I’m in the process of

I'm in the process of taking my Oracle 9i Database Oracle Certified Professional exams, and this afternoon passed the third of the exams, Oracle 9i Database : Performance Tuning.

I know the OCP gets a lot of stick from cynical old bearded DBAs who dismiss it as meaningless compared to years of on the job experience, but I have to say that, having taken three of the exams now, you've got to know your stuff to get a pass grade. Whilst i'd never consider a candidate for a DBA role who'd got the OCP but no 'on the job' experience, in most cases you're having to decide between two people with similar levels of experience, and having the OCP shows that they've taken the time to properly understand what is quite a complicated subject.

More and more, all Oracle's tools and products are based on the Oracle server, and it's critically important to understand just how it works and fits together. Taking the OCP for me was a way to ensure that i've got a solid understanding of the core database product, especially now that so many of Oracle's previously standalone BI&W products are now integrated into the database.