Running Head: ASSESSING A CAREER IN BUSINESS

Assessing a Career in Business

Pace McGriff
Salt Lake Community College

Business 1010
Professor Alldredge
April 17, 2015

Author Note
This term research paper was prepared in APA Style and formatting, for the e-Portfolio
Term Project assignment, for the Business 1010 class of Salt Lake Community College - Spring
2015 Semester.

ASSESSING A CAREER IN BUSINESS

Table of Contents
Job Description........................................................................................................... 3
General Career Path................................................................................................... 4
General Education Experience.................................................................................... 5
Average Salary........................................................................................................... 6
Career Outlook........................................................................................................... 6
Pros and Cons............................................................................................................. 6
Personal Interview...................................................................................................... 7
My Fit With this Job.................................................................................................. 7
Sources....................................................................................................................... 9

ASSESSING A CAREER IN BUSINESS

Assessing a Career in Business

I chose to specifically research the career of Database Administrator. For a long time in
my life I did not know exactly which career path that I would choose. Finally, after considering
many different careers, I decided to pursue a career that works with computers known as
Information Technology (IT). There are many different fields within IT, and I chose for this
paper to specifically assess the specialty of Database Administrator. I have provided research
from online websites, and a personal interview with a professional database administrator.
Job Description
To learn more about this specialty I have researched some of the day-to-day duties and
responsibilities for this career. The IT career involves integrating software applications of
computer programs, and more specifically the database administrators offer value to a variety
of businesses by designing, developing, maintaining and modifying company databases. They
troubleshoot any database problems as they arise and are responsible for disaster recovery and
conducting performance analyses. It is their responsibility to ensure the integrity of the data and
enforce any security policies, such as who has access to the data and who changes it
(LearningPath.org).
From the research I have conducted, it sounds like professionals in this career are hard
workers. For example, Database administrators who are employed in a permanent position by a
company to maintain an internal database often work full-time. Depending on the size of the
company and whether the company is international, you may be required to work swing or
graveyard shifts. For those who maintain online systems which are accessed 24 hours a day,
seven days a week, individuals are often required to be on-call when they are not in the office. If
a database malfunctions, you may work over a weekend or holiday to get it functioning properly

ASSESSING A CAREER IN BUSINESS

again. A database administrator plays an important role in a company or organization that uses a
database to keep track of information (Top Ten Reviews). Also, a professional in this job will
need to be proficient at numerous skills. Among other responsibilities, database administrators
may:

Build, maintain, administer and support databases

Keep data secure by managing access, privileges and information migration

Install and configure database management software, translate database design and
diagnose database performance issues

Install software upgrades, manage hardware upgrades and maintain computer servers

Develop backup and recovery strategies

Monitor servers to ensure capacity is not exceeded

Help devise network strategies, test systems and develop system standards

Evaluate new tools and technologies, analyze user needs and present findings to
management

Approve the purchase of new database products and services, as well as schedule, plan
and supervise their installation and testing

Provide users with training on new database software and systems

Graduates of a computer information systems program are expected to be able to:

Demonstrate advanced technical and programming skills

Apply proven principles of theory and design to build and manage a database

Implement best practices in information technology management

ASSESSING A CAREER IN BUSINESS

Determine significant features, advantages and disadvantages of various database

systems
(University Alliance).
General Career Path
A database professional may learn the basics of IT while in college, however, a company

will train them to their specific needs when they are hired. Many of the database specialists start
out in entry level positions, and they will advance into more specialized positions in the
company (Jobdescriptions.net). Not every company uses the same database platform or way of
running their business. Therefore, database administrators must be savvy in the platform on
which a given database operates, says Loretta Mahon Smith, former vice president of
communications for DAMA International, a nonprofit association for technical and business
professionals. Colleges turn out people who can build databases from a textbook, but all the
analysis and design that goes into building a database [at the business level] is hard to learn in
college. These are mostly things learned on the job, she says. Obtaining a certification for the
employers platform is critical, she adds (Hellman). As technology progresses, a professional
should keep up with the new advancements. It is important for a database administrator to
experiment with different database software programs. The database specialist is then able to
recommend the best software for a particular company. The software must be designed to meet
the unique needs of the company. This contributes to the smooth running of the organization
(Jobdescriptions.net).
General Education Experience
I know for sure that I will be pursuing at least a Bachelors degree, or eventually a
Masters degree, which will help me to be hired by an employer. I will also need to build some
work experience. Most database administrators have some type of degree. Employers prefer a
bachelors degree, but some also accept an associates degree. If a person has an associates

