MySQL, vendor-neutral database certifications - worth pursuing???

[jaynonymous]

According to this link, it appears that MySQL is going to release a database administration certification program soon. Also, a vendor-neutral group known as Team Database is going to release a vendor-neutral database administration certification.

I am relatively new to database administration. So far my focus has been on Oracle and Microsoft. Anyone know much about MySQL? I know it is open source, but is it worth learning? I would like to hear input from people regarding the validity of these certifications. Seems like it will be good for people to display their knowledge of MySQL, or of the concepts of database administration in the case of the Team Database certification. I am currently working on learning Java and trying to get up to speed on programming concepts. As an extension of that I am trying to learn database concepts. Any input would be appreciated.

 

[jaeger66]

AFAIC, the only certs worth having are MCSD and MCAD(which you get by default with the MCSD). The qualities that make a good DA or DBA don't really have much to do with software.

 

[jaynonymous]

Originally posted by: jaeger66
AFAIC, the only certs worth having are MCSD and MCAD(which you get by default with the MCSD). The qualities that make a good DA or DBA don't really have much to do with software.

So you don't think that it is worthwhile to display knowledge of a particular software package by getting certified? Then why get MCSD certified? To elaborate on your point, knowing a development environment isn't really relevant to whether a person is a good programmer, right? Therefore, the MCSD certification, given your opinion, is also not worth having. A good programmer will be good at most any language, regardless of the letters behind their name. My argument is that certifications help display SPECIFIC knowledge to employers. For example, MCSD certified people, no matter how good they are at programming VB or C++, etc, may not be the best people to hire if they have no experience with COBOL and I am looking for a COBOL programmer.

 

[StageLeft]

Well I would say it's worth having but not unless you already have some more used database certs first. YOu said you've used oracle and Microsoft so how about getting certified in those? I see way, WAY more jobs that mention sql server than mySql so I'd recommend getting certified in Sql Server 2k first.

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

Originally posted by: jaynonymous
According to this link, it appears that MySQL is going to release a database administration certification program soon. Also, a vendor-neutral group known as Team Database is going to release a vendor-neutral database administration certification.

Maybe I'm nit-picking, but how can you get a "vendor-neutral" database administration certification? Is this supposed to be a SQL programming test? Aren't there some significant differences between the major DB package SQL syntaxes? I've worked in both Oracle8i and SQL Server 2000, and often times the syntax is noticeably different. Older Oracle versions were very package based - though with newer versions they are moving away from this. Doing seeminly simple tasks like trying to execute dynamic SQL was a pain in the ass with pre-Oracle8i.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: KnightBreed

Originally posted by: jaynonymous
According to this link, it appears that MySQL is going to release a database administration certification program soon. Also, a vendor-neutral group known as Team Database is going to release a vendor-neutral database administration certification.

Maybe I'm nit-picking, but how can you get a "vendor-neutral" database administration certification? Is this supposed to be a SQL programming test? Aren't there some significant differences between the major DB package SQL syntaxes? I've worked in both Oracle8i and SQL Server 2000, and often times the syntax is noticeably different. Older Oracle versions were very package based - though with newer versions they are moving away from this. Doing seeminly simple tasks like trying to execute dynamic SQL was a pain in the ass with pre-Oracle8i.

Yeah they are different - I know sql server at least uses transact-sql which isn't the ansi(?) standard.

 

[jaeger66]

Originally posted by: jaynonymous

So you don't think that it is worthwhile to display knowledge of a particular software package by getting certified? Then why get MCSD certified? To elaborate on your point, knowing a development environment isn't really relevant to whether a person is a good programmer, right? Therefore, the MCSD certification, given your opinion, is also not worth having. A good programmer will be good at most any language, regardless of the letters behind their name. My argument is that certifications help display SPECIFIC knowledge to employers. For example, MCSD certified people, no matter how good they are at programming VB or C++, etc, may not be the best people to hire if they have no experience with COBOL and I am looking for a COBOL programmer.

Your COBOL example isn't really accurate. A skilled programmer can learn a new language in a few days. And you cannot pass an MCSD exam without knowing how to program well. Not just in a particular language, but in general. If you are certified in MySQL, however, it doesn't really tell me if you can normalize my data.

 

[jaynonymous]

Originally posted by: jaeger66
Your COBOL example isn't really accurate. A skilled programmer can learn a new language in a few days. And you cannot pass an MCSD exam without knowing how to program well. Not just in a particular language, but in general. If you are certified in MySQL, however, it doesn't really tell me if you can normalize my data.

You may be right about the COBOL example. I was just trying to explain that many companies do not want to train employees immediately. When they hire someone they want them to go to work immediately. Furthermore, I disagree with your statement that you cannot pass an MCSD exam without knowing how to program well. I would argue that they are many bad programmers out there who are MCSD certified. However, there are also many GOOD programmers who are MCSD certified. My point is, I am not yet convinced that the MCSD is any more valid than MCDBA or OCP, etc. I do, however, think that the MCSD is a valid certification, and in fact plan to pursue the certification as I progress in my knowledge of programming and programming languages. But, I also feel that the MCDBA and OCP certifications are valid. Again, I want to make the argument that if I am going to hire someone to manage my database and all else being equal, I am most likely going to pick the person with the certification (emphasis on all else being equal). It displays that they care enough about the product to learn the finer (and sometimes useless details). To me, it shows an extra commitment to the work.

I agree with you completely that certification in MySQL doesn't necessarily mean you know how to manage a database. The original intent of my question was to find out if MySQL is worth learning, regardless of the certification. As I previously stated, I have been using Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server now for a little over 6 months. I do not have any experience with MySQL, but have heard about MySQL and just wondered what people thought about it. I was also wondering if anyone out there was planning on pursuing the MySQL certification, and if so, why.