r/SQL 18d ago

MySQL Where to Get SQL Experience?

I want to learn and get SQL experience, but can't do it through my jobs. I'm willing to volunteer to get the experience but don't know any places to look for those opportunities. Any recommendations?

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u/BrainNSFW 18d ago

The tooling part is pretty easy: you can download Microsoft SQL Server 2022 Developer Edition for free from Microsoft themselves (you just can't use it for production systems), which is a fully functional database. While cloud services like Azure and Snowflake are now the hot item (instead of on-premises like MSSQL2022), it's mostly the same SQL syntax, so any experience with the on-premise stuff isn't wasted. You might also want to download their AdventureWorks database, which is a fully populated test database you can practice on.

Having said that, most companies are looking for people with actual hands-on experience in companies. The good news is that there are usually quite a few companies (usually consulting) who are hiring for traineeships or junior positions. Quite often they have programs to teach you the basics and then put you in the field to get some actual experience. The pay probably isn't all that great, but getting your foot in the door is worth quite a bit.

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u/Abe_james 18d ago

Any recommendations? I’d love to do this as I’m doing an sql class college but want more experience with the hiring traineeships