Learn More About Tableau Classes in Toronto
Tableau is one of the top data analysis tools used by businesses across a variety of industries. It connects, compiles, and visualizes data so that companies can make informed and strategic decisions. Founded in 2003, Tableau’s patented foundational technology visually expresses data by translating drag-and-drop actions into something that people can see and understand through an intuitive interface.
Tableau is utilized by some of the largest companies in the United States and is a valuable platform for anyone to learn, especially data analysts, business intelligence professionals, and software developers. With all of these careers being potentially lucrative, learning Tableau is definitely worthwhile.
What Can You Do with Tableau Training?
Tableau is widely used amongst data professionals, helping simplify raw data into understandable formats and fueling decision-making processes in organizations. You can use Tableau for real-time analysis, data blending and collaboration, making it ideal for data analytics, even for those without programming or technical skills. Top companies like Facebook, General Motors, Sony, and Groupon rely on Tableau for data analysis and visualization, providing seemingly endless career opportunities in various industries.
Tableau isn’t just for professional use, though. You can use it for personal projects like animating visualizations, one of Tableau’s lesser-known features. With the help of this software’s Page Shelf feature, Tableau users can design their own animated data visualizations. These interactive visuals can be used to present any information in a format that’s interactive and easy to access, even by a general audience.
Additionally, the Tableau Community provides a platform for those interested in learning to visualize data to practice their skills and share them with others. This free platform helps aspiring Data Analysts and others create and share their data visualizations with others in the biggest data visualization repository in existence. This page is especially useful for those seeking inspiration for their own data visualizations or interested in seeing how others around the world depict data findings.
What Will I Learn in a Tableau Class?
Tableau is a widely used tool in the field of data analytics and visualization, so it’s important that you master all of its tools and tricks if you want to be successful in this field. Below are the top things you’ll learn in a Tableau class so you can get an idea of what to expect.
Connect and Customize Data
Before you can build a view and analyze your data, you must first connect Tableau to your data. Tableau allows you to connect a wide variety of data, stored in a variety of places. Your data might be stored on your computer in a spreadsheet or a text file, or in a big data, relational, or cube (multidimensional) database on a server. You can also connect to public domain data available on the web, like the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (the BLS), or to a cloud database source such as Google Analytics, Amazon Redshift, or Salesforce.
Create Visualizations
Creating visualizations in Tableau can help you better understand and analyze data, which can lead to faster decision-making and improved business performance. Visualizations can make data easier to understand, encourage faster decision making, and improve business performance. Tableau offers a variety of features to help users create visualizations, including:
- Drag-and-drop interface: Makes it easy for users to create charts and graphs, even if they aren't technically proficient
- Real-time data updates: Allows users to see data as it changes
- Interactive dashboards: Can be customized and updated in real-time
- Scalability: Can handle large amounts of data
- Integration: Can work with data from a variety of sources, including Excel, text, and PDF
Analyze Data
The primary reason Data Analysts and similar professionals use Tableau, its features for analyzing data are unmatched. Filtering is an essential part of analyzing data and it's important to understand the order in which Tableau executes filters in your workbook. Sorting is equally important; when viewing a visualization, data can be sorted using single click options from an axis, header, or field label. A quality course will teach you how to apply sorting and filtering techniques, as well as how to compare subsets of data and write calculations.
Create Dashboards
Dashboards are used in Tableau for monitoring, measuring, and analyzing relevant data in key areas. They take raw data from many sources and present it in a way that's highly tailored to the viewer's needs—whether that’s a business leader, line of Business Analyst, sales representative, marketer, or more.
Share and Publish
One of the final steps of any project in Tableau will be to publish and share your findings with others. When you publish to Tableau Public, as the name suggests, these views are publicly accessible. This means that you share your views as well as your underlying data with anyone with access to the internet. You can also privately publish confidential information on Tableau Server or Tableau Cloud. Publishing your findings allows people in your organization to view, interact with, download, subscribe to, share, edit, and save published views, even if they do not use Tableau Desktop.
How Hard is It to Learn Tableau?
Good news: Tableau is generally considered easy to learn. While previous experience with data analytics or programs like Excel will give you an upper hand, Tableau’s interface is something anyone can learn. Excel provides a platform for managing, analyzing, and visualizing data, so knowledge of this app can speed up the Tableau learning process.
What Are the Most Challenging Parts of Learning Tableau?
