Every day, we are contacted by individuals that are aware of the great potential in Tableau but have no background in data analytics. They are keenly interested in learning Tableau as quickly as possible. As a certified Tableau training partner and 2015 Tableau Training Partner of the Year, InterWorks has helped hundreds of individuals grow in mastery with Tableau Desktop and Tableau Server.

The great thing about Tableau is that there is a wealth of training resources, many of them online, that can help you learn it in snap. Here are five essential resources you can find on the internet to get you plugged in to the Tableau toolset.

1. A Free Trial!

Many of you likely already have Tableau. For those of you that don’t, what better way to start learning about a tool than getting your hands exploring it? The free Tableau Desktop trial is fully functional for 14 days and will allow you to try things out with your data.

2. Tableau Training Tutorials

Head out to the training resources Tableau offers on its website. There are currently 5+ hours of on-demand video tutorials on a variety of options within the Tableau environment.

3. Tableau Fundamentals Training

Tableau Fundamentals is the core class for beginners taught by a qualified instructor. Classes are held throughout the world, possibly in your city. If a course isn’t being taught close by, your laptop is as close as you need to be as virtual Tableau training offerings are also available. This is the best way to proceed if you cannot physically attend in a classroom environment. Even with a virtual environment, you can stop the instructor to ask questions, get your assignments reviewed and get the attention you need to get through things that may be unclear. 

4. The Tableau Community

The Tableau Community is one of the most engaged and passionate user bases on the internet. The revolution that Tableau has sparked in the democratization of big data has spread to the entire world. Tableau is as much a philosophy as it is an application. For this reason, there are hundreds of thousands of Tableau users of all levels of proficiency looking to talk about Tableau and everything dealing with Tableau. There are hundreds of bloggers as well as an official Tableau YouTube channel.

If you have specific questions on how to do something, why things have to be done a certain way or the differences between Tableau versions, start with the Tableau Community and the forum message boards.

Just a quick reminder on web etiquette: Before you post a question on the forums, use a search to see if your question has been asked before. Many times, your question has already been asked and answered.

5. Tableau Public

As an extension of the Tableau community, Tableau Public is essentially a publicly-accessible Tableau Server deployment. You can upload your visualization for the entire community to see. Playing around in this environment has two huge benefits.

First, you can see what others are doing with their visualizations. The best way to see how data analytics is evolving, both in the techniques used to analyze data and how that analysis is presented visually, is to see the dashboards of others. Good work will attract views, comments and shares. It’s absolutely essential to search out great ideas and emulate them in your own work.

Secondly, you can elicit feedback on your own dashboard creations by uploading them to Tableau Public. This is the same as a peer review in many ways. Other users, sometimes even Tableau rockstars, will drop by to offer feedback and a few pearls of wisdom.

Get More from Tableau

Did we miss any resources? If so, put them in the comments section below along with any questions or thoughts you might have. And if you need a certified Tableau trainer to work through the Tableau Fundamentals course, advanced classes, Tableau Server or a customized curriculum, InterWorks can help.

Our expert Tableau trainers can instruct you on all levels of Tableau in a classroom environment or through virtual participation. Contact InterWorks today for more information on Tableau training.

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