Possible career paths for Oracle Certified Associate (OCA) In order to be confident in databases as a entry level job candidate, I completed the OCA certification.  Now I want to know what career paths follow this.  Can one go into data-mining,  BI, or R&amp;D via this certification?

And I heard DBA is quite boring and risky for experimental people.
I imagine you can go anywhere you want to go. But real-world experience counts too -- not just what's on the exam, so don't expect a high-level position from the start. You'll probably have to start as low man on the totem pole, so-to-speak.

Having been a DBA, I can tell you several things:


It's freakin' hard work
When things are going well, life is good. When things are going bad, life is hell.
Unless you happen on a place where you're a pure DBA, chances are good you'll have programming opportunities. Relish them -- this is where you can express your creativity.
When things go really bad, experimentation is sometimes the only way out. (Not reckless abandon, mind you, but oft-times it becomes a matter of trying one solution, finding it doesn't do the trick, and then trying something else.)
There are boring parts: upgrades, backups, maintenance. But sometimes that's a good thing, because otherwise you'll be so busy that your brain can't wait for the boring times.


Hope it helps and good luck with your career.