Administration

Fsck your ``satori" bullshit. I don't care how young you were when you coded that ANSI C compiler in C. I just want to be a Database Administrator and make a living, being smart without requiring genius-level mental capabilities, and trying to have the least amount of stress as possible. Is that so wrong?

What is the best way a college freshman might go about accomplishing this? Should I even worry about anything dealing with job opportunities now, or should I just wait until I'm in my Junior year and have completed the core curriculum of calc, physics, C programming, and the like?

Read SICP

Is that so wrong?

so wrong?

wrong?

wrong

WRONG

Read SICP, you ... you ... DOUBLE ANTICUDDER

>>4 = /v/irgin
We don't want your kind around here

I don't care how young you were when you coded that ANSI C compiler in C.
12

>>1
YHBT, again

>>4
Get out.

>>5
>>8
The funny thing is, to actually understand that meme and Identify it means you two are both, in fact, /v/irgins also and should therefore promptly GTFO of /orog/

>>1
being smart without requiring genius-level mental capabilities
Satori has no requirements other than faith.
read SICP.

>>9
Unlikely. Keep trying.

>>9
/orog/

>>1
I think you mean CHKDSK.EXE your ``satori'' bullshit.

I just want to be a Database Administrator
and trying to have the least amount of stress as possible
um, you do know who's at fault when the shit hits the fan about data loss or downtime in a corporate setting, right?

>>14
Oh, that will never happen.

>>9
To be fair, /a/ also imported that meme. One doesn't have to go to /v/ to know it.

>>14

Generally that doesn't happen often, but yes that sucks when it does happen.

But i'd think it's worth it, right? Considering how the rest of the time pans out. Do you have any better suggestions for a better job?

>>17

You can sort books at a library.

>>18
Yeah; today, when I was at the school library to get a copy of SICP for my friend, most of the books were in a big mess. Without thinking much, I quicksorted them.

>>18

because you can make such a great living off of that amirite?

>>20

No. Just so you can be close to SICP all day.

>>21
I have a copy sitting on my bookshelf and the eBook on my computer(s).

>>22
I have a 13 copies sitting on my bookshelf and the eBook on my Apple Newton.

>>23
I don't.

>>24
GTFO.

>>17
No, it's not just "it sucks when it happens", it means you need to have your shit together on a moment's notice when things do to account for it, and have your shit together in preventing it from happening.  When stuff like that goes down, there is no just shrugging it off and making it go away, it's a reflection on your usefulness to the company and whether or not you know what the hell you're doing.

Speaking as someone who actually works for a living, good DBAs are incredibly hard to find. Then again, few DBAs I know bothered to major in CS.

>>26

Obviously you need to know your stuff. But isn't that true for any occupation? I'm learning a lot now and studying, and will continue to study even after college, so that I will know my shit. Thus, when the ``shit hits the fan" (no pun intended ;), I'll be able to fix it because that's my job that i've been preparing for.

Even still, the rest of the time should be much easier than some other jobs, no? Plus, it isn't as if databases go down every day, especially if you get to design them and do a good job of it. That's what I meant

>>27

As a DBA, what do you think getting my degree in CS would get me in that regard, then? (anything other than just 'knowing my shit'? Is the quality of DBA's these days really that low?)

>>28
As far as getting a degree goes: if you want to work for a cool company, they'll go "Oh, huh, a BS in CS. But can you do DBA stuff? Do you have experience?"; for a lame company, "ooh, a piece of paper! Sure, we'll hire you!"

And yeah, the quality of them suck. Most people who have the technical ability to do DBA usually prefer to do something "more interesting". (This is also why there are so few Really Good windoze admins out there: it's rare to both 'be clueful' and 'be willing to deal with windows bullshit'.)

FWIW, there's an awful lot of idjut programmers out there, too.

>>29
The real question is, how do you find the cool companies?

>>29

Fair enough. BTW, I'm planning on getting my Masters (my uni has a BS/MS program, so 5 years masters, why not amirite?), and I'm trying to set myself up to have internships every summer, or at least some relevant work experience at school so that I have relevant work that I can put on my resume each and every year (plus it helps pay for college of course).

Hopefully that will help me out in the arena of getting jobs, although I might change my mind after I get though the first 2 years of "core classes" with all the math and physics and such and can specialize. DBA just looked good to me due to job security (since companies can't really have people overseas deal with their important information) and it looked like a fairly laid-back job for most of the time (sans OSHI- THE Db JUST DIED). I don't really know if I might change my mind to specialize in something else after I get the core grunt work done, I'm still looking around for what's good, especially if I'm getting my MS

>>30

I dunno, Google?

>>30
Pure luck, sometimes contacts, sometimes just throwing yourself out to every opening you can find and only bothering to pursue what looks cool.

>>30
grep

>>30

Startups are usually a good place to start. Lack of a corporate culture is generally a good thing, amirite?

>>34
Startups are generally the hardest to get into.  They're generally formed by people who already know each other, and take a bit before they start hiring other non-menial positions.

>>35
Well, maybe you do need to have contacts to find a cool job?

Other than startups, what are important qualities to look for in an organization?

Also, would you guys recommend going to or staying away from any particular companies/corporations? How's Google, or Red Hat, or IBM? Is it worth looking for employment in the Government for certain positions like DBA/SysAdmin? etc etc

>>37
Oh, go away.

>>38

NO U

Having worked for a startup or three: they're definitely a mixed bag. They often do interesting stuff - but they also often expect 10-12 hour days, have super-egotistical people in them, and have a 90%+ chance of folding.

The best way to get a job with a cool company? Social networking. The best jobs I've gotten have been through somebody I knew (directly or indirectly); the worst have been for complete unknowns.