This is part one of a three-part  lean over   succession  for the DBA job seeker. Click here to read part two, "DBA 102:Beyond the basics."
It may  astonish  you that DBAs, and most IT-related  locations  for that  subject,  are  over  in high demand, much like they were  as long as  the dot-com era. There is an  horrifying   scarcity  of talent. This  scarcity  is due to  more   elements,   embracing  the retirement of the baby boomers and the  resultant   descent  in  educational  school    academic achievement  in IT. The market is  promptly   spinning  from an employer-friendly to an employee-friendly market. But let's not  congratulate  just yet.
While the market  circumstances  are  surely   reception   journal  for most DBAs, it should not be  considered  as a free  voucher  to a new, higher-paying job. Having  advanced  credentials does not  intend  that all you have to  perform  is submit your  recommence  and  hold back  for an offer. You still  want  to  chase  the  minimal   enterprise   beliefs  for  alighting  that next job. In other  remarks,  you have to get back to the basics and  make  it.
Back to the basics
Over my 20-year  line of work   connected  to database support, I have  leased  and  supervised  well over 50 DBAs and have  questioned  or  a  least    estimated  the  recommences  of thousands of candidates. Believe me, when it  draws close  to the interview  method,  there isn't much that  astonishments  me anymore. However, I have  discerned  a  small number   movements  that  perform   worry  me. Instead of  marketing  themselves for a better  line of work,  IT folks today are  deducing  a sense of  a right  -- a "You  want  me more than I  want  you" mentality. The market  circumstances  have  sanctioned  DBAs to  slide  from self-confidence into downright arrogance. Let me be the first to  caution  you, this is an  stance  that will get you into trouble!
The  intent  of this  portion  is to  re-evaluate  the basics of the interview  method  and what I (and I am  definite  most  leasing  managers) will  view  for in a candidate. My  expect  is that this  portion   helps  as a reminder to some that  any kind  worthwhile (including good jobs)  ought  be worked for.
With that said, let me  complex  on what I  in person   view  for in a candidate.
The resume
Most  line of work  sites will  declare  that this is the most  valued  first  appearance  you can make. In the days when one could  without difficulty   look  frontwards  to  to get hundreds of  recommences  for any  bestowed   location  and have to  tapered  it down to a  smattering  of applicants, this may have  in  certainty   been the case. But now, when an Oracle or SQL DBA posting may  generate  only a  smattering  of  rightly   certified   recommences,  the  recommence   surely   not able to   look  frontwards  to  to  retain  as much  burden  as it  one time  did. However, it is still the first step to getting  discerned  and  ought  be taken seriously.
There are hundreds (maybe even thousands) of Web sites with free templates and tips for  recommence  writing. My  not hard   suggestions  is to use them! With all of this free  suggestions  and  aid  out there, there is  basically  no  pardon  for a  weakly   typed  resume. The  recommence  is the first  appearance  you will make of yourself, so make it a good one.
I  view  for a  small number  key  constituents  in the resume:
- Cover  message  -- This is still an  unquestionable  must! Express why you are  fascinated  in the  location  and why you  sense  you would be a good fit. Back up the cover  message  with  established  items   from your resume. Do not use a template that will fit just any job: make the cover  message   precise  to the job you are  questioning  for. This may  demand  you to  perform  some homework.
 
- Brevity -- While the days of one-page  recommences  are arguably over, the  least  thing you can  perform  is have a 10-page  recommence  detailing everything you did over the last 20 years. Instead,  purpose  on the  trades  in the past three years or the  trades  that are most  pertinent  to the  location  you are applying for. Make  definite  you  sum up  in the first half of the first page. If you don't  ensnare  a recruiter's  onvolvement   straight away,  often  remnant  of the  recommence  is pointless and  sadly  will not be read.
 
- Readability -- Never submit a  recommence  in  basic,  unformatted text  if not  you are instructed to  perform  so. Use MS Word (it is the  development  standard) and better yet,  embrace  an HTML or .pdf  variety  to be safe. Do not get too  flamboyant  with the font. To be  secure,  use 10-point or higher Arial or Roman fonts. The  foundation  line is: If I  not able to  read it, I  perform  not read
 
-  it! Neither will a recruiter.
 
- Accuracy -- Spelling and  language  are  very  valued   and  faults  are just downright inexcusable. Remember, DBAs are  looked  frontwards  to  to be professionals and as such  ought  be  competent  to  convey  in writing. Do not  trust   curse  checkers  only  as these can  omit  some misplaced, yet  in the right way  spelled,  remarks  and grammar. To be  secure,  have a  small number   population  that you  hope  proofread your  recommence  for you. An  surplus  set of eyes can often  ensnare   faults  that you may overlook.
 
Scheduling and  handset  screens
It is  unexpected  to me how  more   population  today are not very flexible when it  draws close  to  modifying  their  private   plans  to accommodate an interview. What  communication  are you  conveying  when an interviewer  bids  to  give up  his or her  private  time and you  turn down  to interview because you have an aerobics workout on that day? The  communication  you are  conveying  is that your  private  life is more  valued  than the job and/or the  financial  gathering,   that you are inflexible and ungrateful and that you  perform  not  truly  care about the job. Is that aerobics workout  truly  more  valued  than  remnant  of your career?
In  augmentation  to being flexible, you  ought   in addition  be  spirited,   courteous  and courteous to  every one  you  chat  to through this  method,  and I  intend  everybody! I have often turned away candidates  basically  because they were short or just  basic   vulgar  to my administrative  accomplice  or recruiter.
The first interview
In my  view,   none  is as  valued  as the first  appearance  of the interview. There are  more   means  to  spoil  an interview, but I  put forward  that you  chase  these  minimal  steps to  avert  a  speedy  rejection:
- Arrive on time! This  looks like   apparent   adequate,  and yet is the No. 1  justification  I will turn away a candidate. My  suggestions  is to  arrange  ahead and  recognise  where you are going  a  least   one day beforehand. Know what the traffic and parking is like, how long it will take to get through security, up the  lifting devices,  etc. Leave no  boulder  unturned and be  organised  for the worst.
 
