Why I Learned SQL Finally After Postponing For 10 years
And why everyone who works in an internet company should as well
I hated Programming in uni
Why?
- Looked nerdy
- Felt complicated
- Not sure how I could apply in the real world (the C-language homework is compiled in a text-based black window… come on🤯)
- The curriculum didn’t guide you step-by-step ( I still remember learning the “if-then loops”, “for-loops” and some syntax, then woola… your homework was to make a game out of it)
After copying so much programming homework in uni, I can barely code anything, and I had been terrified of it. I had kept telling myself, “I’m not good at coding”, “Coding isn’t for me”.
Ironically, I started learning coding, SQL to be specific, exactly after 10 years in 2021.
What happened?
In short, SQL became the basic job requirement in many tech companies, just like requiring you to know Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint.
If you work in a corporation that has data in a database, and you need to analyze data from time to time, you would need to learn SQL.
“But my company has data analysts or data scientists to extract data for me…”
I used to have a team of data analysts to work with as an in-house consultant, but they all got fired during covid. The same thing happened in my new job as a business analyst at JD.com. The company asked everyone in our team and other departments to learn SQL while letting go of the people from the Data Team.
Why?
Simply extracting data from a database doesn’t create much business value, and it is a learnable skill for most people, so companies don’t want to spend money on Data Analysts.
Besides this super practical reason, here are other benefits of learning SQL:
- SQL trains up your logical thinking. SQL involves basic logic in programming, like “if-then” logic (in SQL, it’s Case) and “while-then” logic (in SQL, it’s When or Having). They are great for training logical thinking.
- You no longer need to rely on others. I had spent a lot of time asking people to extract data for me, most of the time I need to wait until they are free, or a tiny miscommunication would lead to the repetitive workload from both sides. Now I can do it all by myself in any way I want.
- You will get paid more. SQL is a valuable skill set in the modern world, where all companies now have a massive amount of data to analyze. It’s a skill that can be used in nearly every industry, and complement your current skillsets. Companies are willing to invest more in people who can handle data.
I learned SQL on Codeacademy and it’s so much easier
I learn to program on Codeacademy because they break down the curriculum into bite-size, but it’s also very comprehensive. You can directly focus on writing codes on the website and compile, and deal with all the other software installations later. I paid for their Pro Subscription, but I think their SQL course should be free.
Let me know if you would kick start learning SQL today in the comment session!
