How do Beginners Learn Power BI?

Learning to work with Microsoft Power BI is a valuable skill for individuals who are interested in creating engaging data visualizations that can be shared with others to convey data insights. Once you’ve made the decision to begin this learning journey, you may not be certain how to get started. Before you can master the ins and outs of Power BI, you’ll need to acquire a few basic skills, such as how to work with Microsoft tools, how to handle data and basic business intelligence concepts, and how to use applications like Excel. Then, you’ll choose a beginner-friendly method of instruction, whether it’s live coursework, self-paced materials, or some combination. These types of training will then help you take your Power BI knowledge even further.

Getting Started with Power BI

If you’re new to using Power BI and don’t have a background working with big data, you may not be certain what resources you’ll need to streamline your studies. Even though it’s not imperative to master any single tool or app before learning Power BI, the more foundational knowledge you have in place prior to your training, the easier it will be to fully leverage this tool. The following sections will take a brief look at some of the skills you may wish to have under your belt before you get started visualizing data in Power BI.

The Data Analytics Process

Before learning how to use Power BI to analyze and visualize data, studying the basics of the data analytics process is an essential first step. Data analytics is used by organizations of all sizes to analyze various kinds of data, including real-time, historical, and quantitative data, in order to locate trends, patterns, or outliers. This information can provide valuable insights for an organization into their past and present performance and can help them make more informed business decisions moving forward. Since using Power BI requires knowing basic data analytics concepts like how to extract data from multiple sources, store this information, and visualize it, most Power BI students will benefit greatly from a solid understanding of data analytics before working with this business solution. 

Excel 

Excel is the most popular spreadsheet application on the market. This tool helps an estimated 750 million users organize, retrieve, and visualize data. One of the main benefits of studying Excel before learning Power BI is that it can help you skip the time-consuming process of cleaning and preparing data. This application’s Power Query feature is used to connect, clean, and shape data. Although it is not necessary to master all of Excel’s advanced functions and features to use Power BI, those who have a basic understanding of how to use it to perform tasks like combining datasets, cleaning data, visualizing information, and transforming layouts will likely find it much easier to learn Power BI.

Other Microsoft Products

In addition to Excel knowledge, most aspiring Power BI users will also find it helpful to be familiar with other Microsoft products since it was developed by Microsoft. Power BI is included in Microsoft’s Power Platform, which has other tools like Power Virtual Agent, Power Automate, Power Apps, and Power Pages. These “low-code” tools have applications for creating business solutions, analyzing and visualizing data, creating no-code chatbots, and automating various processes. Learners may wish to explore core Microsoft apps like Word, PowerPoint, or Outlook as a prerequisite to Power BI study, which can make it easier to learn this tool.

Business Intelligence Basics

Another skill set that will be extremely valuable for those who want to learn Power BI is a basic understanding of core business intelligence concepts. Business analytics involves transforming raw data into useful information that an organization can use to make better decisions. Since Power BI is a tool for analytics and business intelligence, it makes sense for students to first become familiar with business analytics techniques and tools, including predictive analysis, statistics, data mining, and data modeling.

The First Steps when Learning Power BI

No two learners are the same. Those who are just getting started working with Power BI will each have their own unique approach to learning how to work with this business solution. After establishing a basic educational foundation in business intelligence and data analytics, a good next step for most people is to become familiar with the basics of this tool, including its interface and core features. Most introductory-level Power BI courses will provide participants with this type of essential training before progressing into more complex data topics.

Power BI novices will benefit from learning the current best practices and methods to model, visualize, and analyze data. This includes how to access and process data from sources like relational and non-relational databases. Students may also benefit from exploring how to work with essential policies and security standards pertaining to databases and groups. Coursework also likely will teach students how to manage and deploy dashboards and reports so their contents can be shared with other relevant stakeholders. Before students become familiar with how to use Power BI’s drag-and-drop feature to visualize data, they will need to be familiar with how to work with Power Query to load and transform data. Basic knowledge of how to build a data model is also a core skill most students will learn fairly early on in their Power BI studies.

Free Power BI Tools for Beginners

A great place to start learning Microsoft Power BI is with free online resources. Many educators around the globe offer free online resources like tutorials, blogs, and video content for those interested in learning how to use Power BI to analyze and visualize data. These materials vary significantly in terms of length and depth of instruction. YouTube videos are posted by educators like Learnit Training, the Microsoft Power Platform and Pragmatic Works. Some video content is very short and takes less than five minutes to watch. It covers a specific Power BI skill, such as how to navigate Power BI Desktop. Other training videos are longer and more involved and require five or more hours to finish. 

Some educators also post educational articles on in-demand Power BI topics, which can be a great resource for those looking to explore a specific topic or skill. Noble Desktop’s Power BI Learn Hub provides well-researched content on the various uses of Power BI, career paths in which this tool is used, and how learning this skill set compares with other comparable tools.

