Database administration
Database administration is very important among jobs in data management. Every company or organization needs people to be responsible for a particular company's database and what it holds. In general, those who work in database administration have the ability and authority to manage and protect data, including development and testing support, data availability, data security, data integrity, and the ability to recover data.
With data development and testing support, a database administrator is always working on trying to get more out of the data collected by using more powerful and higher performing applications, resources and hardware to the structure of the database. If the database is administered correctly, this doesn't just mean the administrator is competent. It also means that those who use that data are getting the most out of it and therefore have an invaluable resource. It makes it much easier for end users, for example, to make informed decisions and create reports with that data, as well as to conduct an analysis of it, if the data collected within the organization is easy to access and use, and is of high quality.
A database administrator also makes sure the data is recoverable. The database administrator stores and backs up the data and makes sure that the backups are valid. Because integrity of the data is also important, this is another important task of the database administrator. Results are not accurate for company reports, for example, if the data that is used is not valid.
Database security
Database administrators must also keep track of database security. This is important for several reasons. Not only must the database administrator grant access to certain people for certain information and keep others away, but the data itself must be kept secure within the company. This is because a lot of the company's data is proprietary and could easily compromise a company's plans, goals, or direction if competition would be able to hack into and get wind of what that data would tell them. It's also important because, for example, some information may be extremely sensitive; for example, if the database contains financial information, having this get out and get into the hands of those who would engage in identity theft or otherwise mishandled this information could be very detrimental to not just a particular company, but to customers as well. This is why it's extremely important, and in fact may arguably be the most important job the database administrator does.
In addition, having a fully functional database or databases within a company means that the data is always available so that there is as little downtime within the company as possible. This, of course, is very important for productivity reasons.
Data Mining
Another subset of data management jobs is data mining. In this case, someone engaged in data mining analyzes and goes through a large amount of data so as to show patterns, trends, relationships and so on. This is essential in data management because it provides a picture about the data being collected. This in turn can help a business decide which direction it wants to go in so as to create more profit or to grow, for example. Basically, data mining helps a business make informed decisions based on the data collected by analyzing it in determining what it tells that business.
Salaries for jobs in data management
On average, those who work in data management make about $60,000 a year (more or less depending on the position held).
Conclusion
Jobs in data management require strict attention to detail and the ability to organize and maintain large amounts of data for others to use. In some cases, it may also require that you either analyze it to determine trends for a particular company, and/or keep it secure so that it doesn't get into the wrong hands. Jobs in data management also require that the data be easily accessible to those who need it and be available whenever needed, to ensure company productivity.
