There are so many skills that make up a good DBA it’s hard to know where to start. I think a good place is outside the typical DBA skillset. Every DBA should have web programming skills. This is without a doubt one of the more useful outside skills because almost anything you do as a DBA would be done better if you posted it to the web. We also seem to be called on to do all kinds of things that have nothing to do with DBs. You should not only know basic HTML, but you should also know ASP in either VBScript or JavaScript (both is better). You’ll find these skills so incredibly useful in your daily work and you’ll wonder how you ever go by without it. — Sean McCown. Essential skills for DBAs. Technology Industry