Pursuing proficiency: Tailor your Tableau education

Over the years, I’ve had the chance to ask many Tableau users my favorite question: “What’s your Tableau story?” Hearing customers speak about the personal and professional impact Tableau has made in their lives is both inspiring and humbling. I have a story myself, and you can read part of it here. While my story is a large part of why I love Tableau, a recent question really brought it into focus: “What advice would you give to your younger Tableau self?”

Without hesitation, I knew my answer right away: I would take a Tableau training class as soon as possible. In spite of my waiting more than two years to attend my first class, it was best decision I made to support my growth and proficiency within Tableau.

To find out how others pursue Tableau literacy, I reached out to some of our customers. The Tableau community is a phenomenal resource to connect with others and to discover what success has looked like for them—and I highly recommend checking it out to get to know other customers.

One of the more recent connections I’ve made is Tableau Zen Master, Neil Richards. This year, Neil has a goal of becoming a Desktop Certified Professional. Why is certification important to him? Certification validates and recognizes his deep understanding of Tableau beyond being a Zen Master and—in his words—“some guy who tweets a lot.” To Neil, it’s about more than a title. He wants to become an even better analyst and he’s investing in our education resources to help him get there.

One other thing struck me in my conversation with Neil. When asked what he would tell his younger Tableau self, he didn’t hesitate to say “nothing.” His thinking: If you don’t know where you’re going to end up, why do anything different? For now, he is focused on continuing his education by taking eLearning courses and ramping up for the Big Test in the Big Easy this October—yes, we offer certification exams at Tableau Conference! (I’ll be cheering him on, and maybe even get an autograph when I finally meet him in person this year!)

Reaching new levels of proficiency with Tableau looks different for every person. Knowing this, we work hard at Tableau to provide you with many different resources to support unique journeys. To be honest, I would never want to tell someone to follow in my exact footsteps to be successful; what worked for me isn’t necessarily the path that works for everyone.

Many factors go into determining your ideal learning scenario, including your personal and professional goals with Tableau, and whether or not you can travel to attend a class. Take a look at these questions to help you find valuable resources for the next step in your Tableau education.

How do you like to learn?

• On your own, setting your own pace and schedule? — Look into eLearning.
• With others in a classroom setting? — Instructor-led classroom training is for you. (If you’re able to travel, look for a class in a city near you or at one of our conferences. If you’d rather from the comfort of your own home, you can join a live and interactive virtual training.)

Didn’t see the type of educational experience you’re looking for?

• Want more? — Learn about becoming a Tableau Certified Professional.
• Want less? — If you’re just searching for one-off help or quick tutorials, you may want to check out our free training videos, help articles, or live, online training.

New to Tableau or not sure where to begin?

• Take our persona quiz to help you determine a potential learning path based on how you’re using Tableau.

Happy learning! Don’t wait to embark on your own educational journey!