When your company needs to hire a new database administrator, it's important to focus on specific qualities.
With each passing day, your business depends more and more on data . With data, your company can better compete in your specific industry, pivot when necessary, understand and predict trends , and work with powerful applications and platforms deployed in your on-premises data center or a third-party data center cloud host .
But to make the most of a database, you need excellent database administrators to create, maintain, and manage these huge volumes of data. Given that hiring a database administrator is not exactly the same as hiring a JavaScript developer, this is not as easy as it seems.
So what qualities should you look for in a database administrator? Let's dive in together and find out.
Analytical skills
First and foremost, a database administrator must have solid analytical skills. Anyone who has worked with data at this level understands that to work in this role you need to be able to collect, examine and analyze data effectively, solve problems and make decisions based on your analysis.
Without high level analytical skills a Database Administrator would not be able to construct a schema to serve any useful purpose. A database administrator who has analytical skills will be able to more easily solve the numerous problems that frequently arise in databases.
Remember that there are many moving parts involved in creating and using databases. A good database administrator is able to see the complete picture, analyze it, and form solutions quickly and effectively.
Communication skills
Unlike programmers, who often work only with their team members, database administrators must work not just within their team, but with almost every team in the company. Because databases are essential components for developers, marketing, human resources, accounts payable, operations, management, and end users, any database administrator you hire must be able to communicate effectively with a wide variety of team members.
One of the trickiest aspects of this is that database administrators need to be able to communicate with these departments in a way that helps non-database administrative team members understand what is needed to maintain the project. advancing. The world of databases is very different from anything else in your company, so most of your team doesn't know how they work. A good database administrator can effectively communicate concepts and needs to help other stakeholders understand what is happening as well as the end result they are looking for.
Attention to the details
Details are absolutely crucial for a database administrator. Consider how complicated databases can be (especially when used at scale in Big Data). You have huge databases with huge amounts of data. If a single, simple detail goes unnoticed, anything that could go wrong will go wrong.
Therefore, when you hire a new database administrator, near the top of their list of qualities should be attention to detail.
Logical thinking
Seems like a no-brainer, right? It is not. There are two ways of thinking: Logical and creative. Creative thinkers are great for certain tasks (even programming). But as far as database administrators go, you want logical thinkers who can break down a schema into its constituent parts and reconstruct it in their minds. You want database administrators who think in terms of data structure and who get from point A to point B in the most efficient and effective way.
Problem solving skills
In the same vein as logical thinkers and analytical skills, you also want to look for database administrators with an uncanny ability to solve problems. Databases and their associated query languages can be very complicated. You want to look for database administrators who know how to break down a very large process and troubleshoot all aspects without getting lost in the details (of which there will be many).
Understanding your business sector
One thing to remember is that database administrators will need to have a solid understanding of their business sector to build effective databases. Let's say, for example, you're in the healthcare sector , which is dramatically different from the manufacturing industry. A good database administrator will understand what is important in this industry and know how to build a database accordingly. Without this kind of knowledge, a database administrator may struggle.
Collaboration
Your database administrators need to be able to do more than just communicate effectively with other teams; they need to be able to collaborate. Remember that databases work directly with other components of your business. From websites, data visualization platforms, artificial intelligence, desktop applications, IoT, and edge services, these databases are far-reaching.
Because of this, your database administrators must be able to work with developers, operations, IT security, network administrators, end users, and management to do their jobs effectively.
High proficiency with one or more databases
It goes without saying that your database administrators should know at least one database management system (like MySQL or MS SQL Server). To be truly effective, a database administrator should probably have at least a solid foundation with a relational database and a non-relational database. Your business can start smaller, which can be powered by a relational database. But as you grow, this may require a move to (or the addition of) a non-relational database.
Do yourself a favor and hire a database administrator who is comfortable with both types. Otherwise, you'll have to hire a non-relational database administrator anyway.
Conclusion
Hiring a database administrator doesn't have to be difficult. If you're looking for someone with these skills (in addition to the standard skills you normally look for), you should have no problem finding a highly qualified member of your team. Just make sure that before you even start searching, you know the types of databases you need so you can narrow your search more easily.
Source: BairesDev
