September 3, 2014 at 12:33 pm
Hi all,
Sorry in advance if this is against forum rule and/or has been asked before numerous times/or if this is the wrong section. đŸ˜¡
As for my question, I'm trying to learn SQL on my own right now so that I can eventually use it in a working environment. IE: Get a job SQL related as perhaps an analyst or dba.
I have general knowledge of it but never took a full course on it. Does anybody have any recommended based on this request on how to get started? From the start? Completely understanding the linguistics of the language so I can speak it fluently in an interview/e-mail? Then perhaps learning the language from the base up (from installing a SQL program such as Server 2012 or MySql to the coding assignments, examples, tests, etc.
Any books/online sites to get this party started would be extremely helpful. (I've already gone through w3school).
Best,
September 3, 2014 at 1:35 pm
Hey, welcome to the forum.
This site has some great resources called stairways. Have a look at this one:-
http://www.sqlservercentral.com/stairway/75773/
It's called Stairway to T-SQL DML. That's Transact-SQL the flavour of SQL that SQL Server uses and DML, data manipulation language, so selects, updates, inserts, deletes etc.
September 4, 2014 at 6:09 am
The hardest thing standing between you and a job is not knowledge or a particular course. The hardest thing is experience. Few companies have entry level data professional positions. It's almost always a more experienced opening. So, you have to gain experience without having a job, no easy thing. My suggestion is to find local volunteer organizations, a homeless shelter, scout troop, church, school, something, that has either a data need or an existing database. Volunteer to solve the problems for them and then go to work. At least then, when you do apply for work, you'll have real experience. Otherwise, chances are, you're going to have a very tough time finding work.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
- Theodore Roosevelt
Author of:
SQL Server Execution Plans
SQL Server Query Performance Tuning
September 4, 2014 at 6:20 am
Grant Fritchey (9/4/2014)
The hardest thing standing between you and a job is not knowledge or a particular course. The hardest thing is experience. Few companies have entry level data professional positions. It's almost always a more experienced opening. So, you have to gain experience without having a job, no easy thing. My suggestion is to find local volunteer organizations, a homeless shelter, scout troop, church, school, something, that has either a data need or an existing database. Volunteer to solve the problems for them and then go to work. At least then, when you do apply for work, you'll have real experience. Otherwise, chances are, you're going to have a very tough time finding work.
Another way is to talk the the data\BI guys at your current place. I got the job I'm doing now by constantly asking my now colleagues if they could change reports to make my life easier. They eventually asked if I'd like to become part of the BI team and they trained me up. That's cutting a long story short but it might be something to consider.
How to post a question to get the most help http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Best+Practices/61537
September 4, 2014 at 6:47 am
BWFC (9/4/2014)
Grant Fritchey (9/4/2014)
The hardest thing standing between you and a job is not knowledge or a particular course. The hardest thing is experience. Few companies have entry level data professional positions. It's almost always a more experienced opening. So, you have to gain experience without having a job, no easy thing. My suggestion is to find local volunteer organizations, a homeless shelter, scout troop, church, school, something, that has either a data need or an existing database. Volunteer to solve the problems for them and then go to work. At least then, when you do apply for work, you'll have real experience. Otherwise, chances are, you're going to have a very tough time finding work.Another way is to talk the the data\BI guys at your current place. I got the job I'm doing now by constantly asking my now colleagues if they could change reports to make my life easier. They eventually asked if I'd like to become part of the BI team and they trained me up. That's cutting a long story short but it might be something to consider.
Yeah, true. I was assuming you weren't already in or near a technical position. I more or less got into being a data pro the same way. I volunteered for anything I could until I was doing the work full time. But, it's still about building up enough experience in order to arrive at the position you want.
"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
- Theodore Roosevelt
Author of:
SQL Server Execution Plans
SQL Server Query Performance Tuning
September 4, 2014 at 6:55 am
Grant Fritchey (9/4/2014)
BWFC (9/4/2014)
Grant Fritchey (9/4/2014)
The hardest thing standing between you and a job is not knowledge or a particular course. The hardest thing is experience. Few companies have entry level data professional positions. It's almost always a more experienced opening. So, you have to gain experience without having a job, no easy thing. My suggestion is to find local volunteer organizations, a homeless shelter, scout troop, church, school, something, that has either a data need or an existing database. Volunteer to solve the problems for them and then go to work. At least then, when you do apply for work, you'll have real experience. Otherwise, chances are, you're going to have a very tough time finding work.Another way is to talk the the data\BI guys at your current place. I got the job I'm doing now by constantly asking my now colleagues if they could change reports to make my life easier. They eventually asked if I'd like to become part of the BI team and they trained me up. That's cutting a long story short but it might be something to consider.
Yeah, true. I was assuming you weren't already in or near a technical position. I more or less got into being a data pro the same way. I volunteered for anything I could until I was doing the work full time. But, it's still about building up enough experience in order to arrive at the position you want.
I wasn't techie at first, just irritating. I had the best part of ten years under my belt in the ops side of the business. My then boss and current boss figured what I lacked in technical experience I made up for in operational experience and they could teach me how to write a query and build a report. I did a couple of days each week in my day to day job and a couple of days training with the BI team. Admittedly I was very lucky but I've never looked back.
How to post a question to get the most help http://www.sqlservercentral.com/articles/Best+Practices/61537
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