PROJECT 01
Retail sales data mart
Model raw orders into a star schema with fact and dimension tables, then answer 25 business questions with SQL.
Star schemaCTEsWindow functions
01 / OVERVIEW
What this course is about
SQL is the language every data job is built on. In this course you write SQL from day one on real business data, then move into window functions, data modelling, stored procedures and performance tuning. By the end you can answer the SQL questions interviewers actually ask, and you have a data mart project to show for it.
You learn by doing: every week has hands-on exercises on Google Classroom, and every module ends with something you built yourself.
01
Write queries with confidence
Filter, sort, aggregate and join tables to answer real business questions.
02
Master window functions
Rankings, running totals, LAG and LEAD, de-duplication and top N per group.
03
Design clean data models
Normalisation, keys, star schemas, facts, dimensions and slowly changing dimensions.
04
Build stored procedures
Variables, transactions, error handling and MERGE for repeatable data loads.
05
Make slow queries fast
Read execution plans, add the right indexes and write SARGable filters.
06
Pass SQL interviews
Practise the questions and live coding rounds used by data teams.
02 / CURRICULUM
Week by week
A clear plan from the first session to the last. The pace adapts to you: if you already know a topic we move faster, and if something needs more time we take it.
WEEK 1Databases and your first queries5 topics
- How relational databases work
- Tables, rows, columns and data types
- Primary and foreign keys
- SELECT, WHERE, ORDER BY, TOP
- Setting up SQL Server and SSMS
WEEK 2Functions and aggregation5 topics
- GROUP BY and HAVING
- COUNT, SUM, AVG, MIN, MAX
- String and date functions
- CASE expressions
- Working with NULLs
WEEK 3Joins, subqueries and set operations5 topics
- INNER, LEFT, RIGHT and FULL joins
- Self joins and many-to-many
- Subqueries and EXISTS
- UNION, INTERSECT, EXCEPT
- Common join mistakes
WEEK 4CTEs and window functions5 topics
- Common table expressions
- ROW_NUMBER, RANK, DENSE_RANK
- LAG, LEAD and running totals
- Top N per group and de-duplication
- Recursive CTEs
WEEK 5Data modelling and DDL5 topics
- CREATE and ALTER, constraints
- Normal forms 1NF to 3NF
- Star schema, facts and dimensions
- Slowly changing dimensions
- INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE safely
WEEK 6Views, procedures and transactions5 topics
- Views and functions
- Stored procedures with parameters
- Transactions and TRY CATCH
- MERGE for upserts
- Logging and audit tables
WEEK 7Performance tuning5 topics
- Reading execution plans
- Clustered and nonclustered indexes
- SARGable queries
- Statistics and temp tables
- Tuning a slow report query
WEEK 8Capstone and interview prep4 topics
- Build a sales data mart end to end
- Top SQL interview questions
- Timed live coding practice
- Mock interview with feedback
03 / PROJECTS
What you will build
Real projects you can put on GitHub and explain with confidence in interviews.
PROJECT 02
Data quality procedures
Stored procedures that check new loads for duplicates, missing keys and bad dates, and write results to an audit table.
Stored proceduresMERGETransactions
PROJECT 03
Query tuning lab
Take slow queries on a table with millions of rows and make them fast using plans, indexes and rewrites.
Execution plansIndexesStatistics
04 / TOOLS
Tools and technologies
The same tools used by data teams in real companies.
SQL ServerT-SQLSSMSAzure Data StudioAzure SQL DatabaseExcel and CSV importsGit
05 / IS IT FOR YOU
Who this course is for
Who it is for
- Students and fresh graduates starting a data career
- Excel users who want to work with real databases
- Developers and testers moving into data
- Analysts who want stronger SQL for interviews
What you need
- No coding experience needed
- A laptop with Windows, macOS or Linux
- About 5 to 7 hours a week for practice
Roles it leads to
- SQL Developer
- Data Analyst
- BI Developer
- Junior Data Engineer
06 / HOW YOU LEARN
What you get
Live and one-to-one
Every session is just you and me, never a batch. No recordings, so we can talk openly about your code.
3 sessions a week
Each session is 1 hour 15 minutes, on weekdays, weekends or both. We agree the schedule before starting.
Google Classroom
Assignments, projects, quizzes, interview questions and homework, all organised in one place.
Real projects
You build projects like the ones companies run, and get feedback on your code and design.
Interview preparation
Common questions, live coding practice and mock interviews with honest feedback.
Job placement support
CV, LinkedIn, applications and interviews. I stay with you until you are hired, as long as you do the work.
07 / PRICING
Simple pricing
You pay for your time with me, not per course. All prices are in US dollars.
Estimated total for SQL Developer at the typical pace (2 months)
About 400 USD
Full refund if it is not right for you after the first session. Go faster and it costs less.About 400 USD
08 / YOUR MENTOR
Hikmat Ullah
Senior Data Engineer at Algo · Lahore, Pakistan
I build data platforms with Snowflake, Azure Databricks, Azure Data Factory and Microsoft Fabric every day, and I have been mentoring since 2021. I teach what I use at work, and I stay with you until you land the job.
7+years in data
100+students trained
80+placed in jobs
1:1always, never a batch
09 / FAQ
Questions about SQL Developer
Which database will I use?+
We use Microsoft SQL Server with T-SQL. The concepts carry over directly to Azure SQL, Snowflake, PostgreSQL and MySQL, and I point out the differences as we go.
I have never coded. Can I still join?+
Yes. SQL is the best first language for data work, and this course starts from zero. Most students write useful queries in the first week.
What should I learn after SQL?+
Python is the usual next step, then Power BI or a cloud platform like Azure Databricks or Snowflake, depending on the role you want.
How much does it cost?+
200 USD per month whichever course you choose. You can also pay 100 USD every 15 days or 50 USD per week. All prices are in US dollars wherever you live.
What is the refund policy?+
If the training is not right for you after the first session, you get a full refund. After that, payments already used for completed sessions are not refunded, but unused prepaid time can be refunded.
Is there a job guarantee?+
Yes. As long as you attend your sessions and complete the assignments and projects, I keep helping you with CV, LinkedIn, mock interviews and job applications until you are hired.
Can I join from another country or time zone?+
Yes. Students join from many countries. We pick session times that work for your time zone before we start.
10 / KEEP GOING
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View course →START WHEN YOU ARE READY
Start the SQL Developer course
Tell me your goals and your time zone. We plan your schedule together, and your first session can start this week.