My Journey from Novice to Tableau Ambassador
Disclaimer 1: This article ONLY contains the details of my Tableau journey and might not be directly applicable to others. In addition my progression in Tableau may be very different since I am from a totally different technical background of Hardware Design and Testing.
Disclaimer 2: This article DOES NOT contain any details about how to become a Tableau Ambassador or how a Tableau Ambassador is selected. It also DOES NOT include any details about the Tableau Ambassador program.
Given below are the various milestones in my journey from Novice to Tableau Ambassador:
Tableau Novice
Tableau Beginner
Tableau Certified
Tableau Intermediate
Tableau Ambassador
Let us proceed to each of the milestones in depth.
Tableau Novice
I wanted to include this Novice stage since not only was I new to Tableau but I was also a beginner when it comes to the Data Analytics field.
During the pandemic time I realized that my career had stagnated, and I was looking for alternate career options. My previous role required me to compulsorily work out of office even during the peak of the pandemic. I started having health issues as I had a pre-existing health condition. I was trying to see if there was a career path that I can choose that allowed me to work remotely from home.
This was when I came across Tableau. After many years I found something that gave me a reason to start my upskilling and career transition.
My remote data mentor for this milestone was Vivek P.
Given below is his LinkedIn profile
(https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivek-6a821b23a/)
Given below were the things that I had done as a part of this milestone.
NOTE: I also wanted to make it clear that these were in no specific order and might be different for others who are transitioning to the Data Analytics/Tableau field.
Learning Tableau using Online courses
As I was new to Tableau, I had to learn it from scratch. I had purchased many Tableau related courses from learning platforms like Udemy, Coursera etc. Although it took some time to understand the basic concepts these courses helped in getting a strong foundation in Tableau.
Although there were many Tableau courses I felt that Vivek’s course really helped me grasp the essential concepts of Tableau.
Given below is the Udemy course details:
Learn Tableau & Ace the Tableau Desktop Specialist Exam
https://www.udemy.com/course/learntableau/?couponCode=OF83024F
Practicing Tableau
I realized that while doing the courses all the concepts seemed very clear but when I tried to work Hands-On in Tableau, I was unable to remember most of the key points. This made me realize that the only way to reinforce the learning was by continuous practice.
I started practicing Tableau using the popular Sample Superstore data set and few other public datasets to get some confidence with respect to the Hands-On Tableau experience.
Tableau Beginner
As I continued using Tableau I started becoming more confident with respect to the various features and concepts of Tableau Desktop.
Given below were the things that I had done as a part of this milestone.
Publishing on Tableau Public
I continued creating views in Tableau and started publishing the Dashboards on Tableau public that I was doing as part of the online courses and some challenges e.g.: Maven Analytics etc.
Creating and sharing Tableau Topics on LinkedIn
As I became more aware of Tableau topics I started preparing and sharing simple documents (in PDF format) for Tableau concepts that were helpful for newcomers to Tableau.
I also started actively posting my learnings and documents on LinkedIn.
Tableau Certified
I felt that as I was from a different background I needed to get certified in Tableau.
Tableau Desktop Specialist Exam
I took up the Tableau Desktop Specialist certification exam and successfully cleared it on the first attempt mainly thanks to the Tableau course by Vivek that gave me a strong foundational understanding. This was a major achievement for me, and it was the first step towards a Data career. This was when the TDS exam was in the older format and it was being handled by another organization. In the previous format there was access to Tableau Desktop so it was somewhat easier. Of course this is my point of view.
I wanted to take up the exam once again to validate my Tableau skills and help me stay relevant with the latest updates in the TDS exam format and topics.
For further details regarding my TDS exam experience please check out my below Medium article that will be very useful to anyone targeting to take up the exam:
NOTE: In this article I have mentioned the various resources that I used to prepare for the TDS exam.
Tableau Certified Data Analyst Exam
After clearing the TDS exam I wanted to proceed with the TCDA exam. Although I did not have much experience in Tableau Prep Builder and Tableau Server, I decided to challenge myself and start preparing for the exam.
For further details regarding my TDCA exam experience please check out my below Medium article:
NOTE: In this article I have mentioned the various resources that I used to prepare for the TDCA exam.
Tableau Intermediate
At this milestone I realized that I needed to further improve my Tableau skills.
My remote data mentor for this milestone was Prasann Prem.
Given below is his LinkedIn profile
https://www.linkedin.com/in/prasannprem/
Given below were the things that I had done as a part of this milestone.
Attending an Advanced Tableau Bootcamp
I decided to attend the Nebula Program conducted by Prasann Prem
This program helped me update my Tableau skills and gave me an opportunity to work on several Case Studies and Projects.
The unique feature of this program was the manner in which the topics were covered. They helped in easy retention of critical Tableau concepts e.g: The Analogy of Tableau Parameters to a TV Remote
Given below is the course details:
The Nebula program 2.0: Become a Tableau star (Pre-Recorded)
https://www.vizdiner.com/courses/The-Nebula-program-20-Become-a-Tableau-star-Pre-Recorded-6578b11ae4b0a409732528d7-6578b11ae4b0a409732528d7
Understanding Tableau Topics more in depth and identifying key topics for blog
I wanted to research Tableau concepts in more depth hence I began writing articles on my Medium blog. The topics that I chose to write about was mainly based on those for which I was unable to find sufficient documentation for during my journey in learning Tableau.
Over time, I shifted to sharing short posts on LinkedIn to grab the attention with the inclusion of images to help reinforce new Tableau concepts.
Getting featured in Tableau DataFam Roundups
The articles that I prepared in Medium and the LinkedIn posts were consistently getting featured in Tableau DataFam Roundups.
Given below is my Medium List that contains all the articles that were featured in Tableau’s DataFam Roundups:
In addition I was also featured in the Community Highlight section of the DataFam Roundup: February 12–16, 2024
Tableau Ambassador
It was a pleasant surprise that I was nominated and selected as one of the 2024 Tableau Social Ambassadors. I will always be thankful to the DataFam members who nominated me for this title and it really feels that I have contributed to this great DataFam community.
I will attribute my nomination to the dedicated sharing of Tableau topics via LinkedIn posts and Medium blogs.
As already mentioned my journey in becoming a Tableau Ambassador is a bit unique and is not something that can be exactly followed as it might differ based on the stage of career anyone might currently be in.
My Tableau journey is far from over as I need to continue my knowledge sharing with the DataFam and also improve my Tableau & Data Story telling skills.
Once again, I wanted to clearly state that this is my personal journey and is not meant to be a standard reference for anyone making a transition into Tableau.
I just hope that this article is useful and that it inspires anyone who is just starting their Tableau journey!!!
My LinkedIn Profile:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepak-holla-01a4776b/
My Tableau Public Profile:
