“We have a proprietary program that we use to look for patterns of predictive behavior that our clients request. I move glaciers of information around and make it accessible to our applications and our analysts. They then come up with formulas for the database administrators to apply to the data,” DiFilippo said. “It is our job to apply the formula to our information to make it usable.”

DiFilippo began his career working with computers while he was still in college at Kent State University in 1994. He received a liberal arts degree with a concentration in physics and electronics and a minor in computer science. One of his first jobs was installing computers to replace outdated typewriters. Back then, computers were still “scary” to many people, he said.

“I sensed that information technology was the future and decided to pursue a career in it. Along the way, I’ve received several Microsoft-related certifications and added continuing education classes to learn various programming languages and platforms,” DiFilippo said. 

DiFilippo began working with databases about 10 years ago and has worked at Metrics Marketing for the past two years. He enjoys working with a variety of clients in diversified industries such as banking, office retail and the paint industry. Learning to work with databases is a process, he said.

“As a database administrator, you typically start off maintaining databases, create backup and disaster recovery plans, and then move on to migration from test environments to production environments,” DiFilippo said. “As the depth of knowledge grows, you learn to automate those jobs and begin optimizing systems and writing more database code. You are constantly improving your database environment, making it smarter, more flexible and dynamic.”

It requires a lot of patience to work in this field, DiFilippo advised. You learn to build upon the fundamentals and master additional network environments and programming languages. There is a definite learning curve, he said.

It is also important to be able to communicate well. DiFilippo works with account managers and often sits in on client meetings to better understand their needs and objectives for a particular project. Anyone considering database administration should enjoy learning and problem-solving, he added. 

“I read somewhere that computer languages and platforms become obsolete every three years. That means a college freshman picking up a language today will be outdated by the time he/she graduates. You have to constantly research and work on new technologies,” DiFilippo stated.

He recommended working with recruiting companies and doing contract work when your are just getting started in database administration. It is a great way to get exposure to area businesses and technologies. You learn a lot going on jobs for the different businesses and seeing how they operate.

What DiFilippo gains the most satisfaction from is solving client issues. Every day is a challenge, he said, and it is up to database administrators to find the resources to solve whatever is thrown at them. 

“I like when we can accomplish those things with the information that we have to work with,” DiFilippo said.

Working with databases requires close concentration and the ability to think logically. Database administrators are detail-oriented individuals who must be able to communicate with others and work in teams. Most database administrators are highly skilled and technically savvy. Educational backgrounds are varied, but many have at least a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information science or a related information technology field.

Continuing education is a large part of the field of database administration. Programs and coding continuously changes and technology is constantly updated. Database administrators must stay on top of ever-changing and advancing technologies. 

There is no one certification to obtain in the field, but it is highly recommended that the candidate become certified in the specific type of database management that he/she will be working with on the job. Advancement within the field usually requires a master’s in business administration with a concentration in information systems. 

According to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, database administration is one of the fastest growing occupations in the region. Employment within the field has grown 25 percent since 2006. The average hourly wage for database administrators in this region is just over $32.