> 
> Hello Ari,
> 
> I enjoyed your Web site!  I was wondering if you might have a moment to 
> offer some free advice.  I have just graduated with a MS in MIS and 
> work at a small software company as a QA Engineer.  We develop and 
> application in Smalltalk and C++ that is the front end to an Oracle 
> database where we store our information and configuration info.  I 
> really love working with Oracle and we periodically have an Oracle 
> consultant in to help us do installations on various platforms, and 
> tuning, etc.  Myself and a developer are responsible for most of the 
> Oracle maintenance here also.  
> 
> My question is this:  How can I become Oracle certified (my company 
> will not spring or sanction this as we may be abandoning Oracle) and 
> what advice do you have for an Oracle DBA wannabe?  I am just beginning 
> in the field and would like to know from an expert what route will best 
> take me where I want to go.
> 
> Thanks very much for your time and for any advice!
> Cheers,
> Stacy Gray
> 
> 
> Stacygra@execpc.com
Hi Stacy....

Getting Oracle certified is a difficult process. I know skilled people that
failed the test. It usually requires 1-2 years of varied Oracle experience.

For sample tests, see Oracle Press's "Advanced Oracle Tuning" book, which has
about 150 test questions and answers. Other options are to download Personal
Oracle from the internet (www.oracle.com) so you can get experience installing
and using Oracle at your home.

Of course, I would recommend getting my books, especially "Oracle8 How-To" which
is coming out this week. There are dozens of easy-to-follow examples and
explanations from beginners to experts.

Two other ways to learn are to sign up for training, and/or go to Oracle
conferences. There is one coming up in May (Orlando - International Oracle Week)
and in September (San Francisco - Oracle Openworld). There are speeches,
technical sessions, training, and personal networking. Also, you can usually
take the certification test on-site.

Best of luck!


-Ari Kaplan
Independent Oracle DBA Consultant

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