Hi FCC,
This may be sacrilege because this site is dedicated to FE/FS dev languages with an emphasis on non-relational dB’s, but I am seeking advice on getting a junior (relational) database developer job.
Some history: I enrolled in a program in January in the hopes of building on my FE skills, but I soon learned that the evening instructor specialized in cyber security and that the front-end teacher only taught during the day (I work during the day). For the first two weeks the night instructor tried to push me in the direction of cyber security, but I convinced him I wasn’t interested in pursuing it. The second field he knows and has worked in was managing databases, so he suggested that.
At first, I thought about leaving the program even though it was fully paid for by my state, because I really wanted to learn FE languages. But I am now prepping for my MCSA SQL Server exam and really enjoying learning about databases. I know most people on here are students looking for FE/FS dev jobs, but I am hoping there is someone out there who has or currently works with relational databases.
How do I go about getting a junior dev job?
What skills does/did your company look for?
What project, if any could or should I create to show I know how to work with data using T-SQL?
What other resources (books, websites, etc) could you recommend for skill building and/or professional development?
Thanks to anyone who can help! 
Hello, I’m a full stack TS developer, but I’ve worked with both SQL and NoSQL databases.
First off, getting a job in Database (SQL/NoSQL) is a fine prospect. There are a few survey’s out there saying Database skills are still in demand. You must think, most if not all data is int a database somewhere, and they need people to manage it.
I’d say the bare minimum of working with databases is being able to manage a database instance yourself, understand basic security (don’t use the admin user for everything) and you understand database design.
If you want to go into the the development world and focus on SQL database’s, I’d go out and create an app with the server-side language you are more comfortable with. Honestly, knowing SQL isn’t much use if you don’t know at least 1 back-end like language. You can’t always be writing/managing/designing databases. Being able to interact with the database with something like Python/Java or some languages ORM would be good too.
I don’t remember what book I had to read when I was learning Database Design, but the core concepts are out there in any book that covers the topic. Knowing how to normalize a database is very important, and vendor agnostic, so its probably the most useful knowledge. Outside of that, knowing most of a vendor specific database syntax, and its quirks is good just so you can use it as your go-to. Stick with the popular options and you should be fine.
Finally, I’d like to say cracking the DBA (Database Admin) isn’t easy. There aren’t that many, and most companies want skilled people for these positions, so finding an entry job isn’t as easy as finding front-end developer jobs, or more generic developer jobs. But if you can get in somewhere that can help you grow, the job security is pretty good, since database’s and data management in general wont be going anywhere any time soon
Good luck 
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FWIW, I landed a ‘React Job’ but it’s a smallish company, so I spend plenty of time in the backend and working with Postgresql. I suspect if you find a smaller company, you are more likely to be exposed to broader opportunities within.
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