How to take your career to the next level with SQL
Data is generally complex to analyze, irrespective of what size you’re dealing with. Most data scientists and programmers are constantly looking for ways and tools to minimize bulky long log texts, to make comprehension easier and accurate. Many people think that they only need to upgrade their data skills when they get to national levels – banks, maybe Hollywood, and hopefully the FBI. But the truth is everything that works with a database, and in there lays tons of files and information.
Here is what I’m saying: you buy a burger with cheese at McDonalds, you scan your credit card, you reluctantly submit your ID, and then luckily, you win a free coupon which has the redeem location and expiry date. All the transactions and information gotten from a single purchase all goes down into a database. McDonalds serves 68 million people each day, so you could imagine the amount of data stored, processed, and retrieved.
I see SQL as the language to make your life better. SQL stands for Structured Query Language. It is a domain-specific language used in Data Science and programming to import, manage, process and modify data arrangements stored in a database. With SQL, you can easily manage a huge amount of raw data and analyze it seamlessly.
SQL helps you arrange data in the simplest and quickest means possible and embed it in other languages with SQL modules, libraries & pre-compilers. We will explore critical reasons why SQL is essential for all data and computer scientists.
SQL skills are what you need to increase professionalism
Is the skill set you have enough to guarantee you better opportunities? Do you think you can outperform other individuals in the same industry? From interviews I’ve conducted, the answers to these questions are frequently "No" – this is the main reason most programmers and data scientists keep losing opportunities – lack of proficiency.
According to research by Payscale, the average data analyst earns an annual salary of over $55,000.
It’s simple, better professionalism = more money.
Technology is constantly evolving, and the pressure to keep up with new skills is discouraging. SQL is used by over 50% of developers, so it is vital to get and maintain a career in the industry. It is never bad for non-technical professionals in a digitalized world to get a standard knowledge of SQL and its applications.
SQL and data analysis skills are in high demand
I love SQL because not every developer knows this skill, unlike C++ or python. Therefore it serves as an advantage for other developers that have mastered SQL. With employers looking for professionals with fresh ideas, new perspectives, and modern ways of analyzing data, it will be advantageous to professionals with knowledge of SQL. The truth is they are desperate, so demonstrating additional tech skills will give you an edge over other developers.
The amount of data produced keeps increasing rapidly as most industries are now adapting better technological perspectives to make work better and accurate. Humans created 2.5 exabytes of data per day in 2018 and are predicted to develop a surprising 463 exabytes daily in 2025. From marketing to education, to healthcare, to fashion, data scientists are generally in high demand – and higher for professionals with SQL skillsets.
SQL is one of the easiest languages to work with
With the vast selection of Programming languages, why should I spend my time learning SQL? Well, it is plain, simple, and with a user-friendly interface. We are all familiar with the long-hour process and extensive command-line configurations required to install Oracle 12c –a popular database server. Microsoft SQL is essential to install into your computer and comes with one swift click installation, increasing productivity.
Languages like Java and Ruby involve memorization of a sequence of procedures to finish a task. However, SQL utilizes declarative statements to pull data – it’s either the query works or doesn’t. SQL can be a great place to start for non-technical individuals interested in programming and data management. The cool thing is SQL works on plain English words to retrieve information, whereas other programming languages work on strings and binary.
Quick and stress-free access to information
With millions of businesses leveraging databases to store data, they also need split-second access to their information. For example, a footwear company needs to show the type of item purchased within a period, gender, the number of online customers, and what things remain in stock. Businesses can use this information to make profitable decisions and tactical business moves.
The EMS Manager, disk partitioning, and data mining tools of Sql makes data storage efficient, fostering fast information retrieval.
With SQL, both the work of the data scientist and the business managers are simplified because the data analyst won’t be under pressure to present information in a simple format, and the business manager won’t have to wait several hours or days to carry out business plans.
Final perspective
There are tons of learning platforms offering in-depth tutorials on SQL and its applications – some award you with certification on completion. You can start with these platforms and kick start your career.
- Intro to SQL: Querying and managing data via khan academy
- Sqlcourse.com
- Developing SQL databases via edX
Whether you are just starting with programming, looking for a new language to learn, add more skills to your portfolio, SQL is easy and straightforward no matter the amount of programming and data science experience you have.
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