SQL (Structured Query Language) is a domain-specific programming language designed for managing data held in a relational database management system (RDBMS). It enables you to access and manipulate databases. SQL became a standard of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in 1986, and of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1987.
SQL is one of the trending job skills in Coursera's 2020 Global Skills Index (GSI). Download the 2020 edition of the GSI report.
We recommend these courses for people with no prior experience that want to learn to use SQL in the context of data structures for data science-related implementation. You may be interested in familiarizing yourself with SQL more deeply to use it to access big data databases within your organization, or to use it for data science or data engineering needs. Whatever your end goal, this collection will cover the fundamentals of SQL and introduce you to its more advanced uses.
There are several certifications that show your competency in SQL. The first step towards certification is building up your expertise. SQL knowledge is easily accessible online through some of these courses.
According to Burning Glass, there were ~1M job postings in the last 12 months requiring SQL as a skill, offering an annual median salary of $95K. Common job titles include Software Developer, Database Administrator, Business Intelligence Analyst, and Web Developer. There are also functional role titles like Management Analyst, Financial Analyst and Marketing Manager need SQL for day-to-day work interacting with enterprise data warehouses.
You do not have to have any previous programming experienced before starting to learn SQL, but you'll likely understand it more quickly if you already have experience with JavaScript, C#, or PHP. It's helpful to have a fundamental understanding of what data is and experience working with it as well. You may also find it beneficial to learn a relational database management system like RDBMS or ER Model before learning SQL, which is a query language for standardized relational databases.
Some topics related to SQL that you can study—and can subsequently help you advance your career as an SQL developer—include data architecture, MySQL, Informatica, and online analytical processing (OLAP). Database optimization, database architecture, cubes, and database tuning are also related to SQL. You can also consider studying Apache Hadoop, database schemas, dimensional and relational modeling, and SQL server analysis services (SSAS).
If you want to start or advance your career as a database developer, analyst, or administrator, learning SQL is likely right for you. Learning SQL will help you become proficient in developing and maintaining information solutions and complex databases. If you're a logical thinker and interested in data, learning SQL may be a good fit for you as well. If you currently use a spreadsheet program like Excel or Google Sheets to manage large sets of data, learning SQL may be right for you, since it allows you to access data faster and more easily as well as handle bigger data sets.
Places that hire people with a background in SQL include data platforms on the internet like SurveyMonkey and Expedia Group, according to GlassDoor, and computer hardware and software companies, such as Microsoft, VMware, and Xero. IT service firms, such as Dell Technologies and Kforce, also hire people skilled in SQL, as do telecommunications companies like Verizon. You'll also find people with a background in SQL hired by investment and banking organizations, such as Fannie Mae, Bank of America, J.P. Morgan, and LPL Financial.