MySQL DBA is a key role in organisations that work with or keep a record of data, and a fringe role in other organisations. As a MySQL administrator, you will administer the database in an organisation. As a freelance MySQL administrator, you will work remotely on more or less the same duties, as your corporate fulltime counterparts.
Freelance MySQL administration is a coveted skill. Larger organisations often need fulltime MySQL DBAs, but many small organisations that do not need a fulltime administrator can make use of your services and be able to invest a lower initial capital, but get the job done through freelancers like yourself. MySQL administration can be a rewarding career, and offer you the comfort of work from home.
Job Duties for Freelance MySQL Administrator
Freelance MySQL administrator have a host of duties that they must fulfil, even if you do work remotely. As a MySQL DBA, you will be required to perform duties in full cycle including development, testing, and production support. Generally, this is what organisations hire you for, to take effective care of their databases. Let’s look at the most important job duties that you will be undertaking as a MySQL DBA, which include:
- Map and maintain existing MySQL environments, including large replication environments for data mining and mid-sized High Availability environments.
- Review and make recommendations for tuning existing environments.
- Design and tune new tables, databases, and environments for both existing environments and new work.
- Monitor and support current and future environments.
- Create, maintain, and update maintenance scripts for MySQL and SQLite databases.
- Design, create, and implement new database environments including HA and replication setups.
Skills:
You must develop and hone certain skills to become a good MySQL DBA. You will need to be skilful to be making it big in the industry, as it can be a slow start initially. Keeping this in mind, some of the important skills to master include:
- Being adept at MySQL administration
- Be able to work with various MySQL engine types like InnoDB and MyISAM
- Experience with MySQL Clustering configuration, setup and maintenance.
- Experience with High Availability MySQL environments.
- Experience using PERL for database maintenance and interaction.
- Experience with using and configuring NoSQL environments (MongoDB, etc).
- Experience with SQLite design, configuration, tuning and consolidation
- Experience with other relational database systems such as Oracle, PostgreSQL.
These are but some of the skills that you must master to carve a niche in this field of MySQL administration. There are many resources you can leverage to learn these skills. Vtc.com, Tutorialspoint, MySQLtraining, Oreillyschool and About.com offer many videos, training exercises and other material to learn.
Being successful as a MySQL administrator:
The life of an administrator is quite intense. You need to be on top of your work and be able to complete tasks within a set time and be able to come good on the predetermined deliverables. You will not find it difficult to garner success if you do so religiously. MySQL administrators as you can embrace success in the freelance sphere by taking certain relevant steps, which will help you, determine the best way ahead. Some of the steps include:
- Being able to market your services and creating a Social Media presence
- Creating a responsive network, one which you can leverage to find projects and extra work
- Problem solving skills
- Mastering MySQL and other engine types like InnoDB and MyISAM
- Ability to work under pressure, and to strict deadlines
- An understanding of the industry
Average Remunerations:
As a MySQL DBA, you can earn more than the average freelance writer can. Usually freelance portals offer various kinds of payment models. In the fixed-price model, the price is usually pre-determined. The hourly model is the most popular and employers usually pay a predetermined sum per hour. Finally, in the project-budget based model, you often need to auction for such projects. Usually a fixed price model may range from $20- $200 and upwards, while you have to pitch for hourly projects, and budget payments, which usually range from $5- $35 an hour. The average pay scale of a MySQL DBA is $21 an hour.
Finding Work:
As a MySQL DBA, you can find work on a number of online portals and websites that offer freelancers work. It is a reasonably well paid job and there are thousands of opportunities for prospective work-at-home DBAs like you.
MySQL DBAs can find jobs on many portals and websites that offer administration is an important skill, heavily relied upon by organisations that deal in data. Some of the websites offering work include Elance , Odesk, Peopleperhour and Guru.
Resources:
Many websites, portals, and videos offer knowledge on MySQL Administration. All you have to do is locate the correct one and you can learn MySQL from the comfort of your couch. Vtc.com, Tutorialspoint, MySQLtraining, Oreillyschool and About.com offer many videos, training exercises and other material to learn.
For more information on Freelance Resource please visit www.careerlancer.net