Even though Tableau isn’t hard to learn, there are some challenging aspects to mastering the software. Collecting, cleaning, and structuring raw data can be difficult, especially for those without experience working with data. Along the same lines, if you don't have experience with relational databases or reporting, it can be challenging to learn these skills in Tableau. Additionally, understanding complex concepts like LOD expressions, table calculations, and data blending can be challenging. It’s important to remember that, while all these things may take more time and commitment to master, anyone with the right amount of passion and focus can become an expert in Tableau.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Tableau?
On average, it takes most people between two and six months to learn this software. This process can take even longer if you’re looking to master all of Tableau’s functions. The speed at which you learn Tableau will depend mainly on the prerequisite skills you bring to the learning process. For example, if you are new to working with data or performing data visualizations, it may be more difficult to acclimate to Tableau’s features.
Should I Learn Tableau in Person or Online?
There are several factors to consider when answering this question. First, you’ll want to consider what learning environment is best suited for you. Do you thrive in a collaborative environment where you can interact with your peers and receive in-the-moment feedback from your instructor? Or, do you prefer a more solitary learning environment, perhaps one where you can learn at your own speed?
You’ll also want to consider how much time you can dedicate to your education and what level of flexibility your schedule requires. Are you looking to immerse yourself in an intensive program? Do you work full-time and need your classes to be scheduled for evening and weekend hours?
In-person courses offer face-to-face interaction with both your fellow students and your expert instructor. This collaborative environment is available for both full-time and part-time classes and provides structure and accountability, two things that can help you succeed. Online classes may lack this in-person interaction, but they make up for it with increased flexibility. Live online classes still offer instant feedback from your instructor and interactions with other students, while on-demand virtual courses allow for the most flexibility since you can decide where and when you learn.
The good news is that, no matter which option you choose, you can obtain a quality education with a top-notch curriculum and expert instructors.
Can I Learn Tableau Free Online?
Technically, it is possible to learn Tableau for free online. YouTube videos, blogs, and free short workshops can all be a great way to learn the basics without purchasing any educational content. (Don’t forget to watch the most recent uploads so you’re learning the latest trends and techniques.) Tableau even offers free training resources on their site, which can be helpful for new or current users.
But, for the more advanced skills, an in-depth training course is going to be your best bet. These courses have a curriculum developed and taught by experts with the chance to receive feedback or troubleshoot any issues with your instructor or a support team. Formal training can also provide the structure and accountability that some students need to stay focused, creating an environment where you’re more likely to succeed. So, if you’re looking to master more than just the basics, a formal workshop or class is a better choice than free online resources.
What Should I Learn Alongside Tableau?
Perhaps the most important thing to learn alongside Tableau is SQL. Tableau allows users to connect to a variety of data sources, including SQL databases, making it easy to access and analyze data from multiple sources. You can use SQL to clean and prepare data before it is imported into Tableau, allowing for more accurate and meaningful visualizations. Once you connect Tableau to an SQL database, you can make changes to the data and see the updates in real-time in the visualizations. Mastering even the basics of SQL can help you better utilize Tableau and its features for data analysis and visualization.
Industries That Use Tableau
Toronto is a highly desirable location for many, and it isn’t hard to see why. A beautiful landscape, diverse and vibrant city, and plenty of professional opportunities make it a fun and exciting place to live and work. The top industries in Toronto are outlined below, each of which will need Excel experts to help them achieve their goals.
Finance
Toronto has the second largest financial industry in North America and is the biggest financial center in Canada. Some of the nation’s largest banks such as the Royal Bank of Canada, Scotiabank, Bank of Montreal, and Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) are headquartered in Toronto. One in 12 jobs in the Toronto area is in financial services and many of these will use Tableau to get a deeper understanding of how money is being spent, so they can optimize resources more effectively.
Real Estate
The construction, rental, and housing market is the second biggest industry in Toronto which should come as no surprise since Toronto has the highest population among Canadian cities.
Home to Canada’s largest real estate agencies, the Toronto housing market has exploded due to an influx of new residents. In fact, 47% of Toronto’s population was born outside of Canada, causing a high demand for new homes, rental space, and affordable housing options. Tableau can be used to assess performance of real estate investments, deep-dive to property level of detail, identify the underlying drivers of your performance, and measure improvements of occupancy level over time.
Technology
Toronto’s tech industry is the fastest growing tech sector in North America and has created more jobs than the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, and Washington DC combined. The city is also home to many digital media and video game producers including Ubisoft, Zynga, and Gameloft.
