In the current data-driven world, business relies on business intelligence (BI) to make informed decisions that will keep them competitive. Thus, the need for skilled BI professionals is very high. To have a career in business intelligence, you will require top-notch combinations of technical, analytical, and soft skills. The following are the critical competencies any aspirant wishing to pursue a career in GI professions should have to be elevated careers in this dynamic industry.
For succeeding in business intelligence jobs, one should have an understanding of what data warehousing is and of ETL processes. Data warehousing involves storing large amounts of data originating from various sources, whereas ETL processes involve extraction of data from source systems, performance of many transformations on data to make it useful, and then loading it into a data warehouse. Knowledge of the popular tools in vogue is quite valuable namely, Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services (SSIS), Informatica, and Talend.
SQL or Structured Query Language is at the core of essentials BI skills. Grasping SQL will allow you to query databases, data manipulation, and reporting. As equally mentioned, knowledge about Database Management Systems such as MySQL, Oracle, and Microsoft SQL Server.
Another thing is the business intelligence tool. This toolset helps in analyzing the data, visualizing, and reporting. Some of the popular business intelligence tools are:
Tableau: It is the best data visualization out there.
Power BI: Microsoft BI tool, easily integrates with other Microsoft products
QlikView/Qlik Sense: A tool having the associative data model and user-friendly interface
Looker: A Data Platform it involves data exploration and visualization
While not always a requirement, it will be a tremendous added advantage. Python and R are the more common languages due to their capabilities in data manipulation and analysis. Python is particularly very common for data cleaning, general analysis, and automation.
Finally, data visualization becomes an important skill necessary to communicate insight properly. Knowledge of fundamental data visualization principles along with a tool like Tableau, Power BI, or D3.js, will help an applicant stand out from the rest of the crowd.
Strong analytical skills enable the interpreter to reveal complex data sets and hence arrive at significant conclusions to the data. This would involve data trends, patterns, and anomalies. The ability to apply statistical analysis and an exposure to tools like Excel, SAS, and SPSS would go far in this regard.
In this activity, critical thinking would involve the ability to judge the data from a number of perspectives by the BI professional and make a sound decision on that data. This means questioning the assumptions, bearing in mind the existing biases, and considering alternative explanations.
Problem-solving skills will come in handy when taking on challenges regarding data. How will one provide inventive solutions? The BI professional should be responsive to troubleshooting, process optimization, and devising ways to improve data quality and accuracy.
Having domain knowledge about the industry where you work will work wonders regarding your effectiveness as a BI professional. From understanding industry trends to knowledge of KPIs and regulatory requirements, this area has all.
It requires a good amount of business process and strategy understanding to capture the insights from data into real business decisions. It involves knowing how different businesses within an organization work and also how data can drive business success.
Effective communication should be one of the prime causes of concern for a business intelligence professional. You should be able to articulate findings from data in a clear and concise manner to stakeholders not from a technical background. This could involve creating reports, dashboards, and visualizations which are easy to understand.
Most BI projects involve deploying cross-functional teams and thus also working with IT, Marketing, Finance, and Operations, amongst others. The ability to be collaborative and work as a team is needed in ensuring coordination and common goals are achieved.
This means that great attention to detail will be at the forefront in the provision of accurate and reliable data. BI professionals need to be very careful with their work from the collection and analysis of data, to the reporting and presentation of information.
Function well in time management to deliver with deadlines and ensure handling more than one project at a time. It includes the ability to prioritize, meaningful goal setting, and efficient use of resources.
Business intelligence is an emergent area that continuously changes. A new tool, technology, or methodology seems to be seeing almost every now and then. Thus, keeping up with the recent trends and changes occurring is important to be abreast with changing times and not losing your edge in the competition.
Professional certifications for business intelligence will help proceed your assertions and position you as a professional. Some most important ones for BI professionals in general include:
Microsoft Certified: Data Analyst Associate
Tableau Desktop Specialist
Certified Business Intelligence Professional (CBIP)
Qlik Sense Data Architect Certification
Tremendous insight and professional development are possible by joining the BI community through networking events, conferences, and online forums. This can also be achieved through professional bodies such as the Data Management Association, DAMA, or the International Institute of Business Analysis, IIBA.