Tableau Training for Veterans

It’s a dilemma as old as war itself: what soldiers should do when they complete their service. After all, jobs in the military typically focus on combat or preparing for war. Even in peace, soldiers sharpen their metaphorical and literal swords to stay sharp and vigilant. As a result, even non-combatant vets might find it tricky to transition to a 9-5 in a civilian suit and tie. However, learning tools like Tableau can make this process a little easier for most to handle.

Thankfully, Noble Desktop and other similar training teams offer Tableau training for veterans that can ensure they get the support they need. These include live online courses that former soldiers can take and pay for out of their own pocket. However, there are also programs available from Noble that take advantage of the unique benefits that vets earn when they complete their service of duty. These are great for serious learners to tap into for their classes.

For example, the Post-9/11 GI Bill® (Chapter 33), the Veteran Readiness and Employment Program (Chapter 31), and the Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance (Chapter 35) can all provide financial support for soldiers who want to learn this software. Using resources like these help learners save money on their education. Importantly, these classes can also give students the insight they need to transition to data analysis and business roles.

Important Tableau Key Insights for Veterans to Consider

Vets who’ve never heard of this program may wonder why learning Tableau is a great career option. The short-short version is that this software is used in many industries to handle various data-related tasks (more on its scope later). While mastering it doesn’t necessarily guarantee that a former soldier will find a job, it does offer them benefits that should make finding a job a little easier. Here are a few insights for military vets to consider when learning Tableau.

Powerful Program Uses

Tableau lets users visualize data in powerful ways, including creating charts and presentations that highlight various types of information. Few tools on the market offer the same mix of user-friendly design and powerful, diverse uses. In this way, Tableau is a critical tool for veterans interested in markets like business intelligence, financial, planning, and general data jobs. Mastering it alongside other tools ensures they look great to potential employers as well.

Adaptable to Many Markets 

Just about every market that handles large amounts of data may need a Tableau expert. As a result, veterans interested in diverse careers may find this powerful software looks great on their resumes. For example, industries as varied as business management, finance, banking analysis, media marketing, and even sports representation may use Tableau regularly to collect information and present it in powerful ways to managers, business planners, and customers.

High Salary Potential 

According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics, the data science market will grow by 36% over the next 10 years. That’s a further 73,000 jobs! For reference, the average job expansion rate is only 3%. Clearly, there’s a huge need for data experts who know tools like Tableau and can use them to visualize data properly for planning purposes. Just as importantly, people in this market make over $108,000 every year, making it one of the highest-earning industries right now.

Financing Choices for Veterans

Veterans looking to learn Tableau may worry about the high potential costs of their courses. Thankfully, they earn financing like the GI Bill, Forever GI Bill, and VET TEC program after completing their duty. These pay educational expenses as they transition to civilian life. Since these funding options are only available to former soldiers, they’re not competitive, i.e., learners don’t have to compete against other people to earn them. That’s a huge benefit for any vet.

What is Tableau? A Quick Guide

Tableau is a powerful and widely used software, but not one that might be right on the tips of many veterans’ lips. So, what is Tableau, and how can vets use it to succeed in their civilian lives? Well, Tableau lets users collect information from databases and present it in fascinating ways. Its tools include sorting and organizing apps that remove unnecessary or even empty entries and streamline data storage when producing exciting presentations for users. 

Once veterans learn Tableau, they can create high-quality and detailed presentations and charts that showcase data meaningfully. For instance, they could gather population statistics and generate pie charts showing how various types of groups are distributed across the nation. Similar tools that former soldiers may also want to learn include Qlik Sense and Microsoft BI. Both provide the same basic functionalities but with differing user interfaces and tools. 

Typically, people who learn Tableau and related software work with raw information in various industries. While they may find positions in data-only jobs, many find roles working in business management, financial planning, and marketing industries. Often, they’ll learn other concepts like SQL and even machine learning to supplement their career skills. In this way, they’ll be more than ready to tackle any challenging career that catches their eye after training.

