Who Should Learn SQL?

If you learn SQL, will you use it in your current (or dream) job? If you learn it, will it help you with your daily tasks? SQL has so much potential that everyone can benefit from it – including you! Read this article to find out how much you will gain by knowing SQL.

I could answer the title question with one word: everyone! But not everyone wants to learn SQL. And some professions require it as an essential, while in others it's more of a nice-to-have. So, let’s have a closer look at the advantages of SQL. Why is it worth learning? Where is SQL needed the most?

Data Is Everywhere

We live in a data-driven world. Actually, it’s difficult to find an area where collecting and managing data is NOT important.

It doesn't matter if you work in a global corporation, a startup, or a tiny company. Data is collected and needed everywhere. Each company has clients. Whatever service they need and buy – and the revenue the company is getting from it – needs to be documented. All internet users leave a lot of tracks: every online shopping session, every social media like, app usage – every interaction we do online is stored. And there’s no turning back from this path. Data is collected worldwide and always on purpose.

Storing and keeping all of that data is only the first step. Managing it and being able to use it is something else. If you know how to read the data and you understand its meaning, you can make better decisions and improve your business. But how do you do that? You need a good tool. And this is the moment where SQL steps in.

Advantages of SQL

SQL (Structured Query Language) is a language created to work with the data stored in relational databases. We use human languages like English to communicate with other people; SQL allows you to communicate with databases.

There are many advantages to using SQL. Its basic purpose is to retrieve large amounts of data efficiently and quickly. And it’s a standardized language; there’s a unified platform for users all over the world, and the language’s documentation and standards mean it can work in most popular database management systems with few alterations.

SQL is also portable. It can be used in almost any PC, smartphone, tablet, or server software. It runs in local systems and intranets as well as the internet. What is more, SQL databases can be moved from one device to another.

Thanks to open-source databases, you can use SQL for free. PostgreSQL is an example of a free database with a strong community behind it. And it's used by major companies as well as small businesses and even solopreneurs.

SQL can be used by programmers to create database-based applications like online shipping apps. When you “talk” to the database, you get the answer immediately, even for complex questions.

Last but not least, SQL is a very desirable skill in the job market. In IT support, web development, business data analysis, and many other areas, it is a required skill. Knowledge of SQL makes you an attractive candidate for a job. But SQL is also a required skill for managers who want to be a better boss thanks to data-driven insights.

Sounds great, right? But you may wonder how on earth you’re going to become an SQL specialist or expert. Good news! One of the best things about SQL is that it is quite easy to learn. It is based on English sentence structures, so you will pick up the basics quickly. To learn effectively, it is good to start with an online course. It will give you a way to build your skills and get to know people who have experience in the field.

5 Professions That Can Use SQL

Now that you know the advantages of SQL, should you learn it? Maybe your job isn’t in IT. How does SQL apply to finance or marketing? What if you own your own business doing a totally non-technical service? Can SQL help? Or maybe you’ve already started to work with data and want to advance to a higher level. Let’s find out how different positions use SQL.

Data Analyst

This job’s name speaks for itself. If you are a data analyst, your work life is all about data. You have tools like Excel and languages like R or Python to deal with data. But you’ll also need SQL in your toolkit. It is a must-have for a data analyst. SQL is stable, well-established, and is used in companies which store data in a structured format.

If you want to become a data analyst, you can start with some basics. Getting to know important terms can be a useful first step. Next, you can move on to an online course like our SQL Fundamentals mini-track. This will get you going with basic data analysis commands.

If you already have some experience with SQL and want to sharpen your data analytics skills, our SQL from A to Z track would be perfect. It moves from basic to advanced concepts, finishing up with things like calculating statistics and creating customized reports. It’s a comprehensive overview of what SQL has to offer.

Financial Analyst/Advisor

Maybe you’re a whiz at finance. Or maybe you are good at SQL but don’t know how to use it to analyze financial data. First of all, SQL likes all data. The more complex the data, the better solution SQL is for it. And financial data can be very complicated.

Knowing SQL at an advanced level will make it easier for you to perform complex financial analysis. If you are ready to dive into sophisticated SQL patterns, check out this article on 6 Advanced SQL Queries for Analyzing Financial Data.

Marketing Professional

In marketing, the customer is the most important factor; everyone wants to know how they make their decisions to buy (or not buy).

If you work in marketing, you may be surprised to learn that SQL can help here. You can use SQL to create reports on sales, conversions, or acquisitions. With SQL you can quickly find data that will help you make better decisions about your product/service, marketing campaigns, and customer offers. You will have a better understanding of your client’s behaviors and be able to react accordingly.

And you can now build your skills in the safe environment of an online classroom. In our Customer Behavior Analysis course, you’ll work on an example dataset from an imaginary online store. You’ll be able to learn new skills without risking any real data.

Business Owner

As with marketing, SQL lets you analyze trends and understand customers. You can use it to create various revenue reports, including the:

• Total revenue of your company.
• Revenue in a given period, such as quarterly, year-to-date, and month-to-date.
• Revenue across different time periods.

If you already know the basics of SQL, try our Revenue Trend Analysis course, where you can work on real-world scenarios and learn these practical skills.

Freelancer

The current job market has made freelancing a real career option for many.  If you plan to develop your career as a freelancer, you probably already know how important it is to improve your skills. You may also know that the IT industry is a good place for independent workers.

If you start to work as a junior programmer or a software developer, SQL will come in handy. Or maybe you are more advanced and want to work as an independent data engineer. SQL is in the top five data engineering skills, so you’ll need to know it well and maybe consider pursuing a data engineer certification to enhance your resume.

Learn SQL – It’s Worth It!

SQL is a really comprehensive tool. As you can see, it is useful in many industries and job roles. Actually, it is difficult to find a place where SQL cannot be an asset, and this trend is still growing. In addition to the examples I’ve given, there’s also a need for SQL proficiency in the healthcare sector, for teachers and educators, and by quality assurance and business intelligence/analysis careers – among many more!

Whatever career path you are on, it is worth investing your time in learning SQL. We shouldn’t ask who needs SQL and why; we should ask why we aren’t learning it yet!

Do you have experience with SQL in another field or business? Or maybe you’ve participated in some interesting projects where SQL played an important role? Share your story with us in the comments.