SQL is SGS (Still Going Strong!)
SQL, or Structured Query Language, is the power behind all relational databases, be it Oracle, IBM’s DB2, Microsoft’s SQL Server, or MySQL, an open source database. Its origins lie in 1970s IBM work, and according to ComputerWeekly.com, “SQL has remained in constant high demand despite the decline and fall of some RDBMS (relational database management systems) suppliers.”
SQL Basics
The role of SQL is to manipulate data in relational database tables. While the types of data it handles have been extended, and updates made to the standard, SQL has remained the dominant way to exchange and integrate data from a variety of sources.
Rising Demand
Unlike many trends in the IT industry that tend to come and go quickly, SQL has stayed at the top of Computer Weekly’s most sought-after IT skills list year after year. The O’Reilly Radar also reports that while there has been “a popularity fall-off for languages such as C# and .NET [languages], SQL actually improved slightly.” In fact, the demand for SQL skills actually hit an all-time high in March 2012, and at year’s end, there was a 6% increase over 2011 in the demand for those with SQL skills. The explosive growth of mobile is helping keep the demand high, with SQL skills being the 4th-most popular skill in the mobile marketplace, behind only Java, Android and JavaScript.
Key Jobs and Complementary Skills
So if you have SQL skills, how can you put them to use? According to WANTED Analytics, the top jobs demanding proficiency in SQL include web developers, computer systems analysts, computer software (applications) engineers, computer programmers and database administrators. Additional skills that combine with SQL to make a job-seeker even more valuable include Java, software development, JavaScript, XML, RDBMS, UNIX, .NET and HTML.
SQL skills are wanted all over the world, says Tech Week Europe, which reports that SQL skills are the top demand from IT employers in the UK. If you’d like to put your SQL abilities to work closer to home, consider working with the technical talent specialists at Triumph Services. Based in Richmond, Virginia, Triumph Services maintains a network of clients and jobs that is second to none. Search our available positions today, or contact us to learn more!
