Starting Fresh: My First Week in a New Role

Updated: Just added some new resources under "My Essential SQL Tools" that should be more useful.

I recently stepped into a new chapter in my career, and I wanted to share a bit about my experience so far. This is the first time I’ll be managing all SQL Servers on my own and to add to the adventure, I don’t have any fellow Filipino colleagues in the team. It’s a completely new environment for me, both technically and personally.

During my very first week, I was invited to visit our headquarters in Singapore. It was my first time flying solo, and honestly, I felt both excited and nervous. But meeting the team in person made all the difference, they were incredibly welcoming, and it was such a cool experience getting to know them. The energy was great, and it helped me feel more connected.

Before joining, I had a bunch of ideas in my head about what I wanted to do once I started, though I never had an actual list written down. This role is a big shift for me unlike my previous job where we used Azure SQL VMs, this time I’m working with SQL Servers hosted across multiple regions in AWS and GCP. It’s a new challenge, and while I’m very familiar with SQL Server in general, cloud infrastructure outside of Azure is something I’m diving deeper into.

As I started planning my approach, I realized I needed to build out my personal toolkit the core apps and utilities that help me get things done. Most of them are tools I’ve used for years, but they’re just as relevant in the cloud world as they are on traditional on-prem or VM setups.

My Essential SQL Tools

• SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) – Still my go-to for working with SQL databases. It's stable, full-featured, and gets better with each version. SSMS v21 is now generally available and comes with some great additions—Git integration, Copilot support, and a few small UI improvements that make a difference day to day.

• Azure Data Studio (ADS) – A lightweight editor with useful features like schema compare and GitHub integration. Note: ADS will be retired on February 28, 2026, so consider switching to VS Code.

• Schema Compare Extension – A handy tool that lets you quickly identify differences between database schemas. It’s essential for tracking changes across environments and ensuring consistency during deployments.

• SandDance Extension – A nice visualizer when I want to quickly explore or present data.

• dbForge SQL Tools – My current employer already had a subscription, and I was pleasantly surprised by how powerful these tools are, especially useful in automating Database DevOps processes.

• VS Code – My favorite for editing files and working with GitHub. The Git integration is seamless—push, pull, commit all in one place.

• Notepad++ – Simple but powerful for quick notes and scripts. A classic that never fails.

• Git – Essential for source control. I use it both within VS Code and from the command line.

• draw.io – Fantastic for creating Entity Relationship Diagrams and flowcharts. A visual must-have.

• Excalidraw – A simple but surprisingly flexible sketch-style diagramming tool. It comes with icon libraries (like AWS), and you can even use a custom GPT to generate mermaid.js code for flowcharts or sequence diagrams. Great for brainstorming ideas or explaining concepts quickly without overthinking the visuals.

• Greenshot – Way better than the default screenshot tools. Great for documentation and sharing visuals with the team.

  
  

It’s been a big leap, but I’m loving the learning and growth that come with it. There’s still so much more to explore in this role, especially across AWS and GCP.

I’d love to know—what tools do you rely on every day as a database professional?