So you want to be a programmer. But you don’t want to spend tens of thousands of dollars in training. You want something you can learn that’s cheap, always in demand and can be learned easily.
Sound like you?
Then you want to be a Microsoft Access consultant.
MS Access consultants are always needed for companies both large and small. And the best part is that you really don’t need any official training for it. Download the software (there’s a free 60-day trial), learn what it can do, buy a few Access tutorial books, create a few databases and you’ll be Mr. or Ms. Access in no time. The software is designed in such a way where it’s relatively easy to use.
Should you decide to buy Access, yes the software has a hefty price tag at $229. But it’s more than worth it for the experience and self-training (and potential job you’ll get later).
For those of you saying, "What’s Microsoft Access?", it’s a relational database management system. And yes, it will run on your computer easily.
The reasons companies use Access is either because it’s cheap or as "an excuse".
Cheap example: A small-biz owner needs a database solution but doesn’t want to spend the cash on a full server setup. Instead he or she uses Access.
"Excuse" example: Someone in the Finance dept. of a large corporation has a monster-sized Excel spreadsheet that Excel can no longer handle. It cannot go into the primary database for the company because, well, it’s Excel. So instead Access is used. It is grudgingly allowed by the IT dept. on the promise that Finance will never call IT should there be any problem with it.
With the small-biz owner, the Access db is the lifeline for the company. Everything is in it. And when it breaks (and it will), panic happens and the consultant is called in.
With enterprise, a few of those several-hundred-dollar per-incident phone calls were made to Microsoft Support already, but they weren’t able to fix it, so the next step is to bring in an Access consultant. Either that or the consultant is brought in because it’s actually cheaper than per-incident Microsoft Support.
Your job as an Access consultant is usually to fix busted databases. Something went wrong and nobody can figure it out. You have to go in there, figure out the problem(s) and fix it.
I know, I make it sound too easy. It’s not easy. Access itself is not that difficult, but when faced with a sizeable database with little (if any) documentation on how it was made, it can be a bit trying on the nerves. For all you know, the database might have been created years ago and admin after admin just kept piling crap in it until it finally broke.
But at least you know what to expect. Being an Access consultant is not a glamorous job, but it pays well, it’s low-stress, and as long as Access exists, Access consultants will always be needed.
In addition, a help desk will kiss your feet if you can actually support Access – because that’s an instant upgrade to a Tier 2 (possibly even Tier 3) support job. And that’s more cash in your pocket.
I don’t want to give off the impression that you’ll learn Access overnight, because it does take time to get familiar with it. But it’s nothing you can’t handle because a good chunk of it is point-and-click.
Where are the Access jobs?
The Monster way
Go to Monster, type in "Microsoft Access" or "MS Access" (make sure to use the quotes), punch in your ZIP code and you’ll see the jobs show up.
Bear in mind Access may not be in the title of the job, but trust me, the jobs are there. It’s almost a given that those who know Access will always get the bigger check.
You’ll typically see Access jobs for some type of financial responsibility because that’s where it’s usually most used.
The consulting or "headhunter" way
Ring up your local consulting agency like OfficeTeam, Computer Merchant, RHI or other local and ask about Access consulting gigs. They’re almost always available.
Don’t be surprised if they’re short 1-to-3 month gigs. That’s fine. They still pay well and there’s always another gig around the corner. You’ll find your best gigs at tax time when Access consultants are needed most.
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Rich,
Outstanding point!! Now I am not looking for a job but I can see the high value for companies who for the most part do everything on Spreadsheets so taking them up to a level like Access is a whole new world of better reporting and increased productivity.
Well, yes and know. understanding the Access interface itself wont get you very far (most people learn that at school these days), you will need strong SQL and VBA to get anywhere in the Access/Office consulting market. Of those 2, SQL is paramount; if you don’t know what the difference is between a correlated subquery and an in-line view then your SQL is probably not good enough. People think that because they can link a few tables together they can build an application; it is actually quite difficult to get a smooth-running app. built using Access (it was never built for that purpose). People also need to learn the techniques for multi-user environments; most companies paying for Access knowledge want split databases not single-user desktop solutions. This brings in some unique issues.
All in all, as someone who makes there living at this, I would say Access can be a way in to programming for many, but only if you already have the behind the scenes building blocks, a basic understanding of programming concepts, e.g. control structures, and a fundamental grasp of SQL. People in business often start by saying “I just want this report” ….well, that can take a day if you have a populated db already with documentation supplied or 3months or more if you have to build an app from scratch. Businesses naturally focus on the end-result, but as a db programmer you need to think about all the steps that need to be taken to get you there. You sometimes have to explain to the user (in terms that wont get your fired) why it can take 3months for a simple Report….that is not always easy.
If that doesn’t put you off then you are probably right for programming and Access in particular…there is nothing like being thrown in the deep-end and having to solve a real busiiness problem.
Tony