My first SQL interview question was about finding the second-highest salary. It's 2026, I've sat on both sides of something like 20+ loops since then, and someone is still asking it.

What did change this month is the data. The Stack Overflow 2026 Developer Survey came out October 6, and SQL passed HTML/CSS for the number 2 spot. It sits level with Python at 58%. The same survey says AI coding tools are now a daily habit for most of the people who use them, while very few people trust those tools with production.

My thesis for anyone prepping a Data Engineer loop right now: AI writes the first draft, and the offer goes to whoever can read that draft, find what's wrong with it, and keep it alive in production.…