Is your current skill set sufficient to advance your career in the direction you desire? Most of us undoubtedly won't have a clear-cut "yes" to this question; because of this, many professionals enroll in certification training to access more in-depth education.

To land or keep a job in the business, it is imperative for those in data-driven professions, in particular, to stay current on technical skills and programming languages.

Acquiring new computer science abilities can be intimidating for these individuals because they are constantly changing. The programming language used by more than 50% of developers, SQL certification, is an excellent place to start if you want to ensure the profession's expectations are manageable.

Structured Language Query, also known as SQL, is a widely used database programming language for storing, accessing, and querying data that is regarded as a standard across many industries. SQL has been incorporated into all facets of business throughout its 45-year history, becoming one of the essential abilities for anyone working in a data-driven position.

But why is acquiring SQL knowledge one of the most clever moves a computer science expert can make? Continue reading to discover the top 5 reasons.

5 Reasons to Learn SQL

1. The demand for SQL experts is high

The massive volume of data produced globally is increasing at a startling rate; in 2018, humans produced 2.5 exabytes of data per day. By 2025, they will produce an impressive 463 exabytes each day. The use of data across industries has significantly increased along with this increase in data volume. Professionals with the SQL abilities essential to efficiently handle this vast amount of data are in high demand across various industries, including data science, marketing, and healthcare.

Additionally, many significant DBMS (Database Management Systems) integrate with SQL; thus, teams that frequently use more than one will benefit from having members who are fluent in this language. Even basic comprehension of this highly sought-after skill set can provide you with an advantage over other candidates in the hiring process in the current competitive employment market.

2. The industry considers SQL to be standard

In the 1970s, there were a wide variety of databases, each with its operating system, making migration incredibly challenging. Things were chaotic as a result. SQL was created with the intention of becoming the industry standard platform, making databases simpler to use for everyone, everywhere. It was born from the concept of relational databases and algebra.

As it became increasingly obvious that relational databases could not address all problems, various variants of SQL, including MySQL, SQLite, and Firebird, which are all still widely used today, were created.

3. Use of SQL is simple

Why do so many people invest in SQL when over 250 distinct programming languages are available? Comparatively speaking to some more sophisticated processes, it is straightforward to learn. For instance, although SQL employs declarative statements to fetch data, languages like Java demand that users memorize a set of steps in order to execute a task. With SQL, a query can either succeed or fail. Because SQL handles all the heavy lifting, you don't need to know how it gathers the data. In today's technologically advanced environment, learning SQL as a programming language is a smart choice for any industry. In fact, non-technical individuals are often compelled to study this skill set in order to further their careers.

4. SQL enables instant access to practical facts

Businesses must successfully use masses of information with millions or even billions of data cells at their disposal. This data can aid in creating better, more strategic business decisions, from product prices to sales to consumer information.

For instance, a corporation can quickly retrieve information using SQL if they want to test how many purchases took place in a specific location during a sale. The information can then be used to inform decisions about whether to run that sale in a different region or try a whole other offer in a different location. The organization can use these figures to inform choices and prevent effort wastage. This is very helpful for narrowing down the information you want to see after studying enormous data sets.

Did You Know? More firms than you may imagine use SQL as a fundamental part of their data strategies. Even well-known corporate apps like Microsoft Dynamics and Salesforce employ SQL as the basis for their other data operations.

5. Using SQL opens the door to programming

Learning SQL is a wonderful place to start if you've been interested in programming for some time. SQL can be an excellent starting point for programming because of its straightforward language structure, open-source (i.e. free) nature, and extensive use in industry. In contrast to other coding languages, consisting of long strings of numbers and letters that demand more memory, it is a straightforward language that uses English words to extract data from databases. In addition to giving you practice using and analyzing data, SQL can help you develop the mindset necessary to learn more complex coding languages later.

How to Develop Better SQL Skills

Almost any professional can benefit from having at least a basic comprehension of this technology, despite some people worrying that their technical abilities need to be improved or that their particular career path won't require SQL training. Learning these abilities can be quite advantageous, especially in the current climate when using data tools has become a requirement across businesses.

Consider online classes and boot camps if you want to specialize in SQL certification training. You may also get a deeper understanding of data by earning a master's in analytics from Microtek Learning. These talents can help you stand out in the job market and keep up with today's rapidly evolving digital environment.