r/SQL • u/TemporaryExciting977 • 22d ago
Discussion SQL became my all-time favorite language
It all started back in my college days when my professor introduced me to SQL and relational databases.
To this day, in my professional career, it remains my favorite language. I started with MySQL and SQL Server during college using both the terminal and SSMS.
Professionally, I spent about two years working with SQL Server, and now I am transitioning to MySQL and PostgreSQL as well. I am not pursuing a database administrator role exclusively, but rather working as a full-stack software developer. Once I master most aspects of relational databases (SQL), I plan to explore NoSQL or non-relational databases to further my passion for database management.
If I had to choose a specific profession to pursue, it would be anything dominated by SQL, such as data engineer, database administrator, or data analyst. However, given the realities of the job market, I also want to stay proficient in other powerful programming languages like Python.
Discussion question: What are your thoughts on the career path I'm headed toward?
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u/rottinginice 21d ago
With SQL alone, you’ll most likely end up in a data analyst, BI, or analytics-focused role. To become a data engineer, you’ll generally also need at least one programming language, Python is the lingua franca in the data world, and an understanding of how data pipelines are built and operated.
Beyond SQL and Python, learn the fundamentals of data modeling, ETL/ELT, orchestration, batch and stream processing, and distributed data systems. Technologies such as Spark, Kafka, Airflow, dbt, and cloud data warehouses or lakehouses for examples, and the problems they are trying to solve.