I have
written a few articles on breaking into the Business Intelligence sector, as
well as given specific advice to individuals in my day-to-day life.
Two
subjects keep rearing their heads:
a. What is
involved in Business Intelligence analysis?
b. How do I
get experience?
The first
one is beyond the scope of an article, or a series of articles even and
unfortunately I cannot even recommend an existing book, because there are none at
the time of writing. For now, all I can
say is that it becomes apparent as your experience increases.
The second
one is more approachable and can be solved with hard work and some know-how.
1. Know
Your Stuff!
The first
step is to make sure you have all the basic knowledge to do the job of a BI
analyst.
I have
listed the basics in previous articles, so will not get into specifics here,
but suffice to say that it makes sense to be able to do the job you are trying
to get practical experience in.
At the very
least, be comfortable with the reporting software you intend using.
2. Let
Businesses Know Who You Are
Advertising
in your local area may seem overwhelming at first, but if you target smaller
companies you will be pleasantly surprised by the feedback.
Why?
Because
Business Intelligence is a powerful tool which will help any company and is a
new miracle cure to smaller businesses.
And
advertising does not have to mean paid advertising. Most areas have local business networks which
can provide you the access you need to boost your local economy.
3. Make
the Most of Any Opportunities
The whole
point of this approach is to gain experience, so every opportunity to increase
your experience should be seized with both hands.
As obvious
as this sounds, when faced with new challenges or work which may seem
pointless, it is too easy to make excuses and avoid things which are
challenging.
At this
point in your career everything is an opportunity to learn, whether this is
talking to a potential client about what data they store electronically and how
it can be used to aid their business…or creating a new type of report for an
existing customer.
Everything
is a challenge, but should be seen as an chance to grow your career and get an
edge over the competition.
Summary
Lack of
experience is the number one culprit which can ruin all the years of study and
lay waste to your technical knowledge.
As such, it should be given priority as a problem which needs solving.
With this
handled, everything else will fall into place and the benefits which should be
part and parcel of an IT based career will be available for the taking.
About
the Author
Jason Dove
is the
author of 'Crystal Reports Formulas Explained' and a Business Intelligence expert who has
worked as a consultant for over a decade providing top notch assistance for the
world's leading companies.
Jason is
also the mastermind behind the revolutionary Scry Career Primer, the only
product on the market dedicated to launching your IT career, covering everything
from gaining industry experience and writing a killer résumé to exploiting the
most popular IT sectors. Subscribe to his FREE Career newslette!