Learn how to use Power BI, a powerful data visualization tool, to create interactive and aesthetically pleasing charts, graphs, and maps. Learn how to connect to datasets, analyze and structure data, customize visualizations, and publish reports.
Learn Power BI for data analysis & visualization and become a certified Power BI Data Analyst Associate in this hands-on certification course.
Learn the essential skills needed to become a Data Analyst or Business Analyst, including data analysis, data visualization, and statistical analysis. Gain practical experience through real-world projects and prepare for a successful career in the field of data analytics.
Data lies at the heart of modern business culture. Google has gotten rich by collecting and selling it, and companies collect as much of it as possible from their activities both on and offline. Amassing data is one thing, but doing something with it is another, and, unless someone sorts through (“cleans” or “wrangles”) it and then makes sense of it, data has no value.
Microsoft’s Power BI (business intelligence) is a data analysis and visualization tool that puts an entire suite of powerful features at the user’s fingertips. It makes sense out of data, even enormous amounts of it (so-called “Big Data”), and makes it possible for people to draw lessons from it in any number of useful ways. Moreover, the software not only analyzes data, but it also creates handsome and easily intelligible reports which can then be shared throughout a work group or even an entire organization. While Power BI doesn’t make full-fledged Data Analysts out of people who pick it up for the first time, it makes much data analysis readily accessible and intelligible to non-data professionals. It is thus a highly adaptable and useful tool at all levels of business.
One of the selling points of Power BI is the way in which it democratizes data and data analysis. Indeed, one of Microsoft’s sales slogans for the software is “create a data-driven culture with business intelligence for all.” Thanks to Power BI, data analysis is within the grasp of anyone at any level in an organization. That means that Big Data can be put at the service, not only of major corporate decision-makers, but of people across an entire company. The software opens up the usefulness of data and data interpretation.
You can’t build an entire career on knowing how to use Power BI. On the other hand, because it was designed with so many different types of workers in mind, there are few people in the business world who wouldn’t benefit from knowing how to use the software. Power BI is intuitive and fairly easy to grasp, so it’s not a difficult skill to acquire. That said, it can also be a highly useful one, particularly in Chicago with its major financial markets. But the usefulness of Power BI goes beyond the world of finance: any business that is concerned with data can benefit from employees who know how to use the software. A firm grasp on Power BI can even be the first step toward a career in data analysis.
Chicago is a major hub for businesses leveraging data to make strategic decisions, creating strong demand for Power BI professionals. Companies across finance, healthcare, and consulting hire Power BI specialists to transform raw data into actionable insights through interactive dashboards and visual reports. Major financial firms such as CME Group, Morningstar, and Allstate rely on Power BI analysts to monitor market trends, track key performance indicators, and streamline reporting processes. In healthcare, organizations like Northwestern Medicine, Walgreens Boots Alliance, and AbbVie use Power BI to analyze patient data, optimize operations, and support research initiatives.
Beyond finance and healthcare, consulting and tech firms in Chicago also employ Power BI experts to provide data-driven solutions for clients. Companies like Deloitte, Accenture, and Slalom Consulting hire Power BI professionals to create dashboards, generate visual insights, and automate reporting for a variety of industries. Additionally, tech companies such as Grubhub and Sprout Social utilize Power BI for business intelligence, tracking user engagement, product performance, and operational metrics.
In Chicago, Data Analysts, who mine data for details about an organization’s past performance, earn approximately $70,000 per year. Data Scientists, who interpret data in function of a company’s projected future performance, take home an average annual salary of nearly $120,000. Digital Analysts, who specialize in interpreting data from digital media, earn closer to $80,000 a year.
Noble Desktop offers several Power BI classes. That selection is headlined by its Power BI Bootcamp, which, in six hours, turns beginners into more-than-competently skilled users of the software. The curriculum works from hands-on projects that allow students to learn by actually working with Power BI. Students therefore aren’t compelled to sit and listen to a stultifying online lecture for six hours; the hands-on model has been proven to be the most effective way for students to acquire new tech skills.
Further alternatives for online Power BI classes include those offered by NYIM Training. You may also wish to consider the Power BI courses taught at NYC Career Centers.
