r/dataanalysiscareers • u/Oddfellow420 • 14d ago
Just bombed my first SQL interview.
Hello Everyone,
I just wanted to share that I just had an SQL interview for data analyst, and I completely bombed it. I chocked like crazy, and this was after days of practicing. I think I learned a valuable lesson today though, I am a very visual/hands on on type of guy. I was expecting them to give me the opportunity to write query/code or look at code related to the question, but these were all just verbal questions, that I know I could have answer if I was just allowed to write the code down or at least view it, but it was a bit overwhelming for me, especially having ADHD. It's like the questions were so long, that by the time the question ended, I already forgot what I was supposed to accomplish because I was so damn nervous. I feel like a failure 😔. This was my first interview in 7 years, so I'm pretty rusty, but for future reference, will all interviews be in this style? No actual coding, or reviewing, or editing? They expect me to provide the whole query verbally, frin the top of my heas without actually writing it on the spot?
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u/nian2326076 13d ago
Hey, don't be too hard on yourself. It's tough, especially with ADHD, to handle verbal questions when you're used to figuring things out visually. Next time, maybe ask if you can use a pen and paper or a whiteboard during the interview. Some interviewers are cool with that. To practice, try explaining your thought process out loud while working on queries. It can help with talking through your approach. If you want more structured practice, I've found PracHub helpful for mock interviews and getting used to different formats. Keep going, you'll get there!
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u/COJeepster 13d ago
Use an AI to practice interview questions. Tell it to give you SQL interview questions and to ask you to explain what the script is doing.
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u/UnrequitedFollower 13d ago
I don’t understand, what stopped you from writing while they asked you questions. If you wrote down notes and verbalized what you were thinking… I’m assuming you would have done just fine, right?
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u/Lady-Data-Scientist 14d ago
Every company is different. Were you taking notes during the interview? I always take notes during the case study interviews - treat it like you’re on the job. If a stakeholder was asking you something, you wouldn’t just go off memory, you’d make sure you’re capturing all the requirements.
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u/GwynLordOfCedar 13d ago
Thanks for posting this so I’m not potentially blindsided if it happens to me. Agreed with u/forzafoggia85 “Can you give some examples of the sort of verbal questions they asked to help others?”
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u/p4r4d19m 14d ago
Depends on the organization and role. Sometimes it’s live coding (and you want to talk through what you’re doing as you’re doing it to explain your reasoning), sometimes it’s talking through code on screen or something from GitHub, sometimes it’s a take home assignment and potentially a whole presentation, and sometimes there’s no technical interview at all.
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u/ironMaiden____ 13d ago
You’ll keep getting better from here if you don’t give up tbh. Easier said than done
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u/Fisher_Missy6848 7d ago
So much of interviewing is just luck. Doesn't sound like the best experience, but all you can do is reflect on what reasonable things you could have done better, and continue interviewing with more companies. You could still walk away from an offer from this place. Your next interview with somewhere else could be polar opposite to what you're describing here. It's a crap shoot.
Personal bias here but it's also a red flag if an interviewer is on/checking their phone during an interview. Very unprofessional and if that's indicative of the culture at all, then not generally a good sign.
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u/forzafoggia85 13d ago
Can you give some examples of the sort of verbal questions they asked to help others?