SQL SERVER – 3 Quick Videos on Careers, Certifications and Information

SQL in Sixty Seconds has been a very popular channel on YouTube. Here are three of the videos which are based on the Careers, Certifications and Information. Let me know what you think of the same. Additionally, if you like the SQL in Sixty Channel, please subscribe over here. In year 2014 we are planning to bring new Sixty Seconds videos on various interesting tips and tricks for SQL Server.

My Thoughts on Careers and Certifications

I picked careers, certifications and information for these videos because they matter to everyone who works with data, not only to SQL Server experts. My view has stayed simple over the years. A career grows from the problems you solve for others. Certifications are useful because they give your learning a structure and a deadline, but they do not replace real experience. Information is everywhere now, so the skill is no longer finding it. The skill is picking what to learn next and ignoring the rest.

If you are just starting, here is what I would do. Pick one area, such as performance tuning, and go deep for a few months. Build a small lab on your laptop and use it every week, because hands-on time is where real confidence comes from. Write about what you learn, even if only a handful of people read it. Teaching something is the fastest way to find out what you do not understand yet. Take a certification when it lines up with your goal, not just because a friend took it. Most importantly, stay curious. The technology will change many times during your career, and curiosity is the one skill that never goes out of date.

Published by Pinal Dave on SQLAuthority. More of my work at pinaldave.com.