Would you like to upskill your current team members in the use of Power BI? Whether they’re new to the software or in need of understanding its more advanced features, Noble Desktop can provide you with a solution for corporate and onsite Power BI training. It offers a voucher program that makes it possible for your team members to select from Noble’s regular class menu; volume discounts are available. Noble can also arrange for live in-person classes at your office location by sending you one of its experienced teachers, or it can set up online training using a teleconferencing platform such as Zoom or Google Meets. Please contact Noble Desktop’s corporate sales team for further information.
In the heart of the Midwest’s finance capital, there’s opportunity everywhere. From tech startups in Fulton Market to powerhouse Fortune 500 firms in the Loop, Chicago offers a virtually endless array of ways to level up your skills in tech, business, data, and design. The city thrives on bold ideas, making it the perfect place to grow a career that is not only lucrative but also makes a real impact. With expert instructors with decades of experience, you’ll learn more about the subjects you’re interested in, all while receiving hands-on training. These instructors live and breathe to explore and work within their field, meaning they don’t just teach; they mentor, guide, and connect you to the heart of Chicago’s many successful industries and direct you to the most meaningful path to help you achieve your goals.
Noble Desktop’s partner school, Practical Programming, has state-of-the-art facilities conveniently located in downtown Chicago’s iconic Hayworth Building at 29 E. Madison Street, Chicago, IL, 60602. It’s an easy-to-find location for students from across the city to attend. The campus is modern, equipped with the necessary tech and tools you may need, and provides resources like Wi-Fi, comfortable workstations, and expert instructors and staff ready to help you learn. Getting there is simple, whether you’re commuting from the Loop, River North, or surrounding areas. The school is easily accessible from the CTA trains and buses, with nearby stops for major lines like the Red, Blue, and Brown. If you’re driving, you can park nearby at various parking decks and metered spots within walking distance. The central location means you won’t have to stress about making it to class, and that your training sessions can fit into any schedule with ease.
Power BI helps professionals visualize data and create interactive reports that support decision-making. Students who take the hands-on classes at Noble Desktop will learn modeling, dashboard design, and reporting techniques from experienced analytics instructors.
Henry Gonzalez is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with over 30 years of experience in the federal government, leading engineering, program management, and acquisition initiatives in naval warfare, air traffic management, and homeland security. A retired senior executive, Henry now serves as a part-time instructor in Chicago, where he teaches project and program management, leadership, and strategic planning to professionals of all kinds. He holds the highest level of federal certification one can hold for acquisition program management and systems engineering. In addition, Henry was part of the core team that updated the Project Management Institute’s Standard for Program Management. Henry is also a certified Balanced Scorecard Professional and holds a Bachelor of Science in Ocean Engineering from Florida Atlantic University, along with a dual Master of Science in Ocean Engineering and Ocean Systems Management from MIT.
Robert Simon is a highly accomplished financial management professional and educator with more than four decades of federal and private sector experience. As a Financial and Management Curricula Instructor at Graduate School USA since 2007, he teaches courses in financial management, federal travel regulations, and organizational leadership, both virtually and in person. Prior to his teaching career, he held senior roles at the General Services Administration, overseeing a six-state regional budget of approximately $100 million, and at the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Management Service, where he led national training initiatives on electronic banking. Robert’s background spans accounting, budgeting, and program analysis, holding certifications as a Certified Public Accountant and Certified Government Financial Manager.
Edward (Scott) Dillion is a seasoned financial expert with over three decades of experience in the Department of Defense, where he specialized in a range of financial management areas like budgeting and auditing, as well as performance-based management and cost analysis. He holds an MBA from Southern Illinois University and a B.A. in Business Administration from Grove City College. After retiring in 2014, Scott pivoted to a second career in education and consulting. He teaches project management and marketing at Graduate School USA and has also taught courses in federal budgeting. Additionally, Scott serves as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Management Concepts Inc., where he helps develop financial management course materials. He also has a lifetime membership with the American Society of Military Comptrollers, holds a Top Secret security clearance with the Department of Defense, and is a recognized Tier 2 instructor at Graduate School USA for his wealth of experience.