Related Resources • Top 5 MCDBA 70-229 Training Guides • Starting a Career in Databases • Certification Resources

From Other Guides • Hands-On With Oracle • Certification: Do I Need It?

Elsewhere on the Web • Microsoft Certifications • Oracle Certifications

Are you a database professional seeking to polish your resume in the hopes of landing a better gig?  Perhaps you're just getting started in database administration and you'd like to establish your credentials in the field. Database vendors offer a variety of professional certification programs that can help you advance your career while gaining valuable technical skills.  After all, even the most seasoned professional has yet to fully explore some nook or cranny of the field that's covered on a certification exam.

So, where do you start?  Most database certs are vendor-specific, so you'll want to earn a certification from the company that puts out the software you're currently working with or would like to work with in the future.  We'll take a brief look at the credentials available from the major vendors.

If you're an Oracle guru, the Oracle Certified Professional program may be for you.  There's one catch to this program, however.  Oracle recently introduced a new requirement that's effective for all candidates taking their first exam after September 1, 2002.  Before receiving any Oracle credential, all candidates must take at least one instructor-led course.  If you're like me and you just want to pick up the book, study and take the exam, you're out of luck here.  Oracle offers a variety of certification paths for the Database Administrator, Database Operator, Application Developer and Java Developer specialties.  Each certification is version-specific, so you'll need to update your certification each time a new version of Oracle rolls off the production line.

On the other hand, if you work in a Microsoft shop, you should consider one of four certifications:

• If you're maintaining Microsoft Access databases for your organization, the simplest database credential is the Microsoft Office User Specialist Access Track.   This is a one-exam certification that covers basic knowledge of Microsoft Access topics.
   
• The Microsoft Certified Database Administrator credential is the premier certification for SQL Server administrators.  To earn this title, you'll need to pass three core examinations and one elective.  If you plan your exams carefully, it's possible to earn both the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and MCDBA credentials without taking too many extra examinations.
   
• If you're a SQL Server developer and you work with department-level applications, consider the Microsoft Certified Applications Developer track.  This credential requires passing two core exams (one on the Visual Studio language of your choice and one on XML technology) and one elective exam.
   
• Developers working on enterprise-level applications may want to tackle the more challenging Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer certification which requires four core exams and one elective.  There's overlap between the exams covered by the MCAD and MCSD tracks, so you might want to use the MCAD as a stepping-stone to the MCSD title.

Once you've chosen a credential that's suitable for you, it's time to hit the books and/or take a course and get started on your way to professional certification!