On the path to learning data science, there is an obvious, bite-sized starting point: SQL, or secure query language. SQL is not a programming language. It’s the language humans use to interface with data in databases to add, delete or compare information.
SQL has been around a long time, and most of us have used some form or another. If you use a time/billing or case management system in your firm you are using some version of SQL, even if it’s hidden behind a layer of point-and-click user-friendliness. SQL allows manipulation of data, and learning it gives a cognitive framework that trains the mind to begin thinking about information as data.
The good news about SQL is it’s easy and fast to learn. I used Codecademy.com‘s “Learn SQL”, which takes under 3 hours to complete.