Database Administrators

People in this career often have these skills:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

• Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Programming - Writing computer programs for various purposes.

People in this career often know a lot about:

• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Telecommunications - Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.

• Engineering and Technology - Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.

People in this career often have talent in:

• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

• Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

People in this career often do these activities:

• Create databases to store electronic data.
• Update computer database information.
• Develop computer or information security policies or procedures.
• Implement security measures for computer or information systems.
• Install computer software.

• Test computer system operations to ensure proper functioning.
• Assess database performance.
• Modify software programs to improve performance.
• Train others in computer interface or software use.
• Provide technical support for software maintenance or use.
• Develop detailed project plans.
• Coordinate software or hardware installation.
• Develop performance metrics or standards related to information technology.
• Develop database parameters or specifications.
• Write computer programming code.
• Develop models of information or communications systems.
• Evaluate utility of software or hardware technologies.
• Provide recommendations to others about computer hardware.
• Read documents to gather technical information.
• Analyze market or customer related data.
• Analyze data to identify trends or relationships among variables.

• Computer Systems Analysts

• Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers

• Web Developers

• Computer Programmers

• Computer Network Architects

• Information Security Analysts

• Web Administrators

• Social Science Research Assistants

• Computer User Support Specialists