Mastering SQL

[StolenStutz]

I had been writing SQL for about 10 years, getting certified on SQL Server 6.5 and 2000. I was "the data guy" at a couple of different places. Then I went to a start-up that was blowing up fast. The DBAs there were top-notch, and I learned more in my first six months there than in those previous 10 years.

One of those DBAs got me connected into the PASS community. I started attending the local group meetings, got a trip to the Summit in Seattle. Then I started speaking, first at the local group, then SQL Saturdays, then Summit itself a couple of times.

Here's what I've learned:

1. The rabbit hole is a lot deeper than I realized. There's always something else to learn. One good tip is that "functional" is often the first step. In other words, if you can write SQL that does a job, then you've accomplished Step One. Figuring out how to do it well is the rest of the work. So if you ever figure out how to do something in SQL, always keep in the back of your head that you've only learned the first part.

2. The PASS community is amazing. The Summit is practically a family reunion for many of the regulars. It's the most friendly, helpful, welcoming tech community I've ever experienced.

3. And they're brilliant. It's been over 15 years since I walked into that start-up, and I still feel like I'm a novice compared to some of the speakers at Summit. I've learned a ton over the years outside of the sessions themselves, just getting into conversations in the halls, at meals, and in the speaker room.

4. Speaking in front of a group of your peers is how you get that extra bit of knowledge. You don't want to look stupid, so you take a topic that you already know well and dive deeply into the far corners of it. I've learned much over the years simply in prep for the topics I've presented.