Career paths related to DATABASES
Welcome everyone!
We know that databases are a crucial part of modern life. So creating, handling, and managing databases has become an important aspect in modern days. In this article, I’m going to discuss a few career paths related to databases. Those are,
- Database Administrator
- Database Designer
- Data Engineer
- Database Programmer &
- Database developer
So without further ado let’s jump into the first job role.
Database Adminstrator
Job Role
Database administrators (DBAs) are the ones who use specialized software to store and organize data. Their role includes capacity planning, installation, configuration, database design, migration, performance monitoring, security, troubleshooting, as well as backup and data recovery.
Main Responsibilities
Following are few of key responsibilities of a DBA.
- establish the needs of users and monitor user access and security
- monitor performance and manage parameters in order to provide fast responses to front-end users
- map out the conceptual design for a planned database
- consider both back-end organisation of data and front-end accessibility for end-users
- refine the logical design so that it can be translated into a specific data model
- further refining the physical design to meet system storage requirements
- install and test new versions of the database management system (DBMS)
- maintain data standards, including adherence to the Data Protection Act
- write database documentation, including data standards, procedures and definitions for the data dictionary (metadata)
- control access permissions and privileges
- develop, manage and test back-up and recovery plans
- ensure that storage and archiving procedures are functioning correctly
- carry out capacity planning
- work closely with IT project managers, database programmers and multimedia programmers
- communicate regularly with technical, applications and operational staff to ensure database integrity and security
- commission and install new applications and customise existing applications in order to make them fit for purpose
- manage the security and disaster recovery aspects of a database.
Average salary in Sri Lanka
In sri lanka, typically a Database Administrator earns around Rs.250,000 per month.
Database Designer
Job Role
database designers are responsible for producing and designing a detailed data model of a database, including all necessary logical and physical design elements.
Responsibilities
The following are the primary responsibilities of a database designer.
- Determine purpose of database.
- Gather information that will be recorded in database.
- Divide information into tables.
- Turn information into columns.
- Specify primary keys.
- Set up table relationships.
- Refine and enhance design.
- Apply normalization rules to ensure tables are structured correctly.
- Make adjustments as necessary.
- Follow W3C programming standards to address accessibility guidelines.
- Develop structural design of various systems, applications, and databases for custom database-driven website.
- Coordinate information systems with program objectives.
- Code, document, and test programs.
- Create data migration/conversion techniques for system conversions or upgrades.
- Assist organizational members and clients with database-driven websites, network, database, and application training and technical support.
- Assist staff with internal systems, applications, and databases, including developing procedures, forms, and other organizational tools.
Average salary in Sri-Lanka
The salary range for the majority of Database designers is from LKR31,205.74 to LKR163,105.83 per month.
Data Engineer
Job Role
Data engineers are mainly tasked with transforming data into a format that can be easily analyzed. They do this by developing, maintaining, and testing infrastructures for data generation. Data engineers work closely with data scientists and are largely in charge of architecting solutions for data scientists that enable them to do their jobs.
Responsibilities
- Create and maintain optimal data pipeline architecture,
- Assemble large, complex data sets that meet functional / non-functional business requirements.
- Identify, design, and implement internal process improvements: automating manual processes, optimizing data delivery, re-designing infrastructure for greater scalability, etc.
- Build the infrastructure required for optimal extraction, transformation, and loading of data from a wide variety of data sources using SQL and AWS ‘big data’ technologies.
- Build analytics tools that utilize the data pipeline to provide actionable insights into customer acquisition, operational efficiency and other key business performance metrics.
- Work with stakeholders including the Executive, Product, Data and Design teams to assist with data-related technical issues and support their data infrastructure needs.
- Keep our data separated and secure across national boundaries through multiple data centers and AWS regions.
- Create data tools for analytics and data scientist team members that assist them in building and optimizing our product into an innovative industry leader.
- Work with data and analytics experts to strive for greater functionality in our data systems.
Pros and Cons of Being a Data Engineer
There some advantages and disadvantages of working in data engineering. Working as a data engineer will open up a lot of job offers and increase contributions towards satisfying the big data needs of the company. The job offers plenty of room for exploration, allowing the data engineer to interact with a wide variety of data coming from different sources and expand their knowledge base. Other advantages include a peaceful work environment, good salary and increased opportunities for career growth. The disadvantage of being a data engineer is that they may work very hard but fail to get the desired results within a considerable amount of time. Big data tools are still emerging, which might make it difficult to mine, analyze and monitor data properly. The job can also be boring, especially if the data engineer is the type of person who loves to interact with people.
Database Programmer
Introduction
Database programmers are responsible for maintaining and updating computer programs and databases, and writing new code as requested or required. This role has an emphasis on MS Access, Visual Basic, SQL, and the manipulation of Microsoft Office products to extract information.
Job requirements
Database programmers need to be logical and capable of solving complex problems, with well-developed reading skills and a desire to constantly upgrade their knowledge. The Occupational Information Network (ONET) also notes that computer programmers often display a pronounced ability to order or pattern items according to a set of rules.
Database Developer
Job Role
Database developers are the ones who ensure that database management systems (DBMS) can handle massive quantities of data. Developers usually work as part of a software development team
Responsibilities
The following are the main duties that are done by a database developer.
- A database developer develops database right from the scratch
- He collects data, analyzes the collected information, designs algorithms, draws flowcharts and then implements code for the logic developed through algorithms and flowcharts
- During the code development process of the database a developer has to develop appropriate queries that can help him to retrieve data from the database, look into the security issues of the data and develop structures, procedures and triggers
- He also has to design Relational Database models and test the developed code with test data to make sure the code is error free
- If any errors are thrown when the code is running then they should be corrected and once again tested
- Database developers are also supposed to prepare and maintain report of the entire backend development life cycle
- Once the development process is completed and all the front end modules are ready, database developers need to work with the front end development team and help in integrating the modules together
- If the modules are successfully integrated then the integrated code is again tested by the testers and errors if any are sent to the development team for fixing
- If integration of the modules fails then the database development team has to rework on the modules and fix the problem
The pro’s of being a Database Developer include higher demand and higher salary rates.
This is the end of my article. Hope you got some knowledge about different career paths related to data science and databases. Thank you very much for reading. Hope to see you with another article.
-Pasan Devin Jayawardene
