It’s time for T-SQL Tuesday again and this time Todd Kleinhans has a great invitation that is near and dear to my heart: mastering a new or existing technical skill. That’s been a lot of what I try to inspire people to do at SQL Server Central.

Make a plan and start learning. And respond to Todd’s invitation and write down your plan and share it. Start a blog, use Linked In, whatever. Spread the word on socials as well.

If you want to host, I’m always looking for hosts for T-SQL Tuesday. Ping me on Twitter/X, BlueSky, or LinkedIn.

Mastering a New Tech Skill

Like Todd, I’m interested in AI and I think it will dramatically change the world in the coming future. I also think it’s a bit of a technical skill that is important to learn. I wrote about this a bit in last month’s post.

How do I work with a GenAI model and improve my technical skills? The easy answer is more and more. I’ve been having more conversations with Claude, usually looking for ways to help me solve a problem or write code, and then ask the GenAI to explain things.

However, I wrote awhile ago about an experiment in helping someone else learn something: Can an AI Help Me Find a Job?. For me, I’ve been looking a bit more at DataBricks, as I hear this from clients all the time. I wanted to gain some skill here, so I decided to ask Claude to help me.

I got a good outline of things to do across a few months. I then asked for references and got some:

The next stage for me is to start embarking on this journey a few nights a week and learn some things that might help me both in my job, and potentially in a future position if I need one.

My Complete Outline from Claude

Here’s the end result, with links.

Databricks Learning Outline with Resources

Phase 1: Foundations (1-2 weeks)

Understanding the Basics

• What is Databricks and why it’s used
• Core concepts: clusters, notebooks, workspaces, and Apache Spark
• Databricks architecture and modern data stack integration

Key Resources:

• Databricks Academy (Free): https://www.databricks.com/learn/training/home – All self-paced training across AI, data engineering, and more is now free Databricks Training & Certification Programs | Databricks<?XML:NAMESPACE PREFIX = “[default] http://www.w3.org/2000/svg” NS = “http://www.w3.org/2000/svg” />
• Databricks Learn Hub: https://www.databricks.com/learn
• Getting Started Documentation: https://docs.databricks.com/getting-started/
• Free Edition Signup: https://www.databricks.com/learn/free-edition – Databricks Free Edition has replaced Community Edition DatabricksDatabricks

Phase 2: Getting Started (2-3 weeks)

Hands-on Basics

• Navigating workspace interface
• Creating and managing clusters
• Working with notebooks
• Basic data import methods

Key Resources:

• Databricks Free Edition Setup: https://docs.databricks.com/aws/en/getting-started/free-edition Databricks Free Edition | Databricks on AWS
• Azure Databricks Free Training: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/databricks/getting-started/free-training Get free Databricks training – Azure Databricks | Microsoft Learn
• Databricks Quickstart Tutorials: https://docs.databricks.com/getting-started/quick-start.html
• Apache Spark Documentation: https://spark.apache.org/docs/latest/

Phase 3: Data Analysis Fundamentals (3-4 weeks)

Core Analytics Skills

• Data exploration and cleaning
• Working with different data formats
• Basic SQL and PySpark operations

Key Resources:

• Databricks SQL Documentation: https://docs.databricks.com/sql/
• Delta Lake Documentation: https://docs.delta.io/latest/
• PySpark Documentation: https://spark.apache.org/docs/latest/api/python/
• Sample Datasets: https://docs.databricks.com/discover/databricks-datasets.html

Phase 4: Intermediate Techniques (4-5 weeks)

Advanced Analytics

• Complex transformations and ETL
• Streaming data and machine learning
• Performance optimization

Key Resources:

• Structured Streaming Guide: https://docs.databricks.com/structured-streaming/
• MLlib Documentation: https://spark.apache.org/docs/latest/ml-guide.html
• Performance Tuning Guide: https://docs.databricks.com/optimizations/
• Databricks Machine Learning: https://docs.databricks.com/machine-learning/

Phase 5: Production and Best Practices (2-3 weeks)

Professional Development

• Job scheduling and workflows
• Security and monitoring
• Integration patterns

Key Resources:

• Databricks Workflows: https://docs.databricks.com/workflows/
• Security and Access Control: https://docs.databricks.com/security/
• Best Practices Guide: https://docs.databricks.com/best-practices/

Additional Learning Platforms:

• Coursera Databricks Courses: https://www.coursera.org/courses?query=databricks Best Databricks Courses & Certificates [2025] | Coursera Learn Online
• Udemy Databricks Courses: https://www.udemy.com/topic/databricks/ Top Databricks Courses Online – Updated [September 2025]
• DataCamp: https://www.datacamp.com/ (search for Databricks courses)
• LinkedIn Learning: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/ (search for Databricks)

Certification Path:

• Databricks Certification Overview: https://www.databricks.com/learn/training/certification Databricks Certification | Databricks
• Free Certification Overview Courses: Databricks now offers free certification overview courses for data analysis, data engineering, and machine learning Getting Databricks Certified Is Now Easier With Free Overview Courses

Community and Support:

• Databricks Community Forum: https://community.databricks.com/ Databricks Community
• Databricks Blog: https://www.databricks.com/blog
• Stack Overflow: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/tagged/databricks

Getting Started Steps:

1. Sign up for Databricks Free Edition: Visit the Databricks Free Edition signup page and pick your preferred signup method Databricks Free Edition | Databricks on AWS
2. Access free training: Free unlimited access to training content on Databricks Academy provides on-demand learning experiences for all skill levels Databricks Launches Free Edition and Announces $100 Million Investment to Develop the Next Generation of Data and AI Talent – Databricks
3. Join the community: Connect with other learners and experts
4. Start with sample datasets: Practice with built-in datasets before using your own data

The great news is that all self-paced training across AI, data engineering, and more is now free for learners Databricks Training & Certification Programs | Databricks, making it easier than ever to get started with Databricks!