Why Is Learning Tableau Great for Veterans?

Tableau training for veterans can help former soldiers quickly learn this software tool and use it effectively in their day-to-day tasks. But why is this single software worth learning when other similar tools exist on the market? Put simply, Tableau is an industry leader, one that paves the way for success in data presentation careers. Just as importantly, it provides former soldiers with many benefits that make it stand out. Here are some benefits readers should know.

Quick and Easy to Learn 

While Tableau is a powerful program that can quickly and efficiently present large amounts of information, it’s not incredibly complex. In fact, many vets with little to no experience with similar products might find it very easy to pick up and use with little training. That said, it’s also not simplistic. Its more advanced apps provide powerful and complex charts, graphs, and pictorials that give users the in-depth look they need at various types of data and information points.

Diverse In Usage

While “data visualization” might seem like a basic or limited concept, Tableau is more diverse than many people realize. For example, it lets users extract, transform, and load (ETL) information using tools like data reshapers, field splitters, header management systems, and white space removers. All these functions give vets the opportunity to not only visualize data properly but present it in meaningful ways that provide important insights into their relationships.

Surprisingly Powerful

Even advanced Tableau users might not grasp the full range of this software’s power. For example, it comes with an automated reporting feature that lets users choose a specific dataset to refresh and present automatically. That kind of power makes it easier for users to showcase information efficiently during business meetings with stakeholders and executives. Even better, it’s adaptable with Excel and similar spreadsheet tools for even easier visualization.

Offers Military-Ready Work

Individuals who learn Tableau may be surprised at how similar it feels to military-style software. For example, veterans who printed team charts, workflow guidelines, and other materials for their platoon might find Tableau reasonably easy to learn. Even better, former soldiers can use it when taking on contract work after finishing their service of duty. Knowing how to handle and present data effectively will make it easier to find data-related jobs and make good money.

What Can Veterans Do with Tableau Skills? 

Former soldiers interested in Tableau will also likely learn data science and other related topics to bolster their abilities and strengthen their understanding. Most will probably try to transition to a data-related career to earn great money and live a comfortable life. However, there are others who might simply want to learn Tableau for personal reasons. Thankfully, this software offers numerous benefits that make mastering it a worthy prospect for veterans and non-vets alike.

Pursue Passion Projects

After completing their time in the military, veterans might have many passion projects related to their service. For instance, they may want to help raise money for injured soldiers or other powerful recovery efforts. Whatever the case, tools like Tableau help them create presentations based on accurate data that they can share with potential investors. Beyond projects like these, they can use Tableau to produce visualizations for websites, video games, and much more. 

Analyze Their Budgets 

Many vets transitioning to civilian life may be on a tight budget until they complete their training. Thankfully, inexpensive Tableau classes (usually under $500) can help them better plan their budgets in various ways. For example, they can gather financial information from spreadsheets to track their spending and earnings and create valuable charts that make managing this information easier. That kind of data is critical for soldiers trying to get on their feet again.

Plan Investments

Savvy vets use their military bonuses to invest and build a strong portfolio that expands their earnings. Thankfully, Tableau makes it easier for them to track their earnings by gathering information from spreadsheets to produce charts, graphs, and other tools. For instance, they could use a pie chart to examine how their investments are distributed and bar graphs to gauge their earnings and losses over the years. Knowing these skills can help them invest smartly.

Are Their Tableau Support Options for Veterans?

Going through four or more years of service often helps a veteran earn a substantial nest egg. However, they’re likely to use this cash to buy a new home, manage any debts, and support loved ones. Now, that’s not a bad thing, but it might leave them with little cash to invest in their learning. Thankfully, many powerful tools can support veterans who want to pay for their education after completing service. These can minimize their training expenses. 

For example, vets have access to financing options and programs like the GI Bill, the Forever GI Bill, the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and VET TEC to more easily complete their courses. They can also use this money to take classes in Python, Java, JavaScript, and React. Using the money they’ve earned through their brave sacrifice for our country to become a better person is the best gift veterans can give themselves. Here’s what vets need to know about these tools.

