Death March

Published February 26th, 2008

In incredibly morbid title for an incredibly mundane post. I’m making this post in great part to keep me to my word - this is out there now, and I will have to admit defeat to renege.

I am underpaid and in absolutely bizarre career situation. I genuinely believe that I - abstractly - should be making more money, that I’m worth more to an organization. (I must be having a good mental day.) Not necessarily in my current job function - though I do believe that I’m just about perfectly suited to my current position. I think it’s more of a matter of “where do I go from here” - it’s not clear in my current spot.

Because of my very unusual history, I’m in a bit of a spot if I want to leave. Pretty much everything I do for my job, everything for my career, is self-taught. No one learned me PHP. No one taught me SQL, or how to use Microsoft SQL Server, or Oracle, or MySQL. No one coached me on setting up a relational database, or anything like that, or how to use javascript to hack some PHP pages for easier use by my co-workers. About the only thing I ask for constant help with is CSS, and I’m slowly starting to get it. Just like in school (which as we all know, I didn’t finish in CompSci), I’m a little slow on things. It takes me a long time to wrap my head around things. But once I do, it really starts to fall into place.

What’s my point here? A couple prongs - first, because it’s all self-taught, I really worry that I have huge gaping holes (ugh, can’t wait for the search engine hits on that….) in my knowledge. Embarrassingly big holes. And since I’ve never been coached or mentored or anything like that, I have no one as a technical reference. That’s a disadvantage if I choose to move out of my current type of job. And also because I’m so self-taught, I have no idea how to work in a team of programmers, and I honestly have no idea if I’m any good or a total hack. I have nothing to compare to! So all that really is a little disheartening, and does damage my confidence when applying for jobs. Yeah, I know PHP, SQL, how to basically use Oracle, MySQL or MS-SQL, how to set up a basic LAMP or WAMP install, how to troubleshoot, as well as knowing a gazillion assorted computery things that probably aren’t very helpful to a tech-saavy group, but are invaluable in my current job situation. And while it may take me a while to grasp some things (CSS) I really do catch on quickly if I have some coaching and examples to work with, and a specific project/goal to work towards.

So starting with the PHP Certification I just got, I feel I am committed to beefing up my credentials. And because I was able to study and pass the PHP test, I feel much more confident about my PHP skills, my learning ability and I’m more motivated to continue. Because the Oracle cert - even the very first one - was so goddamn brutal, my spirit and drive were just crushed. I simply cannot pass that test right now - I don’t have the time to immerse myself in Oracle DBA practice. I don’t use it that intensely at work and I don’t have time to really manufacture the experience. Without hands-on exposure to Oracle, you have a slim-to-none chance to pass that test. And I’m not really a big database DBA anyway, it’s just not what I do. The stuff I do with databases is much smaller-scale, but much more fluid. I make more changes to projects than any major IT group would ever allow - but that’s what I’m there for, to make things work and work now, since the smaller projects’ requirements evolve quickly. Turns out, sometimes doctors and other medical professionals don’t exactly know what they want going into a project until they’ve had time to use it and see what’s missing - in a full production environment.

Back to the main theme here - credentials. My next goal is to start getting database certifications - specifically MySQL certifications. MySQL is great because it’s low cost means it’s implemented all over the place - there’s TONS of jobs out there that look for PHP+MySQL knowledge. Right now, I can’t prove that I know enough for MySQL. But MySQL knowledge is highly applicable to any SQL database out there - it’s a very generic-style system. Oracle and MS-SQL are quirky in their own ways, but everything that’s applicable to MySQL is applicable to them as well. So I will start with the MySQL Associate Certification. This will put on my resume that I know the basic operation of a SQL relational database. I took their 10 question warm-up and got 9/10 - so that bodes well.

But wait, there’s more. After that, I want a more advanced certification. So instead of getting the MySQL DBA Certification (I only got like 2/10 on that test…) - the equivalent of the Oracle Cert - I will go for the MySQL Developer Certification. This certification is far more in line with the actual work I do - I got 7/10 on the warm-up test. A little study and I should do well. And that cert will show that I understand how to use a database in an actual, practical way.

So why this long ol’ post? I want to get these things done (it’s 3 tests, 1 for the Associate and 2 for the Developer) this year. 2008. I think I can do it, but I need to keep my motivation up and I need to be held to this plan. And that’s the hardest part. I sorta had my annual review as the PHP deadline, and I barely made it in time. That was unimpressive on my part. I should have had it sooner (though in my defense, I was busy getting frustrated with Oracle). But I can’t procrastinate and get 3 tests done - especially ones that will be longer and more comprehensive than the PHP test. March is right around the corner, and I need deadlines. And I have to make these public so my friends can guilt me if I don’t make them due to laziness.

I should get the MySQL certification guide in early March, so I should take the first test NO LATER than June 1. I should then take the 1st Developer exam NO LATER than September 1. And the 2nd Developer exam NO LATER than December 1. That’s my self imposed deadlines.

I really hope I can get it done faster than that though. Anyone want to offer me a prize for getting it all done by August 13th?

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