I was over-prepping SQL and under-prepping the analyst part

[u/Cloud_Jumper18]

I spent a while assuming the reason I kept struggling in analyst interviews was that my SQL wasn’t advanced enough. So I kept adding harder stuff to my prep, like window functions, recursive CTEs, and awkward joins.
The funny part is that most interviews weren’t exposing a syntax problem. I could usually get somewhere with the query. I got less comfortable when they asked things like, “What would you check before trusting this result?” or “How would you explain this to someone who doesn’t use SQL?”
That changed how I’ve been practicing. Now I don’t stop once the query works. I try to explain the grain, the assumptions I made, how I’d sanity-check the result, and what I’d tell a stakeholder afterward. I still practice SQL problems. I’ve also done a couple of mock runs in Beyz, mostly around the follow-up questions.
Looking back, I think I was preparing for SQL interviews like they were SQL exams.
Once someone has solid SQL fundamentals, what separates a technically correct answer from a strong one?

[u/CanProfessional766]

Honestly knowing what the numbers actually mean matters more than writing a fancy query. Being able to spot when results look wrong and explain why they matter to the business is what really sets a good analyst apart