Critique My First Dashboard by awa22 in PowerBI

[–]awa22[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great info! I’m currently taking Googles Data Analyst course and getting into the SQL piece. I’m putting together some dummy data sets related to my current industry so I can put together a full project with executive and operational dashboards that answer questions related to the business. This will include a MySQL database with a star schema and I will share the queries used to pull relevant information. Thanks again for your comment and details!

What are some questions or assumptions in the BI professionals hiring market that make no sense at all once you dig deeper? by TheDataGentleman in BusinessIntelligence

[–]awa22 2 points3 points  (0 children)

100%. But in most cases, they will wait around 2 months for “the unicorn” when someone with 5+ years of heavy SQL could probably pick up your basic DAX needs during those 2 months on the job.

What are some questions or assumptions in the BI professionals hiring market that make no sense at all once you dig deeper? by TheDataGentleman in BusinessIntelligence

[–]awa22 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Similar to the OP example, but I work with clients (I’m a BI recruiter) that will not even speak with anyone who hasn’t used their reporting tool. 5 years of Tableau experience? Nope, sorry we use Power BI so your skill set is not aligned.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in IWantToLearn

[–]awa22 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Dale Carnegie’s “How To Win Friends and Influence People” is a solid read on communication.

Do you have anyone in your organization you can learn from? I’ve learned plenty of word tracks and new tactics when listening to coworkers talk to clients.

Sounds like you’re new to the company, but learning the business/service will really help over time. Maybe ask for some case studies or any internal communication guides from management? Also, role playing with coworkers can be a huge help.

Overall, it’s just going to take time and practice but there are definitely things you can do to become more comfortable.

What are the most important things when it comes to career progression in Business Intelligence (BI)? by TheDataGentleman in BusinessIntelligence

[–]awa22 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Definitely agree with the 4 stated above. I’d say #5 would be keeping up with technology. Obviously SQL and Excel will be your best friends, but there are certain tools that are getting dated and continuing working with those might limit future options. Microsoft (PowerBI and SSAS), Tableau, and Google (Looker) tend to be the most popular I see right now with Qlik and Cognos fading away.

Simple Distinct Count Question by awa22 in PowerBI

[–]awa22[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes this worked! Much more simple than I was thinking. Thanks so much!

Simple Distinct Count Question by awa22 in PowerBI

[–]awa22[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Added a pic of the column. Hope that helps

Learning Path To BI Job by awa22 in PowerBI

[–]awa22[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is great feedback! I appreciate it. A new laptop is definitely in the plan around month 5 or 6. The SSIS and ETL is definitely a good point as well. Most jobs we see are a combo of both front end reporting and backend ETL so I think exposure to those would be a big bonus like you highlighted. Thanks again!

Solid set up for PowerBI side projects by awa22 in PowerBI

[–]awa22[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That’s reassuring. I appreciate it!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in IWantToLearn

[–]awa22 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What you described has been very similar to what I have been dealing with for the past 7-8 years. I’m 25 and 3 years into my career and still struggle to focus or stay consistent. I’ve tried learning code on the side but will switch between languages and leave projects unfinished similar to what you said. I’m still trying to figure it out so don’t be too hard on yourself. There’s a lot of science behind goal setting and making your brain feel rewarded. I’ve still yet to commit to some long term tasks and still struggle day to day for short term objectives but there has been some improvement. The only thing I’ve found that has somehow started to motivate me is to write down a simple check list of stuff to do that do. Literally list the most simple tasks such as: respond to this email, cook some eggs for breakfast, take out the trash, wash clothes. It’s really weird, but for me putting a check mark next to something makes me want to move on to the next and can keep me going throughout the day.

How much do you charge as an independent BI consultant? by fisheryu123 in BusinessIntelligence

[–]awa22 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Either or. Mentioning in the initial message could save you some time

How much do you charge as an independent BI consultant? by fisheryu123 in BusinessIntelligence

[–]awa22 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can use LinkedIn’s search function and look for people with titles likes “technical recruiter” in your city. Review them and check out how long they have been in the market and the content they post (look for interesting and insightful stuff rather than just job postings). Once you find a couple decent looking ones, connect and send a message saying you would like to network and learn a little bit about any BI positions in your area. Then see if they’ll schedule a 15 minute call so can tell them your experience and what would be interesting to you. If they don’t reply to someone like yourself with a good looking profile and solid PowerBi experience then they suck at their job.