What Are the GI and Forever GI Bills?

World War II left most parts of the world in rough shape, including the United States. While we exited the war as an economic powerhouse, many of our soldiers came back wounded physically and psychologically. To help them recover, the federal government passed the GI Bill in 1944 to provide veteran hospitals, low-interest mortgages, and tuition stipends for college or training programs. Today, vets can use this bill and the expanded Post-9/11 GI Bill to learn.

Passed after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, this bill extended GI Bill cash to a service person’s family. So, if they were involved in the War on Terror or simply didn’t want to use their GI Bill cash after completing service, their spouse or children could instead! In this way, they could easily pay for things like Tableau training to transition to higher-earning and exciting careers, including data management, statistics analysis, and much more. 

More impressively, the 2017 Forever GI Bill further expanded veteran support by allowing the previous 15-year limitation on benefits to last a veteran’s lifetime. As a result, former soldiers who watched their benefit window pass them can cover their Tableau training when they want! So, if their partner wants to learn this software or any other tools, a vet can use their benefits to pay for classes. Even better, they can tap into the VET TEC pilot program to find courses.

How Does VET TEC Help Veterans?

The Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET TEC) program helps veterans find high-quality training teams suitable for their learning needs. It works with universities, colleges, tech schools, and private trainers to identify fantastic training opportunities compatible with the GI and Forever GI Bill. Sessions from associated schools typically offer in-depth and intensive education in tech-related fields and subjects.

For instance, students could use VET TEC to study data processing, coding, software development, media production, and information science. Since Tableau and other related topics fall under this heading, it should be easy for most veterans to find a class near them that works for their needs. Thankfully, highly-regarded schools like Noble Desktop make it easier for vets to take these courses by providing financing assistance that fits their current living situation.

What Are the Benefits of Learning Tableau?

Former soldiers interested in learning Tableau will receive many benefits that make this software worth mastering. For example, mastering this program helps them:

• Find Better Jobs: Veterans who feel unprepared for a civilian lifestyle can learn Tableau as part of their career training journey. Mastering this software alongside things like Python, SQL, and SQL Querying can ensure they find rewarding positions.
• Focus on the Growing Digital Market: Working in the military is a uniquely physical proposition, one that includes a lot of manual labor. Vets sick of that kind of work may find transitioning into a digital workplace via Tableau mastery very satisfying.
• Enter Data-Related Fields: As one of the largest and highest-earning industries in the world today, data-related markets offer veterans plenty of great potential career opportunities that can transform their lives and help them settle down more easily.
• Break Outside Their Comfort Zone: After four or more years in the military, many former soldiers might feel trapped in a specific niche. Mastering Tableau is an excellent step toward breaking out of their comfort zone to learn new and powerful skills.
• Learn Transferable Techniques: Mastering Tableau teaches veterans skills they can easily transfer to other jobs and industries. For example, they’ll learn how to visualize, examine, sort, and handle data, which are always valuable skills to know.
• Master Data-Based Insights: Even people who don’t work in the data industry can use Tableau in powerful ways. For example, a veteran interested in the financial sector can still use Tableau daily to highlight earnings and losses to investors.
• Boost Their Creativity: As we age, our creativity often gets little attention. Unfortunately, a career in the military may also trigger some further atrophy here. Learning Tableau taps into our innate love of mastering new creative skills and abilities.

Why Should Veterans Choose a Tableau Skills Bootcamp?

A high-quality Tableau skills bootcamp helps veterans quickly and efficiently learn this software tool without spending a lot of cash in the process. While they can also study Tableau in college and university data science programs, these cost far more than most bootcamps. Students will also study unrelated topics that might not interest them, such as biology and literature. Bootcamps offer a focused burst of Tableau learning that solidifies a learner’s knowledge. 