ASSESSING A CAREER IN BUSINESS

degree, the employer will look more closely at work experience and certifications
(Jobdescriptions.net). Because technology has been evolving so quickly, I learned that I will need
to continue my education beyond college in order to keep up with the latest advancements. There
are also specific certifications that employers look for. Database administrators are often
certified for a specific database platform, such as MySQL Database Administrator, Oracle DBA
and Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (Hellman).
Average Salary
The median annual wage for database administrators (DBAs) was $77,080 in May 2012.
The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that
amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $42,930, and the top 10
percent earned more than $118,720 (Bureau of Labor Statistics).
The wages for DBAs vary with the industry in which they work. In May 2012, the
median annual wages for database administrators, for the top five industries in which these
administrators worked were as follows:

Finance and insurance - $85,880

Computer systems design and related services - $84,550
Management of companies and enterprises - $82,290
Information - $81,800
Educational services; state, local, and private - $63,620
(Bureau of Labor Statistics).
Career Outlook
Employment of database administrators (DBAs) is projected to grow 15 percent from

2012 to 2022, faster than the average for all occupations. Growth in this occupation will be
driven by the increased data needs of companies in all sectors of the economy (Bureau of Labor
Statistics). Computer careers such as this have additional opportunities now that many systems

ASSESSING A CAREER IN BUSINESS

are housed online. Database administration is a growing field that should stay relevant for a long
time (Top Ten Reviews). The 15 percent growth rate is actually a decrease in the growth rate
compared to recent years, however, strong growth estimates and a low unemployment rate
secure this professions position as one of the best jobs this year (Hellman).
Pros and Cons
Pros: Above-average salary (median salary of $80,280 in 2014). Excellent job prospects
(15% job growth from 2012-2022). Opportunity to work with emerging technologies. Chance to
help protect vital information (financial or healthcare information). And Cons: A master's
degree may be preferred for some positions. Work experience is typically necessary for
administration jobs. Long hours are fairly common (about 25% work more than 40 hours per
week). Employers may still request MCDBA certification even though it can't be obtained
(LearningPath.org). These pros and cons are good for me to consider while assessing this career.
Personal Interview
I conducted a personal interview on April 20, 2015, with a Database
Administrator/Consultant, who has been working with Ameritas Life Insurance Corporation for
the past seven years. His name is Steve Schlosser, he is 57 years old, and has been working in IT
Administration for over 20 years. Steve said that he originally pursued a degree in Chemistry but
eventually switched to IT. He is certified in the Oracle database 7, 8, and 10 platform - which is a
professional IT certification. Steve said that he works 50-60 hours a week, and that he has six
meetings a week with other IT team members in the company. He said that his favorite part of
the job is designing and creating the environment of their companies IT database. I asked what
advice that Steve would give to me in this particular career path, and he said to become
proficient in the certifications required for this job, and to be aware of new technology that
companies are working with in the future (Schlosser).

ASSESSING A CAREER IN BUSINESS

My Fit With this Job

It took me a long time to decide which career path I would take, and I even changed my
major a few times in the process. Now, I have decided that a career in Information Technology is
the best fit for me. I feel this is the best fit for me because of these reasons: I enjoy working with
computers and advancing technology; working with numbers and data, and solving challenges
that are involved with this job. I am attracted to the fact that there is a solid job outlook in the
future, a demand for job positions, and a reasonable salary. And I will enjoy continuing my
education throughout this career by learning new technology advancements. Even though I do
not know for sure if I will become a DBA, this research paper has benefited me with more
knowledge specifically about Database Administrators.

ASSESSING A CAREER IN BUSINESS

Sources
Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2014, January 8). Occupational Outlook Handbook,
2014-15 edition. (Database Administrators) Retrieved April 13, 2015, from
U.S. Department of Labor: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-informationtechnology/database-administrators.htm
Hellman, N. (2015). Best Technology Jobs Database Administrator. (U.S. News &
World Report LP) Retrieved April 14, 2015, from US News.com:
http://money.usnews.com/careers/best-jobs/database-administrator
Jobdescriptions.net. (2015). Database Administrator and Specialist Job Description.
(Todays Growth Consultant) Retrieved April 13, 2015, from
Jobdescriptions.net: http://jobdescriptions.net/technology/databaseadministrator-and-specialist/
LearningPath.org. (2003-2015). Microsoft Certified Database Administrator Careers:
Job Description & Salary. (LeariningPath.org) Retrieved April 15, 2015, from
LearningPath.org:
http://learningpath.org/articles/Microsoft_Certified_Database_Administrator_C
areer_Profile.html
Schlosser, S. (2015, April 20). Interview with a Database Administrator. (P. McGriff,
Interviewer) Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A.: sschlosser@ameritas.com. Retrieved
April 20, 2015
Top Ten Reviews. (2015). Database Administrator. (Purch) Retrieved April 16, 2015,
from Top Ten Reviews.com: http://computer-careersreview.toptenreviews.com/database-administrator-review.html
University Alliance. (2015). Database Administrator Career and Salary Profile. (Bisk
Education, Inc.) Retrieved April 14, 2015, from Florida Tech University Online:
http://www.floridatechonline.com/resources/computer-informationsystems/database-administrator-career-and-salary-profile/#.VTKHxfnF-T8

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