What should an Oracle DBA do to sustain themselves in the IT field for the next 20 years?

Ideally, always have several months of “goodbye money” (known in the states by a more vulgar name). That is enough money to live on without having to take a job for a long period of time. Otherwise you’ll just have to take the very next job that comes along if you get laid off.

You don’t really sustain yourself in IT. You struggle to move forward and learn new things.

And no one can project 20 years out realistically. IT changes in little ways every 2 years and a lot can change over 5 years.

So, all you get is general advice that’s true every year for IT:

Bottom line … always have a backup plan.

That means learning more database technologies in case you either want to walk away from Oracle or in case you find it isn’t as lucrative as it used to be.

Oracle may be around in 20 years but that doesn’t mean the PTB won’t find a way to outsource DBA work to another company. Or reduce the need for as many DBAs.

I’ve been around when US Oracle work was outsourced to Sri Lanka, then when the Sri Lankan Oracle work was outsourced from them to India.

Don’t fool yourself. Nothing’s safe. Give yourself enough knowledge to move in a different direction if you have to.

Learn a little about the various reporting technologies, or ETL. Learn some sysadmin work and some low level dev language.

Also; keep your career elements on track. Keep in good contact and on good terms with other DBAs so you know when a new opportunity opens and when your own is suddenly no longer viable.

Always keep in contact with former managers (the ones you have a good relationship with) who leave the company before you do. These might be necessary references if you get dumped by your company.

Ideally, always have several months of “goodbye money” (known in the states by a more vulgar name). That is enough money to live on without having to take a job for a long period of time. Otherwise you’ll just have to take the very next job that comes along if you get laid off.

Personally, the most controversial suggestion I can make is that you don’t stay at a single company for more than around 5 years, or at the very least to not stay in the same position for more than 3 years. We get stale.

Your last two years is what any employer is most interested in. You have to keep making them two good years whenever possible.