Additionally, many IT directors also find Toronto-based managed service providers (MSPs) appealing, as they offer the same quality IT services as international firms, but at a more affordable price.
Life Sciences
Toronto’s Discovery District is the densest biological research hub in the world, hosting over 30 different research medical facilities. Some of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies have sites in Toronto too, including Pifzer and AstraZeneca, creators of two of the most popular COVID-19 vaccines. Many researchers and pharmaceutical companies benefit from being close to major medical device manufacturers, so Toronto’s thriving manufacturing scene provides a boost for the life sciences industry. Life sciences organizations are now able to analyze huge datasets, including human genomes, to move scientific research forward with the help of Tableau.
Tableau Job Titles and Salaries
Tableau is used in a variety of industries and fields, so there are several job titles you should be looking for in your job search. The top ones you’ll see are outlined below, as are the expected salaries so you can get a better idea of what to expect in your new career.
Data Analyst
Data Analysts often utilize the Tableau software to gather and communicate information. The average salary for this role in Toronto is around CAD$72,000, but you could easily earn over six figures once you’re established in your field.
Client Solutions Specialist
You could also become a Client Solutions Specialist, utilizing Tableau and data analysis to create a better customer or client experience. Whether that’s improving phone or chat wait times, designing more user-friendly products, or improving the in-store shopping experience, the applications of Tableau’s insight are endless. You can earn anywhere from CAD$55,000-110,000 as a Client Solutions Specialist, depending on your level of experience.
Software Engineer
Software Engineers are also known for utilizing software like Tableau. And, in a tech-centered city like Seattle, there’s certainly no shortage of work. Plus, software engineering is an extremely lucrative career; you can earn around CAD$105,000 without needing years of experience.
Business Analyst
You could also become a Business Analyst, helping organizations assess how they are performing and help them improve their processes and systems. You can expect to earn around CAD$73,000 in this role starting out, but those Business Analysts that are in high demand can easily earn double that from major corporations.
Tableau Classes Near Me
Toronto is a bustling city with many thriving industries, so it can be a great place to work as a Tableau expert. While there currently aren’t any in-person classes available, there are several top-notch live online courses that can help you master Tableau quickly, allowing you to launch your career that much sooner.
Noble Desktop offers this course live online. With an expert instructor, you’ll start learning about the field of data visualization and the various tools Tableau Public offers. You'll learn to identify and connect to datasets, and how to explore, analyze, filter, and structure data to create visualizations. Once you learn the foundations, you'll dive further into Tableau tools, use geographic data to make maps, and learn to customize your visualizations. By the end of this course, you'll be able to manipulate and publish all different types of visualizations. This class is part of Noble’s Data Analytics Certificate and Tableau Certification Program, if you’d like to continue your education.
A more in-depth option, this program from Noble Desktop prepares you to take the Tableau Desktop Specialist, which is included with a free retake. In this course, you'll learn beginner through advanced Tableau skills from a live instructor. You'll start by learning the Tableau interface and creating simple charts, then build on that knowledge as you progress to higher-level techniques like mapping data, creating Dashboards and Stories, and working on individual projects using your own data. As part of the course, you’ll receive six hours of private Tableau tutoring. This dedicated one-on-one time with an instructor will allow you to get individualized attention and go in-depth on topics of interest, ensuring you're fully prepared for the certification exam.
This project-based course from Noble Desktop teaches you to gather, wrangle, analyze, and visualize data using various tools and technologies to help businesses in decision-making and strategy. You’ll work on multiple real-world projects to explore both predictive and prescriptive analytics and gain practical experience. Plus, you have access to 1:1 mentoring, a free retake, and setup assistance when you enroll in this course. Payment plans are available to make this certification more accessible.
Tableau Corporate Training
If you’re looking to offer in-person or online training to your office or team, Noble Desktop can help. They offer a variety of corporate training programs, including in social media marketing. You can order vouchers in bulk at a discount, choose which courses are available to employees, and even let your employees choose their own schedule. Plus, you can choose to have your training hosted at a location of your choosing, live online, or at Noble Desktop’s Manhattan office.
With a top-notch customizable curriculum and instructors who are experts in their industries, Noble Desktop’s corporate training is designed to cater to your business or organization’s needs. For more information or to schedule a free consultation, you can reach out to Noble Desktop at corporate@nobledesktop.com.