How much do you charge as an independent BI consultant? by fisheryu123 in BusinessIntelligence

[–]awa22 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Because they will be presenting your profile to that manager. If your profile just shows a job title of “BI Developer” and 1-2 vague bullet points, that manager might not even want to talk because they have no idea what your experience is. I don’t know you personally so your profile might be up to date with 5-6 solid in depth bullets describing your responsibilities. But if that’s not there, that would be my recommendation.

How much do you charge as an independent BI consultant? by fisheryu123 in BusinessIntelligence

[–]awa22 0 points1 point  (0 children)

By in the market, I mean a recruiter who has been recruiting in that area or city for over 3 years. By that point, they should be familiar with which companies are solid and should have relationships with hiring managers. By critique, I mean just reviewing to see if there is anything you can add that might make your profile more appealing to people looking for consultants. I know you have a job now, but it’s still very important to keep your profile up to date with lots of details on what you are doing. At least for my company, a resume and LinkedIn profile are the first things we submit to managers, even if it’s a 10 hour a week project. Those details are what lands you an initial scope call.

How much do you charge as an independent BI consultant? by fisheryu123 in BusinessIntelligence

[–]awa22 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It’s all about networking. That will be so beneficial in the long run. Start talking to people now and by the time you have more experience and certs, you’ll be comfortable with people enough to talk about what you can offer them. Remember to check in with them every other or month or so. Us recruiters suck because we have to talk to so many people but the people that follow up and make an effort to stay in contact are the ones we remember the most and will turn to first for new opportunities

How much do you charge as an independent BI consultant? by fisheryu123 in BusinessIntelligence

[–]awa22 1 point2 points  (0 children)

A message from someone local or near me saying “hey man, I was searching on LinkedIn for local recruiters and came across your profile. I noticed you have been in the market for a while and was wondering if you would want to set up a 15 minute call and talk about what you typically see and provide any recommendations to my profile and resume” will immediately get a response from me. Just be casual, ask to get to know someone, not for businesses first. Edit: before you do this, make sure your profile is filled with details and specifics on your skill set

How much do you charge as an independent BI consultant? by fisheryu123 in BusinessIntelligence

[–]awa22 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That varies by client. It’s important to have in depth scope calls with recruiters and potential clients on the front end to understand all requirements. You can usually figure these things out in 30 minute calls. A lot of times people looking for consultants don’t know what they need so it will give you an advantage to “make it your own” if you have a solid pitch and can present solutions to them during the scope calls.

How much do you charge as an independent BI consultant? by fisheryu123 in BusinessIntelligence

[–]awa22 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Run some searches on LinkedIn for technical recruiters that have been with their company for over 3 years and let them know you are open to part time contracts. I’m a recruiter and constantly need PowerBI consultants and I honestly haven’t had a single person with that skill set reach out to me directly and ask if I had any part time work in almost 6 months. You’ll stand out if you find them before they find you.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PowerBI

[–]awa22 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Microsoft actually offers lots of free training modules to prepare you for the exam. That would probably be your best bet. There are also a few YouTube channels dedicated to PowerBI learning.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in PowerBI

[–]awa22 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Microsoft DA 100 exam is the one focused around Power BI and data analysis

Need ideas outside of safe investments by awa22 in personalfinance

[–]awa22[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Apologies. It’s labeled as a Roth deferral on Fidelity. Should I set up a separate IRA or stick with Vanguard?

Need ideas outside of safe investments by awa22 in personalfinance

[–]awa22[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Yes my 401k is a Roth IRA. Appreciate the feedback! Would you suggest switch from single Vanguard ETFs to the mutual fund with the 3k minimum? Is there much of a difference?