They're Right: You Have to Learn SQL!
Discussing the need for Data Scientists to know SQL |
Hey friend, I know what's happening out there: you're reading everywhere on the Internet that you have to learn SQL if you want to become a Data Scientist. Your LinkedIn feed is full of posts from gurus telling you that you must learn it! And you are thinking something like: "Oh, man! Isn't Python enough?!". or: "Oh, c'mon! Why do I have to learn it?! I can open tabular data! You just want to sell me your SQL course!!". Well, I have good and bad news for you. The bad news is that they're right: you need to know SQL if you want to become a Data Scientist. The good news is that you mainly need the basics. And you can also learn it for free. Let me explain. The beautiful world where you're living now is structured like that:
Did I guess it right?! Well, here's the problem: when you work with companies you have two options:
If the company you're working for has a database, then you have no option: you have to retrieve the data from it and you need to know how to query a relational database with SQL! If they don't have a database, you know what happens? They'll throw you a plethora of files (not just one, like you're doing right now!) in CSV, Excel, and other imaginative formats (even in PDF, sometimes!!). You'll have to retrieve the data from them - spending a lot of time! -, order them somehow, and start your analyses. It can even happen that you'll have a mixed situation: a part of the data you have to analyze is in a database, and the other part is in a lot of files in different formats. But, please, don't get me wrong. I don't want to scare you. I just want to tell you that, yes: you need to know some SQL. But just "some" of it because:
"Ok, Federico: you convinced me! Where do I start?" You can start for free with SQL BOLT here. With SQL BOLT you'll learn the theory and make the right practice to learn the SQL you need (and more of it, if you want to deepen it). But, believe me, you'll mainly need "SELECT FROM WHERE GROUPBY". Don't know what does it mean? Learn SQL! ;) RESOURCES FOR YOU
That's all for this week. Have a lovely weekend, Federico Copyright © 2023 Federico Trotta, All rights reserved. Federico Trotta: p.zza A. De Gasperi, 13. 52044 Cortona, Italy. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. |
Federico Trotta
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