Can I Learn Tableau On My Own?

You can learn Tableau by yourself using free online resources or enrolling in a self-paced Tableau class. Individuals with busy schedules who don’t have the time to enroll in a live class turn to self-teaching to learn the basics of Tableau. This gives students the time to learn during their free time without having to worry about commuting to a class. Self-teaching tools are often more affordable than live classes too, making them a good option for anyone looking to learn the foundations of Tableau on a budget. 

Advantages of Self-Teaching Tableau

Self-teaching Tableau is the most flexible learning method. In-person and live online classes require students to enroll in a scheduled class. For in-person classes, students must commute to a physical location, and live online classes require students to meet via a web conferencing platform during a set time. Students who opt to self-teach can instead enroll in an on-demand class and complete lessons at a time and place that suits them. This option provides students the freedom to learn at their preferred pace as they work through video lectures, exercises, and even projects. 

Self-teaching Tableau is used as a means of saving money when learning. In-person and live online Tableau classes range from hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on their length and how in-depth they go, whereas self-teaching options are more affordable. You can learn Tableau using free online resources, or pay to enroll in an on-demand class. Although on-demand classes require a course fee, they are less expensive than classes taught by an instructor. 

Tableau Self-Teaching Tools

Looking to self-teach Tableau? A range of tools are available to you, from YouTube videos to on-demand classes. 

• YouTube Videos. Schools like Noble Desktop provide free instruction on a number of software and programs through instructive series posted on their YouTube channels. These videos often provide a basic introduction to Tableau and may also include a troubleshooting series.
• Online Tutorials and Guides. Experts often upload tutorials and guides online to help new learners understand how to work in Tableau. They may post them on their websites or to a forum where learners and experts alike can discuss and help each other troubleshoot problems.
• Books. You can turn to e-books or look around your local library for a book that covers an introduction to Tableau. This method of self-teaching works best for textual learners who process information best when reading it. 
• On-demand Classes. On-demand classes provide more structure than learning online through guides or YouTube videos because you’re paying for course materials that are typically structured into modules or units. However, it’s up to you to make the most of the material you have access to and to ensure that you dedicate enough time to learn. 

Drawbacks to Learning Tableau on Your Own

Learning Tableau on your own allows you to work at your own pace--particularly, one that fits your schedule. This option works well for full-time workers and students who don’t have the time to attend scheduled classes. However, along with these benefits come some drawbacks. 

Learning Tableau on your own means learning with little to no guidance. Although some material you use to learn may be structured to a degree, self-teaching does not come with the guidance that an instructor-led class does. In instructor-led classes, you can ask questions, receive feedback, and troubleshoot with assistance. When learning Tableau on your own, you won’t have access to an instructor to ask questions or receive feedback from. Depending on your mode of learning, you may have access to troubleshooting help, but you must move past most roadblocks on your own. 

Learning Tableau on your own is challenging if you struggle with motivation. Without an instructor to guide you, it may become difficult to stay on track with your learning. Some students perform better under structured learning conditions, and teaching themselves is as unstructured as it gets. To ensure that you're staying on track and learning efficiently, it’s important to know how you can stay motivated and focused on covering the material without an instructor pushing you to. 

Alternatives to Learning Tableau on Your Own

Self-teaching Tableau allows you to save time and money. By taking advantage of the free and affordable resources available to you, you can fit in Tableau lessons between your busy schedule, eliminate the need to commute, and make sure you don’t break the bank. But, self-teaching is not for everyone. If you want to learn under the guidance of an instructor, consider enrolling in an in-person or live online class. 

In-person Tableau classes provide the structure that a traditional class would; students attend a scheduled class taught by an instructor and work with their classmates on assignments and projects. Guided learning allows you to ask questions of your instructor and receive personalized feedback on the work you complete in class. Working alongside others lets you learn new perspectives and bounce ideas off each other. If you cannot attend an in-person class due to the commute or because no classes are available in your area, enroll in a live online class. Live online classes provide a similar structure to an in-person class, but offer the chance to learn from the comfort of your home or office. 

On-Demand Tableau Classes Available to You

A number of online schools and training centers offer on-demand Tableau classes on a rolling or scheduled basis. You can enroll in a class today and have instant access to course material. Some classes offer unlimited access to materials, letting you finish when is convenient to you, while others require you to finish within a set period of time. 

Certstaffix Training

Certstaffix Training offers an on-demand Tableau elearning Bundle Course. Over the series of seven courses, students will learn data analysis and visualization with Tableau. The first course takes around five and a half hours, with lessons focused on different versions of Tableau and their user interfaces. After completing the first course, students can expect to understand how to create eye-catching visualizations for their business needs. After the first course, the bundle shifts gears, with lessons on business intelligence solutions and building interactive dashboards. 

