Data makes a difference in every industry and sector. Finance firms are particularly influenced by the ebb and flow of digital information, which is why those with the skills to manage data effectively are in high demand.
This is where database administrators (DBAs) come into play, fulfilling significant roles in finance. From organizing records and maintaining infrastructure to liaising and collaborating with colleagues, DBAs must foster and demonstrate a varied skill set.
Here are just some of the major abilities needed by DBAs who want to excel in the finance industry.
Exceptional Query Tuning & Optimization
In finance, a fraction of a second can mean the difference between making a huge profit and suffering a significant loss. As such, DBAs have to be especially able when it comes to tuning and optimizing SQL queries so that they perform quickly and consistently.
Of course this is not just about knowing the best ways to streamline queries and avoid things like deadlocking, but also about making use of tools like those found at https://www.sentryone.com/plan-explorer in order to pinpoint problems with queries efficiently.
It is not necessarily about working harder, but working smarter. Having a familiarity with the solutions that can turbocharge query performance will help you to appeal to prospective employers, both in the finance world and more broadly.
Knowledge Of The Most Widely Used Platforms
You will know that there are various database platforms which use SQL as the foundation, and some are favored over others depending on which industry you are hoping to work in.
When it comes to finance, organizations like banks and insurance firms tend to prefer the premium packages provided by Microsoft’s SQL Server, although it is not impossible for Oracle’s MySQL to be used in certain cases.
Any kind of experience you can demonstrate with an SQL platform will be to your advantage, but steering yourself toward SQL Server in particular could be a good move if employability in the finance industry is your main aim.
Appreciation For Cybersecurity Strategies
Cybersecurity is a major concern for all sorts of businesses across every industry, and yet it is financial organizations that face the greatest threats and are subject to the most stringent regulations in this regard.
Because of this, DBAs are essentially on the frontline of the war with cybercriminals, and you will have to prove that you are skilled in shoring up and maintaining security levels to get a job with a finance firm.
Indeed SQL injection is one of the most common types of cyber attack deployed at the moment, so you will need to build robust defenses against this and highlight any vulnerabilities to keep sensitive info out of the wrong hands.
Lots of finance companies will be willing to provide additional training for DBAs once they are onboard, but the more you can do to bring the required skills to the table in the first place, the more likely you will be to get the job.
