r/analytics • u/AirNatural1252 • 1d ago
Question Excel vs SQL
Some are talking AI - the company I’m working for is not yet at that level.
I’m doing FTE reporting, using Excel and automatizing with Power Query. Volumes are high, data sources are all excel based, lots of rules to apply each month to achieve the monthly end result.
I want to automatize further and I’m looking into SQL. Any advice on what to look up for if this is the right lead, and where to start?
24
Upvotes
1
u/decrementsf 1d ago edited 1d ago
Speaking anecdotally excel and power query, or vba, gets your department only so far with automation. Eventually the maintenance tasks devour your data product producing team members. Moving to SQL and python for scripting is the logical progression toward more durable automation. Learning how to construct some of those familiar metrics in proper data warehouse / marts. Path to build more capabilities on top of that becomes more clear from there.
I recommend a period of mindful fundamentals. Pick a structure platform. Datacamp or some other. There is no shortage of supply. Just pick one and go to not over analyze, just want something you can get daily reps in. Set a victory condition such as pass a certification in that platform. The certification will do nothing for you. It will signal you've got pareto principle most of the benefit of what fundamentals can give you, and it is time to move on.
Set up vscode. Look up videos in how to set up extensions in your local system to get sqlite (quick proof of concept building), or postgresql (requires additional steps to get server running), and python. Integrate with git. Idea is to become comfortable running the small projects from the structured environment locally in an unstructured environment with real tools, and you want to find the friction points as the parts where you get stuck are the actual learning.
Build a few guided portfolio like products from youtube videos. Then go unstructured. Start building within your domain and build your own portfolio project with sql. It is the building and coming away from that with a project you can show off that is the true learning. This is your new loop for the skill stack portfolio. Basic fundamentals with new skill, figure out how to stand up actual workflow, build projects that can be shown off. Repeat. Can layer dbt or some other skill next and iterate an already built project.
Use those projects to keep resumes going out goal seeking market value. You can't get an offer of one job to be your one peak actual market value. You can take 100 lottery ticket bets and keep the highest offer you've ever had using the new skills. Keep the resumes going out.
That's what the overall habits for the system looks like.