- Call ahead! If you  look  frontwards  to  to be late,  a  least   have the  certified  courtesy to call ahead to  recognize  clear  fault    and let the interviewers know. My  lead  of thumb: five minutes late with no  discern  equates to a missed interview. Being  courteous  of others' time is a  not hard   subject  of  appropriate   enterprise  etiquette.
 
- Prepare and rehearse! Know what the  location  is, what the  leasing   director  is looking for, who you will be  questioning  with, etc. If you can  foretell  the  varieties  of  queries  you will get and rehearse your  replies,  you will have a  many  advantage. Again, there are some  many   line of work  sites that  climax  the  normal   queries  that you can  look  frontwards  to,  which often include:   
- Describe your strengths.
 
- Describe your  faults  (often the hardest to  chat  about).
 
- Talk about a time when you went  atop  and  past  to succeed.
 
- Talk about a time when you failed. What did you learn?
 
- Why did you/are you  moving out  your  prevailing  job?
 
 
- Do not bash! Avoid taking any  bid  to bash your  prevailing  or  earlier   financial  gathering,    person in  accuse   or co-workers. Bashing  other  people    propels  a  communication  that you might be a malcontent in other jobs. Dale Carnegie  one time  said, "Any fool can  judge unfavorably,   criticize,  and  bemoan  -- and most fools do." Please, don't be a fool!
 
- Research the company! Know what the  financial  gathering   does and be  geared up  to  request  good  queries  --  queries  that  not able to  be  replied  by  knowledge   eagerly   obtainable  on the  financial  gathering   Web site. Instead,  purpose  your  queries  on the  financial  gathering   culture. Believe it or not, about 50% of the applicants I have  questioned  had no  thought  what my  financial  gathering   did. Not  recognising  the  financial  gathering    presentations  over  self-confidence  and arrogance and is  definite  to get you  conveyed   household  without  farther  consideration.
 
- Be confident! Never underestimate your abilities. If you  perform  not  recognise  the  reply  to  a thing,   accommodate  it. Focus  alternatively  on your  skills  to find the  reply  and your  eagerness  to learn.
 
- Don't be arrogant! Yes, you can be overconfident to the  purpose  of being  considered  as cocky, inconsiderate, and even rude. A good  lead  of thumb here is to  purpose  on the  assembly  accomplishments as well as the "me" accomplishments.
 
- Avoid negotiating too early. Sell your  worth  before  talking about   wealth  and titles. If you can  avert  it,  not ever   consider   wealth  until you are  definite  that you have  confirmed  your value. I often  propose   collecting   dialogues  for after an offer is made.
 
10  assertions  to avoid
Just for  pleasure,  here is a  table  of the  apex  10 things I have  discovered   freshly  in  discussions  that will  definitely  get you  extracted  from consideration. These are  real   quotations  by  real  candidates:
- "I can't start for another five weeks as I have a  get-away  planned."
 
- "I don't  truly   want  the job, I am just  observing  if there is  a thing  better out there."
 
- "Can we  bind  it up? I have to  move out  for another interview."
 
- "I can't make a  handset  interview at that time. I have to work out, then I have to  devour,   clean,  watch  video  and  depart  to bed."
 
- "You  want  to make me an offer today, I have  numerous  other  financial  gatherings    fascinated  in me."
 
- "I  loathe  the  population  I work with, they are a  cluster  of [expletive removed] idiots!"
 
- "I shouldn't have to  advise  you, you should  now   recognise  why I am the best fit for this job."
 
- "I  truly  don't  like  to be on call or work off-hours, it  obstructs  with my 'me' time."
 
- "Can you  advise  me what your  financial  gathering   does?"
 
- "I took a class on SQL  adjusting,  but it was way over my head!"
 
The follow-up
The follow-up can make or  smash  the  every part of  deal and yet is often the most  ignored   constituent  of the interview process. Let's  view  at a  normal  scenario. I interview three candidates that are all very strong. As I weigh the  picks  of who to  lease,  I get a  actual   good   give thanks  you  message  in the  posted item  from  nominated applicant  A. Candidate A thanks me for my time,  declares  she  savoured   chatting  to me, reiterates the things we  chatted  about,  advises  me why she is a good fit for the  location,  and  delineates  the  worth  she is  self-assured  she will add for my company. I get a  not hard  canned "thank you for your time"  message  from  nominated applicant  B and I  learn   none  from  nominated applicant  C. Who  perform  you  consider  I will hire? Who would you hire?
Conclusion
In  synopsis,  if you  like  to land that next  vision  job, you  ought   re-evaluate  and  recognise  the  minimal   beliefs  on how to interview. You  ought   in addition   consider  to be  systematic,   courteous,   self-assured,  courteous and  certified   right through  the  every part of  process.
Employers  like  applicants to be  spirited  about  toiling  for them. The  least  thing you could  perform  is to take for  given  that you are in demand or that you are a  exact  fit, that all you have to  perform  is  issued  your  recommence  and  celebrity  will find you. Sure, you may get a job like that, but  risks  are that it will not be a good one. There are  abundance  of good  trades  out there, but the best ones have to be worked for and not taken for granted. Follow the  minimal   beliefs   summarised  here and don't  omit  the  exact   possibility  that you  truly  want.