Job Possibility- Need to learn some SQL fast

So, I have a friend who has forwarded my resume to his new employer. He mentions that there is some pretty basic SQL server questions that they will ask, I have no experience with SQL. I am downloading the software and will skim some books, but does anyone have any advice on what basics I should be sure to learn?

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Comments

Psoasman

During the interview, I would be honest about your SQL knowledge. Let them know that you have started learning it, but don't have experience with it yet.

hiddenknight821

Just one thing I want to tell you. Don't kill yourself with this. It's best if you can be honest with your employer. Let them know you're eager to learn once you get the job, because it would be a waste of time if they are looking for person with SQL experience. I can see your enthusiastic, and that's great. That's what the employer needs to know so that he doesn't have to waste money on you through some trainings.

Jourdsh

Oh, I plan to be honest, it isn't a database job, so I don't think I need to know that much about SQL. However if I wanted to show that I have at least started to learn about it, I was starting in the right spot.

blargoe

Don't sweat it, and don't "study" for the interview and try to act you know SQL. As Psoaman said, you can tell them you have just started learning SQL, but are not experienced. If they're looking for a SQL DBA, then, yeah, you're not going to be hired. If SQL isn't a primary responsibility for this job, it isn't going to be that big of a deal if you're not strong in that area.

My second IT job was a low-level systems admin position that had responsibility over a couple of SQL clusters in some 24/7 warehouse operations, among other duties. I had zero experience in SQL Server, but the combination of me hitting it off with the manager and me being able to demonstrate the ability to grow and pick up new things quickly (as evidenced by showing increased responsibilities at the first job plus getting some Microsoft certs) landed me the job anyway, with a SQL Server course booked for me a couple weeks after my hire date.

Essendon

Good advice already by the other posters. As for lying about knowing something at an interview, I've got a little story. A person I know works for Australia's biggest betting company. They hired a chick who pretended she knew Checkpoint inside out. Somehow she bluffed her way through the interview, she was reported to have excellent communication skills. She got kicked out 4 hours into her first day. Imagine having someone like her having unlimited access to your firewalls. Nooooo...!!

Bottom line, never lie. Just say you are learning the product.

nhpr

Since no one seems to have directly answered the question, here's an option for learning SQL. Download MySQL or PostgreSQL, and play around in the command-line. Make a database. Create silly tables like "family." Put in records for each member of your extended family. Alter the table to add a field such as "height." Delete your least favorite family members. Change their names. Etc.

Basically, if you can INSERT, DELETE, UPDATE, and SELECT you're about 80% of the way there.

Here's a link for some of the basics: http://www.w3schools.com/sql/default.asp

powerfool

nhpr wrote: »

Since no one seems to have directly answered the question, here's an option for learning SQL. Download MySQL or PostgreSQL, and play around in the command-line. Make a database. Create silly tables like "family." Put in records for each member of your extended family. Alter the table to add a field such as "height." Delete your least favorite family members. Change their names. Etc.

Basically, if you can INSERT, DELETE, UPDATE, and SELECT you're about 80% of the way there.

Here's a link for some of the basics: SQL Tutorial

If the job has anything to do with MS SQL Server, just get the latest release of SQL Server Express, or whatever it is called today. There are plenty of tutorials online.

You will want to learn the basics of SQL though... the w3schools.com link should have something. Lookup up topics on database normalization (and learn about the different levels for "normal form"). Maybe read up a bit on E.F. Codd, the "father" of relational databases.

Heck, you never know, you may really enjoy SQL. If you are to learn it and start to have fun, you may want to research further into data warehousing and business intelligence; that is where a lot of opportunity exists in the DB area.