At the beginning of the 21st century, databases play a key purpose in all our lifestyle and activities. Most people never consider it, but in reality significant amounts of our activities are noted and filed on various 'databases'. The whole of our country's economy is run on information from databases. Records such as share-values, bank documents and property records are all indexed upon sophisticated databases, & though clearly we can still retrieve a lot of this detail on paper, electronic digital records are much more straightforward to get hold of. Each and every time you shop with a credit card or a store loyalty card, you include another piece of information to that Database. Your buying patterns are recorded so retailers can provide you with 'loyalty' promotions for items you are likely to be buying - for instance, if you've been purchasing cat-food, you may well be given a special price for cat insurance. Just about all garages (and the police force) make use of the DVLA's vehicle registration database to get the precise details of any auto or truck etc. documented on the system. London's congestion charging system, and the Govt's road-tax avoidance scheme also use this information, by means of the road cameras that we spot almost everywhere.

Oracle and SQL-Server from Microsoft are the main database-systems in the world today. Oracle is a more mature system that is still used on large-scale installations, although SQL-Server is a lot more well-known now in regular commercial environments; 'SQL' has become the 'de facto' norm for Databases on the internet. Microsoft has incorporated SQL Server technology in to each of the MS programming languages and platforms - making it a natural preference over 'Oracle' where database training is concerned. The previous Database program Microsoft Certified Database Administrator ('MCDBA') has recently been replaced with the Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) & the 'Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist' (MCTS). Even though SQL Server 2008 is now beginning to develop some foot-hold, the existing prevalent commercial edition of MS SQL Server is 2005, and its this version which is included in the MCITP DBA qualification. To be able to gain the full 'MCITP' certification, various 'MCTS' modules must be done first.

With 'databases' actively playing such a big part in modern-day society, exactly what form of employment can be found that pertains to them? There are two important careers if we consider Databases from an I.T. point of view. The first entails the formation & building of the software that Databases operate on, and the second entails the administration work required to work with the information kept on them. The term 'DBA', or 'Database Administrator', is a well known 'acronym' applied throughout the I.T. industry. Medium size to large organisations must employ DBAs in order to supervise the day by day functions of the databases they're running. They'll deal with the processes which have an affect on the data, such as 'security' & back up, & work with management to provide reporting - so that the company can employ that intelligence to perform better. They will also be aware of the Database 'language' of 'SQL' ('Structured Query Language') - pronounced 'see-quel' - which provides a 'standardised' way of interrogating a database for the intelligence needed.

If you're beginning in this business, then it would be smart to preface your Database study with some software-support instruction. In addition to getting a useful insight into a second area of the business, this will give you a qualification for you to get going in the IT industry. Have a look at the Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician ('MCDST'). Your complete career training track of 'MCDST', 'MCTS' & MCITP could be finished in about a year if you're learning in your spare time around your job. As with any specific career track though, we advise you to consider very carefully prior to deciding on your options. You need to be certain that the training techniques and the chosen vocation are going to be good for you, so talk things through with an established IT training advisor first. If you do not focus totally on exactly where you intend to get to, you might find yourself miles off track & many hundreds of pounds worse-off!

The typical characteristic of a database-administrator or Developer is someone that is incredibly precise, is very well disciplined & thorough, and can work efficiently either by themselves or as part of a small team. The job regularly will involve presenting to senior management, & so confident communication skills are expected. Database Management is a very important occupation, as security needs more and more vigilance within this field of work. Managers look for individuals with integrity that they can rely on implicitly, and certain businesses will in actual fact expect you to have security clearance before giving you a position. Workers from business & accountancy backgrounds can become excellent 'DBAs', and quite often the job is a stepping stone to a rather more advanced career in the organisation's hierarchy.

If you are keen on the development side, Microsoft supply the 'MCITP' DB-Developer certification. It will take care of a lot of initial design, rationalisation & set up of databases, but it doesn't seriously stretch to full Database programming. If you are looking into Database programming you really should go to the more appropriate programming web-pages on this site. To tell the truth, there is generally a more significant desire for the Administrator side of things from both students & employers. Then again if you would like to become a developer, then our suggestion is always to plan the DB-Developer qualification in to a more complete bundle of programming training. As each year goes on, it's best to also consider taking the 'MCTS' certification in 'SQL' Server '08.

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