Analysts often use Excel's VLOOKUP to pull columns from one table into another based on a shared key. In SQL, the equivalent idea is combining related tables with joins.
Explain how you would translate an Excel VLOOKUP workflow into SQL. Your answer should cover:
VLOOKUPINNER JOIN versus LEFT JOINThe interviewer expects a practical explanation, not just a definition. You should describe the SQL pattern clearly, compare it to how VLOOKUP behaves in Excel, and mention the most common edge cases that affect correctness.