On Being New and Getting Good

brandone-lance — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 10:28:22 +0000

Premise 1: There’s a lot of data out there.
Premise 2: This data is most usable when organized.
Corollary 1: A lot of data needs to be organized (ideally into related tables).
Premise 3: It behooves me to expand my skillset in needed areas.
Conclusion: I should learn SQL.

This makes sense, right?! It’s too late now anyway. Not only have I never studied formal logic, but I’ve already purchased the book. In fact, I bought it months ago.

"Why do I care," you ask.

Here’s the thing: I'm not a CS major. I have an MS in computational physics. Why does this matter? Because if you’re in similar shoes and want to do anything in the area of, e.g., data science, analytics, or statistical modeling, you’re wholly unprepared.

Clearly it’s not that we’re uneducated! In my case, I’m fairly comfortable with Python. I've dealt with and cleaned dirty data. I've applied machine learning algorithms to large datasets. These matter to potential employers, right?

So I browse job boards, as one does. I apply the necessary filters so that I'm staring only at a wall of entry-level positions. OK, so I've got an inkling of Python, lots of MATLAB, and a sliver of C++ experience... but Java? SQL? R? Ruby? SAS? These are all on a single entry-level job posting!

"What's your point, good sir?"

With my own field somewhat saturated, the career option I'm trying to open up is arguably a bit of a sidestep, but I was initially pretty overwhelmed at how underprepared I seem to be. Or else, how overprepared I'm expected to be. But instead of either being stagnant or fretting about what I should do next, I decided to learn something new.

You know... git gud.

And if nothing else, it helps my sanity. If you're anything like me, you need to learn, need to press on, need to feel like you're doing something that will help you later on.

So this is my point. Even when you're not where you want to be, investing in an otherwise useful skill is never a bad idea. In fact, if you're not pushing forward, you're probably falling behind.

Back to SQL...

So here I am, learning the ins and outs of DCL. Eh... who am I kidding? I've been fighting with permissions for hours.

Oh, BTW

I'm new and this is my first post, so hello all!

DEV Community: brandone-lance

On Being New and Getting Good

"Why do I care," you ask.

"What's your point, good sir?"

Back to SQL...

Oh, BTW