Just as importantly, the best Tableau skills bootcamps prepare learners for various data-related careers that include some exciting, creative, and enjoyable duties. Even better, these jobs typically come with a high salary, often well over six figures. For vets trying to get on their feet again after a long and challenging military career, this kind of support is essential for living a satisfying life. Here are a few of the most interesting and rewarding Tableau-related positions:

• Tableau Consultant to provide automated solutions on this powerful platform
• Data Visualization Developers to make charts, graphs, and other tools for users
• Business Intelligence Manager to evaluate data and present it with Tableau 
• Data Visualization Designer to analyze, format, and showcase critical information
• Tableau Business Analyst to help organizations make decisions using data
• Tableau Data Analyst to find suitable info to help businesses make big decisions 
• Tableau Developer to create and modify dashboards for information reporting
• And much more

Is Tableau Hard for Veterans to Learn?

Veterans looking to master various career skills might wonder if Tableau is to master. Well, this software isn’t really that hard to understand and use, particularly for those with general data experience. For instance, former soldiers who worked in logistics, such as moving weapons and soldiers, might find it relatively easy to use because it likely emulates similar tools in the military. Thankfully, bootcamps can make learning even easier and reduce potential confusion issues.

How Long Will It Take Veterans to Learn Tableau?

Many vets who sit down to learn Tableau may find themselves figuring out its general tools in a few hours or days. That said, general understanding doesn’t translate to competency or advanced usage. For example, some believe mastering basic Tableau features takes 2-6 months. Others might need longer than six months to use it professionally. Those interested in this tool shouldn’t be discouraged because regular practice can enhance their skills.

What Skills Will Veterans Learn in Tableau Bootcamps?

Vets taking Tableau bootcamps will master many different techniques and tools that will ensure they’re ready to use this software regularly on the job. They include:

• Basic data comprehension, including understanding databases and spreadsheet usage 
• Data modeling and transforming tools, including ETL skills to clean and mold data
• Math and statistical analysis that helps make data connections easier to understand
• Analytical and visualization skills to more effectively showcase new information 
• Filtering, grouping, and sorting functions to get data where it needs to go
• Database management, including SQL coding and other similar programming languages
• Visual composition, particularly how to make graphics and charts look great
• Data organization, including methods for selecting proper data tags for sorting

Learn Tableau at Noble Desktop

Former soldiers looking to master Tableau can turn to Noble Desktop’s veteran-friendly training options to find courses that make sense for them. These programs include in-depth classes with hands-on lessons that reinforce a student’s understanding and improve their mastery of this software. All Noble Desktop courses include project-based education, including working with authentic databases and data points to create a portfolio that helps a learner find a job later. 

Even better, most come with 1-on-1 mentoring that makes it easier to fine-tune their skills in various ways. When they’re done with their education, veterans should walk away confident with their Tableau usage and be more than ready to apply for jobs or advanced courses. Sharpening their skills in beginner-friendly classes can make this process far easier by laying the foundation students need to succeed. Here are three programs that former military members may enjoy. 

Tableau Bootcamp

Tableau Bootcamp is a 12-hour course taking place over two days either on-site in New York City or online. Vets pay just $500 to quickly master essential Tableau-related skills. For example, they’ll learn how to collect information with this program and present it visually with charts, graphs, and maps. Just as importantly, they’ll learn how to connect datasets while analyzing and structuring their information with customized visualization and styles.

Tableau Certification Program

Tableau Certification Program not only teaches veterans about Tableau but certifies them to use it professionally in various job roles. It includes two 12-hour courses that come with six hours of private tutoring in two three-hour sessions. When done with the class, they’ll take a Tableau Desktop Specialist exam, which includes one free retake in case they fail. Vets pay $1,300 for this 18-hour program and will study foundational Tableau concepts and more advanced skills.

Data Science & AI Certificate

Data Science & AI Certificate teaches subjects like Python, SQL, automation, and machine learning, as well as data analysis, querying, and predictive modeling. Designed for beginners (especially those with no Tableau experience), this course helps lay the groundwork for entry-level data science jobs. Students study over four weeks full-time or 20 weeks part-time on evenings or Saturdays and pay just $4,000 to complete this comprehensive program.