If you plan to pursue IT career, it is very likely that you will have to work with SQL at some point. SQL stands for Structured Query Language. SQL facilitates communication between software and various relational database management systems. Learning SQL has become increasingly popular amongst IT professionals, as relational databases play pivotal role in information management. You can get SQL training in several ways, which we discuss below.

You can learn SQL by taking a training course from one of the software companies producing RDBMS like Oracle or Microsoft Corp. If you are having a hard time getting an IT job, one of these official SQL certifications might prove to be invaluable in your job search.

Your second choice is to finish a course by independent IT companies offering educational IT courses. Although these SQL courses usually come with a hefty price tag, they might be quite helpful. If the company offering the SQL course have their own certification programs, you can take advantage of them as well.

So far we talked about official ways to learn SQL and get certified, but this is not your only option. There are many quality SQL books that can help you get up to speed with the language. If you decide to buy a SQL book and learn by yourself, then do some research online and choose a book that has great reviews.

All the SQL learning options we listed above are paid, however you can learn SQL for free by using one of the many online SQL resources. Many websites offer SQL guides free of charge and you can get your SQL questions answered in one of the many SQL discussion forums.

SQL is both ISO and ANSI standard, however many companies producing RDBMS software have made their own SQL extensions. MS SQL Server proprietary SQL extension is called T-SQL for example, while Oracle’s is called PL/SQL. Despite the fact that there are many SQL dialects, the important thing is to learn the SQL concepts and you’ll be able to work with any proprietary SQL extension.

Having SQL knowledge will help you in your work and will make you more valuable to your employer. Any of the SQL training options above can help you learn the language. What counts is your understanding of the language and your experience, so don’t waste another minute and start learning SQL now!

Learning SQL language is easy if you know where to start. Our SQL Training Guide will help you learn SQL.