As Published In May/June 2006

Honing Skills on the Job and Off
By Blair Campbell

Peers discuss animation antics, 'wireless leashes,' and a little light reading.

Sailaja Pasupuleti

Peer Specs Company: Satyam Computers, a global consulting and IT services company Job Title: Systems analyst, responsible for project development and training Location: Hyderabad, India Oracle Credentials: Oracle-certified developer (Oracle9i) with five years of experience using Oracle products

How did you get started in IT? I like thinking and solving problems, so I started learning about computers—with a focus on dBASE and C programming languages and FoxPro databases-—while pursuing an advanced degree at a computer institute in the mid-1990s. In the course of my studies, I started helping other students who ran into problems or had doubts about what they were doing technically. Helping others in this way gradually increased my interest in the IT field, leading me to pursue an IT job after earning my degree.

What advice do you have for people interested in getting into Web and database development? Learning Web and database development is obviously not as easy as learning how to use basic word-processing applications. Programming requires a deeper level of involvement and learning, and for some people it isn't any fun. But, if you're excited about learning basic programming skills and can invest a couple of months learning and experimenting with the relevant technology, you will come out with skills with which you can create robust and useful database-generated Web applications such as virtual classrooms or e-commerce sites. You'll also be able to market yourself as a Web developer, which can be lucrative.

What's your favorite thing to do that doesn't involve work? I'm really interested in 3-D animation.

Ron Hardman

Peer Specs Companies: Academy School District 20, a public school district of 20,000-plus students; and Peak Retrieval, LLC, a knowledge management software and solutions company Job Titles: Application developer, Academy 20 schools; owner, Peak Retrieval, LLC Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Length of Time Using Oracle Products: Nine years Oracle Ace Books Published: Coauthor of Oracle 10g Database PL/SQL Programming (Oracle Press, 2004) and Expert Oracle PL/SQL (Oracle Press, 2005)

If you could add or change a feature of Oracle Database, what would it be? I'd invest more in information retrieval features, including more built-in visualizations for Oracle Text.

What new features of Oracle Database 10g are you finding valuable in your work with Academy 20 schools? I've found Oracle Application Express to be a wonderful addition to Oracle Database. We're using it heavily in the school district. One of our major projects using Oracle Application Express is an application to report No Child Left Behind standardized test results to teachers and administrators.

How do you use wireless technologies? I live on wireless. My home office is any chair or table in my house, and a local coffee shop with free Wi-Fi is a great place to write. Technologies that act as wireless leashes, like pagers and cell phones, drive me nuts—but they have become a necessary part of business and technology.

Casimir Saternos
What's your favorite tool or technique on the job? Although it doesn't generally make headlines, Oracle SQL is amazing. Very few tasks exist where it does not come into play in a business environment. You can't beat the power of Oracle SQL analytic functions.

Peer Specs Company: Buzzi Unicem USA, a division of Italian cement manufacturer Buzzi Unicem SpA Job Title: Oracle DBA, responsible for database and systems administration Location: Allentown, Pennsylvania Oracle Credentials: Oracle-certified DBA (Oracle8i, Oracle9i) with four years of experience using Oracle products

If you were going to the space station for six months and could only take one Oracle reference book, what would it be? For general interest, I'd take Tom Kyte's Expert Oracle Database Architecture: 9i and 10g Programming Techniques and Solutions [Apress, 2005]. It's full of great examples and insightful ideas that often serve as inspiration to solving related problems and developing new solutions. However, if I had to maintain a database on the space station, I would probably opt for Oracle9i RMAN Backup & Recovery [Oracle Press, 2002].

Do you have a favorite place where you like to vacation? My parents and my in-laws both have farms that I love to visit. Horses and cows are a welcome change of pace after staring at a screen for extended periods of time.