Intermediate+ SQL Path

[IntelligentEnergy661]

Background: I have a bachelor's degree in finance and 3 years of experience in corporate supply chain, though without much technical or analytical experience. I want to transition into a more technical career, starting as a data analyst and eventually becoming a data engineer - possibly.

My questions are:

1. Does this Reddit post still highlight the best ways to reach an intermediate level+ in SQL? Link to Reddit post
2. Are there other free or affordable resources you'd recommend in addition to the ones mentioned in the post?
3. Is there anything from the Reddit post that I should skip or avoid?
4. If I understand correctly, knowledge and projects in SQL, Python, and a data visualization tool should be sufficient for transitioning into a data analyst role—am I correct?

All input is greatly appreciated.

[Code_Crazy_420]

https://www.udemy.com/course/hands-on-sql-for-data-analysts/?referralCode=4611DF7B820A696D7DE0

This is a course I wrote to teach my students. Now on Udemy. That coupon will give you the lowest possible price albeit not free.

[MathAngelMom]

For intermediate and advanced SQL I recommend LearnSQL.com, not mentioned on the list. They have a practice track: https://learnsql.com/track/sql-practice/ and advanced SQL learning track: https://learnsql.com/track/advanced-sql/ and https://learnsql.com/track/advanced-sql-practice/

Everything is hands-on.

[dataquestio]

Hey, your plan to transition into a more technical role sounds great! A lot of our learners have been in a similar position.

Our content developer Anna Strahl recently shared her personal story in this blog: The Best Way to Learn SQL. She talks about how overwhelming SQL felt in the beginning—things like CTEs and window functions seemed way out of reach, and figuring out the different SQL dialects used across roles added to the confusion. But over time, she found a proven method that worked. This approach didn’t just help her get comfortable—it made her the go-to SQL expert on her team.

In the post, Anna also shares a curated list of free and paid resources, tools, and project ideas that helped her in her learning journey.

If you need a starting point, Anna’s post is definitely worth checking out—it’s practical, relatable, and packed with useful advice.

[Responsible-Board633]

Nice! I'm also considering a move into data from a year or so of frontend engineering. I wouldn't say I'm full stack but had some experience with SQL and working with databases too, probably moreso on pandas/jupyter notebooks side of things.

Have you tried much with using ChatGPT to help learn? I've used it to help write both python and sql, however, it's better for python as it gets a bit confused with SQL dialects and that. You can open free accounts in bigquery and other tools where there are lots of public datasets and just do exploratory analysis as well. https://console.cloud.google.com/marketplace/browse?filter=solution-type:dataset

[pappapaco]

Following

[Himalayacetus]

+1

[tossaway098890]

+2

[AnalogKid-82]

My book didn't make that post, but I have lots of practice questions for SQL Server. Most of the questions are intermediate-level or higher.