What is Tableau?

Tableau Overview

Companies don’t just collect data for the sake of collecting it. That data needs to be turned into something much more crucial: actionable business intelligence. Because of this, there are several products on the market that are known as visual analytics platforms. This enables taking data, and allowing it to be viewed in a way that leads to solid decision-making.

One of the best visual analytics platforms is Tableau from Salesforce. Having a deep understanding of Tableau and how to utilize it for business decision-making is a skill that’s in high demand. 

Let’s take a deeper look at how this platform works, and what kind of jobs you might get as a Tableau expert. When you are ready to start your journey to landing that position as a Tableau Analyst, CIAT can help get you there.

What is Tableau Used For?

Tableau was founded by three individuals at Stanford: Chris Stolte, Pat Hanrahan, and Christian Chabot. They pioneered an easy drag-and-drop workflow that made for a highly intuitive interface. Salesforce acquired them in 2019, who continues to improve and market the product today.

Tableau is trusted by some of the biggest and most successful companies across various industries, such as:

• Verizon
• Charles Schwab
• Honeywell
• Lenovo

And many more…

Data analytics is all about cutting through the jumble of numbers and figures from various sources to see the real picture of what’s actually going on. Tableau focuses on building a highly interactive and usable user experience (UX). 

Through a variety of graphs, charts, heat maps, and more, Tableau allows companies to know what products are selling and where, how various price points are impacting profitability, where to invest, and much more.

It’s engineered to be highly flexible, so no matter the size or industry, data can be viewed in a way that’s useful. It also supports the highest level of security, so data is safe. 

The kind of analytics that Tableau can provide is indispensable for businesses. It takes qualified professionals to be able to gather the data and interpret the results, however. 

This is why professionals who are educated and certified in Tableau are in such high demand. They are also highly compensated with a great salary and benefits due to their importance in accomplishing core business goals.

There are three major products in the Tableau portfolio. They can be integrated using the “Tableau Cloud.” The three products are:

• Tableau Data Management: brings together various data flows
• Tableau Desktop: the premier tool for accessing and analyzing all of a company’s data, no matter the source
• Tableau Prep Builder: a data preparation tool for cleaning, combining, and shaping data.

With so many companies utilizing Tableau for their data analytics, it’s no surprise that it’s a skill that’s in high demand. Let’s take a look at just some of the jobs you might be able to land if you are an expert in Tableau.

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

Demand for Tableau is growing. The platform is viewed as being an industry disruptor and giving more established systems like Power BI from Microsoft a run for their money. This is why having skills in Tableau can put you in high demand for several types of positional.

Tableau Consultant

A consultant can work independently or in-house. These individuals need to possess a solid understanding of the Tableau interface. They often assist with the implementation of Tableau within a company and help them gather, clean, and report the data.

Data Analyst

This is usually an in-house position where you prepare and present the finalized reports produced within Tableau. While you aren’t necessarily making the business decisions, the insights you develop from interpreting the data results are a huge factor in what companies decide to do. This is why this is a position of the great responsibility that is in high demand.

Business Analyst

While this is related to being a data analyst, it takes it a step further. As a business analyst, you’ll work with high-level individuals within the company or organization to see how those data insights can be put into action to accomplish business goals.

How Do I Learn Tableau?

The best place to learn a skill like Tableau is through an accredited educational program. CIAT provides high-level courses in Tableau, where you’ll learn not just the interface itself, but related topics like:

• Data preparation
• Connecting to sources
• Building data modeling
• Data analysis utilizing charts

CIAT offers an Associate of Applied Science in Business Data Analytics, the first step in a two-part degree program, the Applied Bachelor’s Degree in Software Development – Data Analytics Track, which will help you rocket your way to the top of the talent pool. Once you land that first step, you’ll have the solid foundation to progress in your career to higher levels of responsibility and compensation.

CIAT’s Data Analytics programs teach many platform-specific skills like Tableau, as well as background competency in things like SQL, theory of data analysis, and more. This will help make you a well-rounded candidate at the head of the pack when it comes to applying for a job.

CIAT instructors are industry professionals who specialize in hands-on technical training designed to prepare students for the workforce. They are joined by highly qualified career counselors who can help you navigate the complex journey of landing a job in competitive IT positions.

Whether you are new to the tech field, or currently an IT professional, you can take your career to a higher level by learning Tableau.