The beginning

I'm a junior developer and I have in my first year in the field produced things on the web, built console application and also database development. I like all of the different techniques and is very open to all paths due to that I liked them all. But now I want to deepen my skills in database development. This is an area I enjoy really much and where I feel I can produce the most value for others. These are also the two most important aspects for me if I want to become really good at something, joy and impact for others.

So as a junior developer who works almost daily with T-SQL, I need a broad ground to stand on in database development and deep knowledge on how to work with T-SQL. But the subject at hand is very complex and deep. Also, it is hard for me as a beginner to clearly see what I need to learn and which subjects that are relevant in which order.

I also want a tangible goal that I can strive after and achieve. A goal which I can break down and measure and quite easily see in which areas I need to practice in. In the beginning, I first thought about creating my own study plan but I have a family with 2 kids and not a lot of spare time on my hands So I want to put as little energy and time as possible into building the path on which I should follow to get to the goal. I rather want my time to be put in to follow the path and in building the skills I need.

So with this in mind and after many hours of search I founded that the Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) SQL 2016 Database Development to be the best solution for me. This certification is designed to assert a person's expertise around SQL Server 2016. It is made up of two exams:

70-761 – SQL 2016 Database Development

70-762 – Developing SQL Databases

This will give me a clear goal and where each exam is divided into specific areas. So here I have a very clear path and I can see which subjects I should focus on in which order.

They say that when pursuing this certification you should have two or more years of experience writing queries. Well, I have roughly 6 months of experience. This first put me to a negative mind about doing this right now. Maybe I should wait another year or so? But I changed my mind rather quickly. I'm aiming for the stars here and I will try to get this exam in 2019! And even if this is a big task, I will tackle it step by step and one piece at the time.

But with my rather short experience, I'll need to study smart and efficient.

This is the reason for this blog. To help me understand T-SQL and database development in the best way possible. Because when I try to explain things for someone else it really makes me have to think about it and that drives my knowledge deeper. Also and most importantly, if I do a good job explaining, someone else may benefit from my journey and get value from my time and effort. So if someone gets value out of from this blog that matters to them, I will see this as a greater accomplishment than passing the exam.

With this said, I go into this with a beginners mind in both T-SQL and blogging. So in which form and directions this blog will take i do not know. My aim is to provide a way forward to the exam and unveil things both about T-SQL, my study techniques and how I tackle the MCSA - SQL 2016 Database Development.

I hope that you will enjoy this exploration into the unknown and into the depths of T-SQL.

Best regards

Mathias Rehn