These resources don’t require a monetary investment and are widely available. This makes them a popular resource for those who don’t want to invest hundreds or thousands of dollars on formal Power BI classwork but require specific knowledge to finish a work project. Since Power BI Desktop is updated each month to account for new features and customer feedback, free online content has the potential to quickly become obsolete. This is why those interested in learning to work with this solution through online resources should research the provider to ensure the instruction they’re receiving is current. 

On-Demand Power BI Courses

In addition to free Power BI training materials, beginner-friendly on-demand coursework is also available. Self-paced study takes many forms; some educators offer short introductory-level lessons that provide a basic overview of Power BI’s main features and tools, as well as how to navigate the interface. These lessons can be completed in an hour or so. Other courses are longer and more involved; they combine Power BI training with other data analytics concepts and tools. Unlike live coursework, in which an instructor determines the lesson speed, on-demand content affords learners the flexibility of pausing content to take notes or rewatching entire lessons to ensure they’re retaining the information being covered. Students can also pick and choose asynchronous coursework that’s at the appropriate learning level to ensure the topics being covered are useful to them.

Live Power BI Training for Beginners

There are many types of training available for Power BI students. While each has its unique advantages, most learners will agree that live Power BI courses are the most engaging and effective way to quickly learn this tool. These interactive courses are available in most major cities throughout the US and are also offered in the online training format using Zoom or a similar teleconferencing platform. Live coursework is available for learners at all levels, including those who have no prior data analytics experience and are interested in exploring the basics of Power BI. 

Students who opt for live training benefit from learning from an instructor with real-world data analytics training. They also study alongside other students, which can provide an additional sense of support and camaraderie during training. Participants grow more confident in their Power BI skills when they have the chance to apply them in a “learning by doing” format, which can lead to improved retention. Live courses are taught in real-time, which means those who have questions can ask them as necessary and receive immediate clarification. While live training is generally the most expensive way to study Power BI, the additional financial investment is well worth it for most learners, in particular those who will be using their training for a work-related project. 

The Next Step

Once you learn the basics of how to analyze and visualize data in Microsoft Power BI, many learners will be ready to take their skills even further. Aspiring data professionals or those interested in using their training toward a new career in data analytics will likely need to be familiar with various tools, skills, programming languages, and applications. This may require further training beyond that which is provided in an introductory-level class that focuses entirely on Microsoft Power BI.

If you’re interested in studying one or more analytics skills during the same course, enrolling in a data analytics bootcamp is a great option. These programs provide hands-on training for learners at all levels who want to learn how to work with big data. These types of programs often combine beginner, intermediate, and advanced-level short skills classes and help learners progress from basic data knowledge into more complex concepts over several days or weeks of training. Sometimes, these bootcamps are available for a discount for those who commit to all three levels of coursework rather than opting for just one skills course.

Those looking to study the field of data analytics in its entirety may opt for a certificate program in data analytics that teaches a range of in-demand skills and tools as part of the same comprehensive program, including Power BI, Tableau, Excel, Python, and SQL. Courses like Noble Desktop’s Data Analytics Certificate provide participants with a way to take a deep dive into the skills they’ll need to succeed as a Data Analyst. Most certificate programs provide learners with more than in-depth classroom study; they also offer a range of professional development services intended to help graduates secure a job with their skills. Some certificates provide 1-on-1 mentoring, access to networking events, resume critiques, LinkedIn profile guidance, or professional portfolio feedback. 

Learn Power BI with Noble Desktop

Regardless of whether you’re new to working with Power BI or already have a solid foundation with this tool and want to take your skills further, Noble Desktop can help. In Noble’s Power BI Bootcamp, students create interactive data visualizations like graphs, maps, and charts in which they present data findings in a colorful and engaging way. Coursework teaches participants how to create dynamic dashboards and reports that covey data trends and patterns. This comprehensive program includes training in how to import data from sources like SQL, Text/CSV, and Excel, as well as how to work with Power Query. Students also learn how to aggregate data using MIN/MAX, COUNT, and SUM to gain further insights. By the end of this bootcamp, those enrolled will have the opportunity to work with the DAX language for visualizing data.

If, instead, you want to pursue Power BI certification for work-related reasons, an excellent way to do so is by enrolling in Noble’s Power BI Certification Program. This class is intended for those looking to become expert Power BI users and earn a Microsoft Certified Power BI Data Analysts Associate designation. This comprehensive course combines all the teaching benefits of the Power BI Bootcamp with six hours of additional private tutoring. Coursework takes students from introductory-level Power BI training up through advanced-level data skills. Participants work with Power Query to import data from a range of sources. They then learn how to structure, filter, and analyze this information to create stunning data visualizations. Training then progresses into higher-level skills, such as data aggregation and training with the DAX language. Learners can use their three private tutoring sessions to further explore topics of interest so they will be ready to pass the certification exam. Tuition includes the fee for the Power BI Data Analyst Associate Exam, test proctoring, and a free test retake (for those who need it). Learners who would prefer not to take the exam at the end of this class have the flexibility of opting instead for an additional hour of private tutoring.

All Noble classes are taught in person in New York City and are also available live online. Tuition for these programs includes a free course retake for up to a full year.