Which course to do, as I only have knowledge on oracle sql and plsql.

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• Mario

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  20 February 19

  Hi Anonymous,

  Wow! 9 years on Oracle and PL/SQL! You must be a master in working with data, and of course, you know how to programme as well, even if it is restricted to programmes within the database. I doubt that PL/SQL is going away any time soon because it's in use in so many critical applications around the world. However, there definitely will not be much expansion expected in the job market as it is not being considered much for new applications. But there are a number of options that you could consider for the future depending on your preferences and aptitude.

  1. You could continue to remain close to the database and become a database administrator (DBA), especially for large production databases. I would suggest this as an option only if you already have a substantial knowledge about the subject, and only need a formal certification, because if you want to go in this direction you may have to compete with much less experienced (younger) database admin professionals, and that does carry risk.

  2. You could choose to extend your skills in the direction of BI (Business Intelligence) and become a BI, reporting and visualization expert. Your ability to model and manipulate data would be very handy for this, and apart from your chosen BI tool (whether from Oracle, IBM, or any other product company), you would also need to become really good at UNIX scripting. In addition, you would need to learn how to use ETL tools and techniques.

  3. You could enter the world of Big Data. Oracle has a number of products (apart from the database) that form their Big Data suite, and you could start by learning their Big Data SQL that extends SQL into the NoSQL world, and is used to work with the Hadoop stack, with which you crunch down really large numbers of rows into a smaller number of rows. Of course, in addition, you will also have to learn at least one programming language to apply in working with the Hadoop stack, data preparation and data transformation. The most commonly used languages are Java and Python, and you can take your pick after looking at job opportunities in the business domain that your work experience with data has been in. Python is very likely to be easier for you to pick up as it's a scripting language. Both will require you to learn object oriented development concepts as well.

  4. Depending on how much experience you have in managing your own projects as an individual contributor or as a leader of small teams, and your aptitude for project management, you could also do a certificate course (such as PMP) in project management and try to become a project manager. If a substantial portion of your experience has been in just one or two business domains or industries, that will also work to your advantage.

  These are starting suggestions, and which one you choose depends on your aptitude, motivation to learn new skills and also what kind of opportunities exist where you are located (work environment and place).

  We have a number of coaches whose careers have been within the data and analytics space, and I would strongly recommend that you get in touch with one of them and have a one on one meeting to discuss the details of how you can make a choice and proceed on a new path! All the very best! I hope my answer has provided you with enough to start exploring further.