In addition to three core courses covering the important functions of Tableau, students will have access to an Essential Career Skills Pack. This pack includes four short classes aimed at helping students develop essential skills to advance in their careers: Productivity and Time Management, Basic Digital Skills, 4 Ways to Boost Creativity, and The 11 Essential Career Soft Skills. 

Course access is instant after purchase and the subscription to the bundle is six months long. 

Udemy 

With Udemy you can search for an on-demand Tableau class that meets your learning goals. Udemy is an online learning and teaching marketplace that hosts numerous Tableau classes. Course prices shift, with many currently discounted from $12 to $25. With Udemy, students will register and pay for a class and then access the course materials that the class’s instructor has provided. The wide range of classes available on Udemy allows students to browse through a variety of classes led by different instructors so that they can assess which one works best for their learning needs before enrolling. 

Tableau classes available on Udemy include introductory courses that walk students step-by-step through the basics of using Tableau, as well as more advanced courses to help you master data science with Tableau. No matter the option you choose, Udemy offers plenty of choices when looking for an on-demand course that fits your needs. 

Live Tableau Classes Available to You

Enroll in an in-person Tableau class near you to learn the ins and outs of Tableau under the guidance of an instructor. Find a class that fits your schedule, covers the learning objectives you need it to, and will prepare you to use your newfound skills on the projects you’re most interested in. 

Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers a Tableau for Data Visualization Bootcamp at their NYC location and live online. The bootcamp covers the field of data visualization and the features and tools that Tableau provides to help you create maps, charts, graphs, and other visual representations of data. In the bootcamp, you will first learn how to identify data sets before moving on to working in Tableau. The course follows this introductory section up with lessons on calculating in Tableau, formatting your visualization, and distributing and publishing your visualization. 

The second module of the bootcamp moves students toward more advanced visualizations and mapping in Tableau. During this module, you’ll receive an introduction to mapping data before learning how to create visualization maps, dual-axis charts, dashboards, and stories. This is a hands-on bootcamp, so you can expect to work on projects throughout its duration. In the second module, you’ll spend supervised class time working with provided data or your own data to work on an individual project. Previous projects students have worked on included bar charts, heat maps, and geographical maps. 

No prior knowledge is required to enroll in Noble Desktop’s Tableau Bootcamp. Tuition is $499, which is due in full before the bootcamp begins. Included in the price of tuition are 12 hours of instruction, a proprietary workbook, a digital certificate of completion awarded after the bootcamp has ended, and a free retake within one year. 

NYIM Training

Learn the basics of Tableau in NYIM Training’s Tableau Level I course. Students will spend one six-hour session learning about data visualization and the tools offered by Tableau Public, Tableau’s free online platform. Through hands-on learning, students will gain practical experience identifying datasets which they can then explore, analyze, filter, and structure for an eye-catching and informative visualization. Students can expect to touch on advanced Tableau tools, such as using filters, the detail panel, and the size panels. Near the end of the course, the instructor will cover how to distribute and publish your visualizations. 

You can enroll in the in-person version of this interactive course, or sign up for the live online session. The class costs $299, which is due in full before your scheduled session. If you opt to enroll in the live online session, NYIM Training offers setup assistance. 

After completing Tableau Level I with NYIM Training, students can enroll in Tableau Level II. Tableau Level II introduces students to advanced topics and tools not covered in Tableau Level I. This includes data mapping and custom charts. In this course, which is also offered in-person and live online, students will learn about the mapping features that Tableau offers before learning about and working on visualization maps like choropleth maps, spider maps, proportional symbol maps, and density maps. Tableau Level II costs $299; however, if you enroll in NYIM Training’s Tableau Bootcamp, which combines lessons from Tableau Level I and Tableau Level II, you can save 15% on tuition.

Ledet Training

Sign up for Ledet Training’s Tableau 101 course and gain a solid foundation in Tableau. The two-day live online course features hands-on practice and real-world projects that will equip students with the skills necessary to succeed in data analysis and visualization. The course welcomes beginner and intermediate-level students who would like to improve their abilities to explore, understand, and gain insights from data sources. No previous experience is required to enroll in Tableau 101, although the course commonly appeals to business executives, data science professionals, and data-driven marketers who may have some experience using Tableau or similar platforms. 

In Tableau 101, students will learn how to connect their data in Tableau Desktop. This means learning terminology, exploring core concepts, and gaining hands-on experience. Course content includes using core Tableau features, such as filters, measures, and dimensions, to simplify and organize data, creating basic calculations, and showing breakdowns of data in various forms, like heat maps, geographical maps, and cross tabs.