Power BI

What Is Power BI?

Today’s computing solutions are collecting more data than ever. While this is certainly a positive development, that data is only useful if it can be effectively visualized. Gaining insight into data is where the rubber meets the road in actually turning raw information into actionable business intelligence.

Microsoft came up with a great solution: Power BI. This collection of data visualization products is changing the way people are able to make use of data and make better business decisions.

Knowing how to use Power BI can give anyone a leg up in getting a high-paying job in a variety of different industries. In this post, we’ll take a look at exactly what Power BI is, and what kind of job opportunities there are for people who have the skills to know how to use it

What is Power BI Used for?

Power BI is what’s called a “business intelligence tool.” It combines the following disciplines:

• Business Analytics
• Data visualization
• Best practices

When these three types of specialized practices are combined, they lead to exciting ways in which raw data can be turned into actionable information. This is precisely what businesses need to make decisions that relate to things like sales, marketing, human resources, capital investments, new product lines, CRM, and more.

To accomplish this, Power BI can get data from a ton of different sources. It seamlessly integrates with cloud databases such as Microsoft Azure. It can also accept data in several formats like:

• Excel Workbook
• AMX
• PDF
• JSON

And many more…

Machine learning is certainly the direction that business intelligence is moving. Power BI has tools built right in that support this. When it’s time to present the data, Power BI has several options to actually help visualize the data in the form of charts and graphs that can easily be shared with the team.

Job Outlook: What Types of Jobs can I get With Power BI?

Businesses of all sizes are growing in their ability to amass large amounts of data. That’s only half of the battle. They need highly skilled individuals who can help turn that data into a driver of sensible decision-making.

For this reason, there are many different jobs that a qualified person could land if they have demonstrated skills in Power BI. Let’s take a look at a few.

Power BI Analyst

Any person who is generally skilled in not just Power BI, but the entire spectrum of Microsoft business products would make a great candidate for Power BI analyst. As an analyst, you’ll be at the helm of the Power BI dashboard, taking the raw data collected, and turning it into useful reports.

This will require understanding how to connect Power BI to the data sources it needs. This requires some level of understanding of these other platforms, such as:

• SAP
• SQL Server
• Salesforce

The analyst is a more entry-level position. However, you’ll need a solid educational background from a technical college like CIAT to understand how to utilize the Power BI platform.

Power BI Consultant

These individuals start with solid skills in using Power BI, collecting data, and producing reports. Then, to become a consultant, you have to be able to add in project management skills. This means being able to work with a wide variety of clients and assist them in the entire process of business analytics using Power BI.

This isn’t an entry-level job. You’ll need to spend a fair amount of time building your technical and interpersonal skills to be ready for it. However, when you are qualified, this can be a really lucrative career.

Power BI Developer

Developers utilize the highly important skill of data modeling. They use the Power BI desktop application to help implement Power BI analysis in enterprise situations. It requires an understanding of data visualization. This makes you highly valuable to companies who want to use the data they’ve gathered to make solid business decisions.

Business Intelligence Analyst

To become a more general business intelligence analyst, Power BI will need to be just one of the skills you possess. You’ll also need a solid understanding in other data analytics platforms, and both database and scripting languages.

By having a broader set of skills, along with at least a bachelor’s degree, you’ll be in high demand from many companies. They need highly qualified individuals to manage the entire process of gathering and synthesizing data; then making high-level business decisions.

How Do I Learn Power BI?

Begin your journey of developing high-level competency in Power BI by enrolling in a top-level technical college like CIAT. Their instructors have years of industry experience, and can help you stand out from the crowd when you go for that first interview.

CIAT’s 2-part Power BI class covers a host of different topics you’ll need to land one of the lucrative jobs mentioned above. You’ll cover things like:

• Retrieving data from different sources
• Cleaning and transforming Data
• Optimizing model performance
• Enriching reports, making them highly usable
• Managing workspaces

Once you have the training and background in Power BI, you can take the Microsoft Power BI Certification Exam. Gaining certifications is the number one way to begin working in the field and putting your skills to use.

How to Land a Position With Power BI

CIAT can help you navigate the process of learning skills to find a well-paying job with great benefits. It all starts with solid instruction in the basics of the Power BI platform. From there, our instructors will show you how to put those skills into action. By getting fully Microsoft Certified, you’ll be ahead of many other applications for jobs. 

The CIAT staff is composed of instructors and career counselors who know the job market inside and out. You’ll get the technical skills you need along with helpful advice along the way to map out your career in Power BI.