Database Specialists

Employers

Approximately 141,900 database specialists are employed in the United States. Any business or organization that uses databases as a part of its operations hires database professionals. Database specialists work for investment companies, telecommunications firms, banks, insurance companies, publishing houses, hospitals, school systems, universities, and a host of other large and midsize businesses and nonprofit organizations. There are also many opportunities with federal, state, and city governments.

Starting Out

Most graduating college students work closely with their school's career services office to obtain information about job openings and interviews. Local and national employers often recruit college graduates on campus, making it much easier for students to talk with recruiters from many diverse companies. Another good source of information is through summer internships, which are completed typically between junior and senior year. Many major companies in the computer field have established undergraduate intern programs. This experience is valuable for two reasons. First, it gives students hands-on exposure to computer-related jobs. Second, it allows students to network with working computer professionals who may help them find full-time work after graduation. Interested individuals might also scan the classified ads online or work with temporary agencies or headhunters to find entry-level and midlevel positions. Professional organizations (such as the Association for Computer Machinery's Special Interest Group on Management of Data), and professional publications are other sources of information about job openings.