Can I Learn Tableau in 3 Months?

Like any other active platform, users of Tableau never truly stop learning, and can always find a new feature or tool to utilize in their work. Tableau’s variants update frequently, with new versions rolling out in set periods. Tableau releases significant updates for Tableau Server, for example, every eight months, while significant releases for Tableau Desktop come out every four months. You can ultimately learn the fundamentals of Tableau and its features in roughly three months. It will take longer to master advanced-level Tableau skills, but the learning process is neverending for an actively updating platform like Tableau. 

How Much Tableau Can I Learn in 3 Months 

In 3 months of Tableau training, you can pick up the basic skills and features. With consistent training, you’ll understand the nuances of the datasets you’re working with, know how to create basic data visualizations, have the skills to effectively communicate your work to others, and, depending on your level of training, can map data with Tableau. 

To successfully create data visualizations with Tableau, you need to understand the data you’re using. Comprehending data means knowing what the data means and also how to transform it. Tableau allows users to blend data, which comes in handy for data science professionals working with data from different sources. But to utilize this ability, users need to know how to identify data. Beginner-level Tableau courses start with data comprehension so students have a strong base to build on as they work in Tableau. 

Tableau’s easy-to-understand interface and useful tools have made it a standout platform for data visualization. You can learn the basics of data visualization in three months, from knowing how to manipulate data to creating visualizations that viewers find aesthetically pleasing. Once you move on to more advanced-level work in Tableau, you’ll explore a wider variety of ways to visualize data and types of data to manipulate. 

Data mapping refers to the ability to match fields of data from one database to another. Data science professionals using Tableau conduct data mapping as part of the data blending process. They pull and match data from different sources and then work on integrating and translating that data into robust visualizations. Tableau is known for its ease of use for non-technical users, and that extends to the data mapping process, which the platform can automate for you. 

You can learn these basic skills and features of Tableau within three months if you’re dedicated to learning. How much and how quickly you learn largely depends on how much time you can spend learning Tableau and practicing in Tableau. Full-time students often learn the quickest, followed by part-time students and then self-teaching students. Full-time students have the advantage of time on their hands, although part-time learners may benefit from training that is spread out over a longer period, allowing them to take things slowly. Self-teaching students lack the guidance of an instructor, but motivated self-teaching students may benefit from scheduling their training during their free time when they can focus the best. 

How Can I Learn Tableau More Quickly?

If you want to cut down the time it takes you to learn Tableau, you should consider how much time you have to devote to training. From there, look into free online resources that you can learn from in your free time. Training schools and centers, like Noble Desktop, post video lectures on YouTube and other online video hosting platforms that can help you learn the basics. Additionally, you can find guides online that will help you learn the basics of creating data visualizations, and can turn to forums where experts and learners alike connect to help troubleshoot problems you may face. Libraries also provide great free resources when you’re looking to learn a new skill. 

The best way to speed up the learning process is to experience hands-on, guided learning. Beginner-friendly bootcamps provide beginner, intermediate, and advanced-level Tableau training for students of all ages. Bootcamps vary to some degree in length, curriculum, and cost, so you’re sure to have several different options to choose from. In a beginner-friendly Tableau bootcamp, you’ll first become familiar with Tableau and its features before learning to identify data in your datasets and then working with said data in Tableau. Bootcamps progress fairly quickly and commonly expect that students devote time to learning in and outside of class. 

Once you have found a bootcamp that interests you, it’s important to consider how the bootcamp’s schedule will affect your speed of learning. Most schools offer Tableau bootcamps in-person and online on a part-time or full-time schedule. If you prefer traditional classroom settings, you’ll likely feel more at ease in an in-person class, whereas those comfortable learning remotely who would prefer to learn from home or their office should consider live online classes. Enrolling in a part-time bootcamp does mean that you’ll learn at a slower pace, but part-time students do benefit from this extra time where they can ensure that they fully understand concepts before the class moves on as they would in a shorter, full-time bootcamp. 

What Tableau Skills Will I Need to Learn After 3 Months?

After three months of Tableau training, you’ll likely start progressing to more advanced work with Tableau. To speed along the learning process, you can enroll in advanced Tableau classes or bootcamps. Advanced courses take the knowledge that you learn in an introductory-level Tableau skills to the next level. While beginner-level courses help students develop knowledge of Tableau that they can use for basic projects, advanced-level classes provide knowledge and experience fitting for students expecting to use Tableau in their day-to-day work. 

Advanced-level Tableau classes may cover topics like data mapping and visualization maps. With Tableau, you can make your data come to life in the form of a visualization map. Common maps taught in advanced Tableau classes include choropleth maps, spider maps, heat maps, and proportional symbol maps. Most advanced classes dedicate lessons to creating custom charts as well. Learning to create custom charts in Tableau will help you visualize concepts that extend past the capabilities of the default chart types in Tableau, which can come in handy when working on specialized projects. 

Advanced-level Tableau classes may come as part of a series, alongside beginner-level classes, or you may need to enroll in one separately. Long-term data science bootcamps provide students with another means of learning advanced-level Tableau. In these bootcamps, you’ll learn the ins and outs of data science and the tools data science professionals use, including Tableau. 

Develop Advanced Tableau Skills with Noble Desktop

If you’re looking for advanced Tableau training, consider enrolling in one of Noble Desktop’s advanced Tableau programs. Noble offers a Tableau Bootcamp and a Tableau Certificate Program to help you develop career-ready Tableau skills. With advanced Tableau training, you can work in the field of data science, business intelligence, or other analytics positions in the fields of business, finance, or marketing. If academia lies in your future, Tableau is also commonly used by academics who perform qualitative and quantitative research. 

Noble Desktop’s Tableau for Data Visualization Bootcamp is held 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. The course follows introductory lessons with modules that cover 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. You’ll gain hands-on experience in the booptcamp as you spend supervised class time working with provided data or your own data to work on an individual final project. 

Noble Desktop’s Tableau Certification Program provides you with advanced training and preparation for taking the Tableau Desktop Specialist certification exam. This option works well for students looking to utilize their knowledge of advanced Tableau to transition into a new career or advance within their company. This program offers a comprehensive training experience as you work under the guidance of an instructor to progress from beginner to advanced-level Tableau skills, working on mapping data, creating Dashboards and Stories, and working on an individual project. 

As part of the Certification Program, you’ll receive six hours of private, 1-on-1 tutoring with an instructor. During these sessions, you can discuss topics of interest in-depth and ask questions to ensure that you’re prepared for the certification exam. The exam itself is taken at the end of the course. After finishing the course and receiving your certificate, you can use your newfound knowledge and certification to stand out as you apply for jobs or seek promotion within your company. 

Interested in advanced training but already have beginner-level experience? Noble Desktop’s class, Tableau Level II, is a follow-up to their beginner-level course. Prospective enrollees with proficiency equivalent to their Tableau Level I course, including creating basic visualizations, calculations, and dashboards, can take this class and build actions that allow them to easily control visualizations within their sheets and dashboards. The course’s curriculum includes creating maps with geographic data and creating custom charts, like alluvial diagrams and ranking charts. 

The Tableau Level II course is a six-hour class offered at Noble’s NYC location and live online. Tuition is $299 and includes a digital certificate of completion upon finishing the course, a proprietary workbook, and a free retake within 1 year.