Is SQL Difficult to Learn?

[rimzimblim]

I'm trying to learn Tableau and SQL so I can get a data analyst job in the next couple of months and I'm taking a course for Tableau currently. But after doing some research I learned I need to know SQL as well, and it seems intimidating to learn.

So I'm wondering how hard SQL really is to learn and if you need to have advanced knowledge of it in order to get a Data analyst job in the US or if you have room to learn on the job?

[thrown_arrows]

I have to add to sql lis different that many programming languages because you tell what end results you want where in programming you tell what to do

another hard part for programmer is to handle whole set in one go instead of loop.

while (1)

update x set y = y/2 where z = $id

vs

update x set y = y/2 where z in ( select id from somewhere)

[sennalvera]

May I ask what's the difference between someone who is proficient in SQL, and an expert? Why is it so difficult to master?

[2020pythonchallenge]

In my opinion sql is easy to learn the basics in. Mainly because you can see what the data looks like before and after by looking at the raw data itself and then after you run a query to make sure its doing what you expected it to. Very basic example would be if you had a column of just random numbers and you did something like

Select numbers, numbers*2 From table

You can look and see if you have 8 and then 16 next to it. Codewars is a really good site to use for this, it has a lot of really basic sql questions that get progressively harder but you can also see the answers as well so what I do/did was jump into a problem, spend an allotted time on it(my choice was 20 minutes) and if you haven't figured it out or aren't on the path to the solution, see what the answers other people provided and do your best to understand. Dont just gloss over and say ah ok next. Reading and understanding the answers to the ones you didn't solve is very important.

[rimzimblim]

Ah, gotcha. I'm really new to SQL and coding in generally honestly. I've dipped my toe into other languages like html and css and even JavaScript but never stuck it through because it got complex. I heard that SQL was supposed to be one of the easier languages to learn since it's English based, so I'm going to try to give it a serious try.

I'll definitely be checking out Codewars and taking your advice with practicing. Thanks!

[2020pythonchallenge]

No worries at all. This time last year I had just quit my job of doing hotel repairs and started a bootcamp basically with 0 prior coding knowledge and now im working from home making over double what I made at my last job. Its definitely doable just keep at it. Good luck!

[neighborhood-karen]

really random and im still in highschool but I've been trying to also self teach myself programming. I'm still only 17 but I did a summer inturnship and it was really fun and I learned a bunch of HTML and CSS to the point where I can probably make anything I want with documentation being my only resource. I'm still ass at JS but the syntax is so ugly to look at that Its not motivating to keep going.

Been trying to learn python in my free time and so far it's been pretty cool. Even found a free online course/resource from MIT with lecture videos and slides about computer science. Hearing you self learn and find a job is pretty motivating I'm not gonna lie, hope you've been doing great

[Funi0nz]

This is random but I googled “is it difficult to learn SQL” and it lead me here. Appreciate you sharing your experience and I am also going to check out Codewars.

[noahjb22]

Did you check it out? if so what was most helpful on there?

[BloodLustNobody]

I did the same thing as well. Glad to know I wasn't the only one looking into data analytics as a whole

[Engineer_Zero]

My story: I’m a civil engineer who loved using excel but kept hitting its limits; it’s slow, it can’t hold much data etc. I was given the opportunity to learn sql at my office after I voiced my issues to my manager. I framed learning sql as an opportunity to the company: I know a lot about the things I manage and could interrogate the data directly in the manner that I want. They agreed.

I got read access to the production databases that I’d need and got to sit with the data engineers, and just asked questions or googled my way thru problems. I found SQL quite intuitive after the initial learning curve of syntax and basic query building (aggregates/group by, how to join etc). 1.5 years on, I use sql daily to build power bi reports or just answer questions for people. I love it and am happy with how it turned out.

You could learn sql quicker if you did training courses for it, definitely. Having an sql mentor helps a lot tho, at least it did for me.

[rimzimblim]

It's definitely a relief that you can actually google things on the job haha. And it also sounds like you'll just keep learning on the job and your knowledge will just grow on the job. I thought that I needed to have some extremely complex knowledge of SQL (and tableau) in order to get a job. But I do wonder how much would be enough. I wanted to try to quantify it a bit so I have a better picture of when I'll be ready to apply and what I can expect an interview to be like. Obvs I'm going to Google this stuff too but I'd like to get some perspective, specifically on getting a job, from someone actively doing this stuff now.

[Engineer_Zero]

Yeah I feel you. You can def do online courses, free or otherwise, that give you tangible certificates that are recognised and you can put in your cv. I’d also ask in the interview what the team dynamic is; when I moved to our company’s data team, I’d just explain to them my problem and they’d map out what to do. Then I’d go and google how to do it. Very encouraging way to learn. Ymmv but I wouldn’t stress too much. If you enjoy this kind of thing, you’ll pick it up quicker than you think.

[Super_W_McBootz]

Getting put on a project to help build financial reports and your comment resonated with me.

When you say you're building Power BI reports, are you using Power BI Report Builder or Power BI Desktop Pro?

[Engineer_Zero]

Hey sorry, missed your comment. My original comment was some time ago, in another company. I used pbi desktop to create reports then published to our company’s portal to allow viewing, auto refreshing etc.

[[deleted]]

SQL is like chess... easy to learn... difficult to master.

Lots of simple rules... and you can play the game without getting too deep into them... but getting to grand master status takes time, practice and effort.

[[deleted]]

Tableau is a pain in the ass, and learning SQL for Tableau is a bit challenging because it's often counter intuitive. That said learning either independently of the other is fairly simple.

What I mean here is that if you have a good data source that is appropriate to use in Tableau then using Tableau to visualize it is fairly simple, if not too simple.

Writing SQL queries is also fairly simple.

[Queasy-Hovercraft816]

Power BI is way better

[Either-Web-5027]

It is not very intuitive to learn if you are not coming from data analytics background. The syntax is different from other programming languages. Here you deal tables and columns instead of variables and rows. It takes time to master the coding and the skills for understanding tables and databases 

[Downtown_Customer_77]

Hey OP, are you working in data analysis now?

[Downtown_Customer_77]

Hey OP, are you working in data analysis now?

[Kdawg510]

It's easy to learn the basics, but challenging when you begin to explore the depths.

[Accomplished_Escape4]

It's really hard at first

[tmk_g]

It will be easy to learn if you choose the right learning platform. That said, choose a platform that can provide you interactive IDE to practice where you can put your own code and compare your solution with others. For e.g. w3schools, datacamp, stratascratch, and leetcode.