. Even if there are no roles at that minute it can't do any harm loading CV up to sites, mailing them to agents, getting your linkedin sorted.

Even in a quite month it isn't that bad you shouldn't apply. If you don't get the job at least the client/agent knows you for when they do appear next year.

[nomadd]

Hi all, SQL DBA for umpteen years but had enough of agents asking me for Dev skills I don't have (and I've been a DBA long enough to remember when we didn't have to create code!) and screwing me ever further down on rates, so going to hit the books on RS/IS (as well as a damn good brush-up on T-SQL). All this should take about 2-3 weeks, and wanna aim for about the 400/day mark.

Rule number one of contracting: Do not fight the market.

If the agents are telling you that being a bog-standard DBA is not worth much in this market, then heed their advice. Get some dev skills, and not just db stored-procs. Get a bit of Java or C#. Basic DBA work has mostly moved offshore for plenty cheapness (I know, I did 10 years of Oracle DBA'ing, and that market has now been decimated by Injuns.)

I always use some of my bench-time for re-skill. Never done anything else work-related outside IT in my bench-time; it's always worked out financially better to do the re-skill, rather than waste time on another job. Your situation may be different, though.

[d000hg]

What's RS/IS, not come across that?

If you do T-SQL, do you also know, or can learn, PL/SQL? That could be a good stepping stone between DB and coding since PL/SQL is much more like 'real' coding (why I like it!)

[TheFaQQer]

From SQL DBA, I'd look to move into eBusiness Suite DBA within Oracle. Get a public sector role which requires security clearance, and there's a reasonable amount of work at good rates.

I'm not a DBA, but being security cleared with a DBA certification means I get agents ringing me about doing DBA work in those kind of environments.

[Spacecadet]

What's RS/IS, not come across that?

If you do T-SQL, do you also know, or can learn, PL/SQL? That could be a good stepping stone between DB and coding since PL/SQL is much more like 'real' coding (why I like it!)

RS = SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS)
IS = SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)

Back to the OP 2-3 weeks is going to give you the basics but then you'll be competing with proper SQL Devs like myself who know this stuff inside out and have been using it since it came out. For £400pd clients want someone who's done it before not just read a few books. Unless you have specific industry experience you'll be starting at the £300 mark

[Rabotnik]

What's RS/IS, not come across that?

If you do T-SQL, do you also know, or can learn, PL/SQL? That could be a good stepping stone between DB and coding since PL/SQL is much more like 'real' coding (why I like it!)

RS = Reporting Services
IS = Integration Services

Should really be abbreviated SSRS and SSIS.

[JaybeeInCUK]

Rule number one of contracting: Do not fight the market.

If the agents are telling you that being a bog-standard DBA is not worth much in this market, then heed their advice. Get some dev skills, and not just db stored-procs. Get a bit of Java or C#. Basic DBA work has mostly moved offshore for plenty cheapness (I know, I did 10 years of Oracle DBA'ing, and that market has now been decimated by Injuns.)

Don't I know it!! Just to clarify, do you mean, 'Get some dev skills, PLUS Java or C#, or do you mean 'Get some dev skills, IE Java or C#? If the latter I was already planning on boning up on the 20 most common JS commands.

I always use some of my bench-time for re-skill. Never done anything else work-related outside IT in my bench-time; it's always worked out financially better to do the re-skill, rather than waste time on another job. Your situation may be different, though.

Well, my record is quite spotty in that I have fallen back into Permie-land on more than one occasion, (doubtless in part due to the lack of demanded skills) but I've never been faced with the decision whether to tough it out over winter or not, I imagine come December not even the paye cheapskates will want to hire.

[JaybeeInCUK]

RS = SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS)
IS = SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS)

Back to the OP 2-3 weeks is going to give you the basics but then you'll be competing with proper SQL Devs like myself who know this stuff inside out and have been using it since it came out. For £400pd clients want someone who's done it before not just read a few books. Unless you have specific industry experience you'll be starting at the £300 mark

Cool, what kind of projects are you working on these days? (Christ if I were talking out loud I'd sound like a ****ing agent!!!)

[Spacecadet]

Cool, what kind of projects are you working on these days? (Christ if I were talking out loud I'd sound like a ****ing agent!!!)

Data warehousing, although I've been doing that since 2005 (so hardly "these days" )with an 18 month gap to work on a migration project.

Its worthwhile adding Analysis services to that list of stuff to learn