hi all.
as a lot of people i am looking for some career advice. i have no formal education just a technical cert in healthcare. i am thinkimg of studying for an ms cert to get an entry level job as a dba, and wondering if that is possible. will my not having any degree bar me from getting into the field?
also ive been worried about general loss of jobs due to outsourcing. is that a real threat? what r the trends right now?
thanks in advance for all ur thoughts

If you worry because of your lack of institutionalized education - why do you consider a certification path such as Microsoft? It's monolithic. Either you focus on this vendor's idea of professional developement and stick to your learning path for years, beside your occupation's educational demands... or you think about a different approach towards your professional profile:
For instance, Linux system administration. There are plenty of interested people, however, I very rarely meet people will skills apart from "I read this fancy advice in that b4d-a$$ forum". There are interesting certifications, such as Linux Professional Institute, Red Hat, Novell.

Why do I mention this? Linux as a platform offers you a chance of learning from scratch and developing skills far more sophisticated than clicking through GUI tools. You will find great, free study material on the web. Additionally, consider the role of Windows apart from school/office/gaming desktop PCs.

matt, telling someone who wants to study for microsoft certification to go and learn linux is counter-productive and not appreciated on this web site

@r937

• My response did not simply promote Linux. My advice related to remt's current situation in a long-term perspective, including my personal perception.

• I argumented for a key, something which helps remt to be recognized. Therefore, the choice of platform does make a difference.

• remt mentioned to "think about". There is no explicit statement that confirms your accusation.

• This is not the Microsoft SQL Server forum.

boy, for a brand new member, you sure are confrontational and argumentative

Confrontational? Yes.

Argumentative? Hope so.

Appreciating criticism? Hope so too.

Taking my counterpart seriously? Always.