Webmaster Forum / HTML, CSS, Scripts / JavaScript / June 2007

Hello,
Not sure whether this is the right group to ask this, but there are so
many groups out there I got kinda lost! Please help me out on this
career dilemma I'm going through, or kindly forward me to an
appropriate group.

I am a graduate in Computer Engineering, and am particularly
interested in databases. I can chalk out databases in detail on paper
and I'm also good at visualizing the development phases of a potential
application. For instance, in case of a web portal, I can design the
database in detail, including writing the queries; as well as design
the front end.

I'm proficient in MySQL (4.1.xx), Oracle (8i, 9i); also once knew a
little bit of SQL Server 2000, and intend to learn SQLite soon. On the
web design front, I have intermediate-to-advanced level skills in CSS,
JS, PHP and am looking forward to learning AJAX and ASP.net very soon.

I feel my strengths are:
a. I can design database systems (I don't know if that's the right
name to call it) on a very short notice. However complex the
application, it never takes more than a few hours (in the very extreme
of cases) for me to chalk the whole thing out.
b. I'm good at debugging, and am extremely meticulous about good
coding practices and error and exception handling.
c. I'm good at designing good, clean webpages and emphasize on an
optimal use of CSS.
d. I'm quick to learn.

That should be enough of tall talk! Among projects I've done are:
- A complete university management system
- A CMS for a news agency
- An image archive containing thousands of photos
- A website for a newspaper

My questions:
What are the most viable career options for me out there?
What are the stuff I should focus/learn to advance my skills
optimally?
What is the current job market/salary situation for database
professionals?
And finally, is there any university degree (MS) specializing in
databases anywhere?

Help! And thanks in advance.
dzn