Nowadays, no matter you are in R&D, sales, finance or HR, you cannot avoid dealing with data. The storage forms of data are various, but the most common ones are still spreadsheets or databases. Many people have become very professional in spreadsheets, but if you can learn a little SQL, you will become more powerful in your work.
Data analysis covers all aspects of business, from R&D to marketing, accounting, etc. Without the ability to efficiently query massive amounts of data, data analysis would be impossible.
One of the most common databases today is the relational database, and the corresponding query and analysis language is SQL. SQL is very powerful and can easily extract any data you want from large datasets.
Although SQL has traditionally been the domain of trained data analysts and programmers, it is increasingly being embraced by non-technical personnel for many reasons.
1.SQL is Easy to Learn
Unlike learning a professional programming language, SQL is easy to learn. It's not an exaggeration to say that if you just want to perform simple data queries to meet your daily needs, you can learn the most commonly used SELECT syntax in just 10 minutes.
Of course, SQL is a very powerful language, and mastering it requires in-depth study and practice. Usually, only professional DBAs, programmers, and data analysts need to reach this level of proficiency.
There are many online tutorials available for learning SQL, and most entry-level courses and resources are free. Typically, you can complete the basic usage of SQL in just a few hours. You can also invest more time to become an SQL expert, but for most businesses, having a basic understanding of SQL is sufficient.
2.SQL Can Easily Handle Big Data
Today, even the smallest organizations maintain and use vast amounts of data. The ability to effectively mine data and present it in an easily understandable format is essential.
If you've ever analyzed a relatively large dataset using Excel, you're probably well aware of the limitations of spreadsheets like Excel when dealing with such data. Most of the time, your Excel program becomes unresponsive.
3.SQL is a more robust and faster method for handling large datasets.
Knowing SQL Can Cultivate More Valuable Team Members
Every team within an organization has its own data needs. Marketing teams need to understand customer needs and desires, as well as the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Manufacturing and engineering departments need to focus on productivity, yield rates, and other data.
Accounting teams can use big data to understand market trends, and executives need data from every department to formulate long-term organizational strategies. However, relevant data may be contained in various datasets throughout the organization. Learning SQL can easily integrate data from multiple sources and present complex datasets in a more intuitive manner.
Learning SQL Offers More Potential Return on Investment
SQL knowledge is a highly marketable skill, and learning SQL is an effective use of time, thus offering high potential return on investment.
4.Having SQL skills on your resume can create opportunities for advancement within your organization. If your current company doesn't value this skill, rest assured that there are many companies out there looking for people with these skills.
Essentially, basic SQL knowledge allows you to complete tasks that may have previously required assistance from others. By bypassing intermediaries, you can increase efficiency and reduce potential delays in completing projects.
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