Flunking a SQL interview with 20+ years of practice

The ups and downs of the writer’s journey in becoming proficient at SQL and their experiences with job interviews, culminating in a job they consider perfect.

I learned SQL in college in 1997. My first professional experience was MS SQL Server 6.5 in 1998.

I have written SQL almost daily for over 20 years. A few years ago, I flunked a SQL interview for a manager position.

The problem was that it had been too many years since my last interview. I didn’t know anything about interviewing recently, like, for example, the remote CoderPad. Even though I was prepared for the non-technical parts of the interview, since I had not done a technical interview for long, I was nervous. Not knowing how things worked made me more nervous.

Since then, I have always volunteered to be an interviewer. I have occasionally interviewed “just in case”. That helped, and when the perfect job appeared for me, I was ready.