Compared to other professions, business intelligence (BI) roles are relatively new in the work market, as the job description reflects the requirement of a world that is highly dependent on technology in general, but in this particular case, to store the multitudinous volume of data that is coming in on a daily basis, from business or from any other entity.
BI is an “umbrella” term as it encompasses a whole list of software applications that are used to store a company’s inform-ation, which would then enable the decision-makers to delineate whether they can undertake other business ventures, as well as understand where they can decrease costs while having thorough knowledge of where the company stands.
Specialist recruitment agencies have seen the rise in demand for BI consultants who use this discipline for data mining, to produce queries and reporting, so that the raw data of the company make sense and help the decision-makers go down the most strategic business path. Specialist recruitment agencies, however, have also seen a general lack of awareness of such a role from their IT candidates.
One cannot study BI; it comes through knowledge of certain skills and professional experience working with the latter. Some of the skills potential BI professionals are expected to be knowledgeable of are Microsoft’s BI stack including SSIS (SQL Server Integration Services), SSAS (SQL Server Analysis Services); data warehouse and SQL, while exposure to SharePoint, Performance Point and Qlikview would put the candidate in a more advantageous position to take on such a role. Most import-antly, a degree in IT or statistics is essential as a solid base to transition to this profession.
BI consultants can work by moving from one company to another consulting, designing and delivering the company’s data in a manner which helps them come to more concrete decisions. The companies in the most prominent sectors such as i-gaming, financial services and software development all require BI professionals to direct them to the most strategic of business paths amid the information overload.
BI is indeed a role that requires a number of years of experience for the professional to have thorough knowledge of the skills mentioned above. Nonetheless, the beauty of this profession is that most companies are willing to bring in junior BI individuals who have the education, as well as the knowledge and experience of the skills, to then be given on-the-job training.
www.castilleresources.com
Sarah Borg is brand officer at Castille Resources Ltd, an IT and finance recruitment specialist firm.