I changed how I approached it.
I entered my first job expecting to be a core programmer, but was placed in a sysadmin‑style DBA role, which I initially did not desire.
I wanted to be a “core” programmer.
my first job, I got pulled into database administration — a sysadmin‑style role that was nowhere on my wish list.
ancient tooling and shell scripts.
started building internal tools and small pieces of software to automate our daily routines and improve the system.
wrote my own tooling to manage databases more safely and efficiently.
I didn’t change the job title.
I decided to embrace the DBA responsibilities, invest in internal tooling, and focus on deep system understanding, which turned the unwanted role into a strength.