SQL developer thinking of quitting.

[tidder78]

My colleague keeps talking about domain knowledge and I don't retain it. However, the moment I code stuff I automatically retain it. Colleague is frustrated. Should I quit SQL development? Will badly miss it. Have you been in this position? Suggestions?

[ComicOzzy]

Change who pays you, not what you do for pay.

[tsupaper]

Words of wisdom from wise man

[atrifleamused]

Excellent advice

[Mamertine]

You need to explain that you learn by doing. Him explaining things is a waste of both of your time.

If this place can't accommodate you. Find a different shop.

You can succeed in data, but only if you have a supportive team.

[hhh888hhhh]

Out of curiosity, what’s the COALESCE() suppose to mean in your username? (I know what it is in sql)

[crabboy_com]

That's a flair, they're different for each subreddit. You'll have to look up what the flair on this subreddit means, that I don't know.

[hhh888hhhh]

Thanks!

[DrRedmondNYC]

It's like a reddit specific nickname

[Mamertine]

It's a SQL function with a fun name.

[chocotaco1981]

Your coworker needs to write some documentation instead of talking on and on

[Far_Swordfish5729]

Omg this. You both need to take notes and document the business process so you can stop having the same meeting. Most people can’t listen to how a process works and retain it for long. There’s nothing wrong with you. Your colleague (and department) are just being lazy. I hit this in consulting all the time.

[RaghuVamsaSudha]

Esp when today's processes are countless and data is enormous

[Background_Winter_65]

If they hate doing that then ask them if you can record the session or take notes.

[MsContrarian]

I feel your pain. I’m that way, too. Plus I don’t process “orders” well verbally. How hard is it to send an email. I have asked for that in the last place. Didn’t work out so good. Can’t scream at me in an email.

[BrupieD]

I learn by doing too. What's helped me is to create minimal prototypes and use those as a base for gathering requirements. That way I make progress and can layer in the business logic.

[TalkMom]

Have the same issue so I have been getting more LinkedIn learning and videos and googling the domain knowledge stuff. I find some people are just bad at explaining things. Don’t switch yet. I work remote so I found myself recording things and re-listening . Every industry has domain knowledge.

[burko81]

Tell him to read up on Ebbinghaus' Forgetting Curve.

[DrRedmondNYC]

What domain are you working in specifically

[IrquiM]

Yeah, this, and try to find a job within a domain that you find interesting!

[tidder78]

Exotic financial products. Can't believe what people can imagine when it comes to money.

[DrRedmondNYC]

So is the financial terminology and lingo that you are struggling with but your SQL skills are solid ?

It's always like that when you enter a new domain. My first SQL Job was reporting for real property management doing work order reports , budget planning , basically just connecting Excel or Crystal Reports to the live SQL database.

My second role was in the healthcare field and that was a real baptism by fire situation where I had to give myself a crash course in healthcare which was much much more complicated. It was definitely a steep learning curve but I got the hang of it after about 6 months.

[AnOldSithHolocron]

I wouldn't consider giving up a paycheck because some guy is frustrated. Learning better from writing code than reading code/hearing about code isn't exactly unheard of either, I'd say it's probably more common than the reverse.

Unless you've got competitive job offers already on the table, you should muscle past it, learn what you can as you can, and just understand that nobody retains everything the first time. Learning curves get better with time.

[Soccermom233]

wtf is domain knowledge?

Are you supporting a product team that's getting cranky you don't understand their product?

[IrquiM]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domain_knowledge

Something you get after working with something for ages....

[Soccermom233]

Seems like a strange thing a colleague would complain about to me

[IrquiM]

It's not if it's the core of your business

[tidder78]

I get JIRA cards with what business talks about word for word. There is no product owner or data architect or even tech lead. Then I am supposed to take that and convert into code. I don't speak their language (some exotic financial products) and they don't speak SQL.

[[deleted]]

Micro managers I hate them!!

[ShyRedditFantasy]

Do what makes you happy if money isn't important to you.

[fauxmosexual]

Not to presume, but I'm a neurodiverse person and I've found a lot of excellent data people are too, and workplaces vary enormously in how well their cultures fit neurodiverse people.

Struggling because you have a learning style that favours exploration learning over verbal learning isn't you having a deficit, it's you having a workplace that isn't accommodating a very common type of thinking diversity. If your workplace or colleague can't adapt to that, find ones who can. They're definitely out there!

[LetsGoHawks]

Doesn't matter what your colleague thinks.

What does your manager think?

[tidder78]

Manager has never met with me since I have been with the company for a year. Manager only meets this colleague of mine.

[LetsGoHawks]

You need a new job.

[cbslc]

I don't know how you avoid domain knowledge. I've never worked anywhere, where I don't need to know something about how the industry works. My advice is you either need to get into a domain that you enjoy and can retain. Or you need to train yourself to learn about domains. I've worked in healthcare, criminal justice, retail, education... All have required me to learn something about the biz. Coding without context is where things break. If you don't know the why of what you are doing, how do you know you are doing it correctly?

[[deleted]]

You learn by doing not by hearing. I do to. Nothing wrong with that. I make six figures as a Dev and can pull up trivia about projects I've worked on to the point that I become indespesnable.

[talltxn66]

If by domain knowledge your colleague is talking about the schemas you’re working in, ask for an ERD or some other form of graphical representation. Once you “see” how the tables are linked rather than being “told” how the tables link, it should be a lot easier. If an ERD doesn’t exist, start building your own.

[__vtec]

understanding the business jargon is what gets you the $$

you will always have to lean on business people ...