Microsoft Power BI is a business intelligence platform that gives nontechnical professionals tools to compile, analyze, visualize, and share data. Its purpose is to connect data sources, enabling companies to find insights within their own data.
According to Microsoft, it encompasses “a collection of software services, apps, and connectors that work together to turn … unrelated sources of data into coherent, visually immersive, and interactive insights.”
Data may come from Excel spreadsheets, or data warehouses based either on-site or in the cloud, and can be transformed into reports, charts, or graphs. Power BI includes the following components:
- Power BI Desktop, a Windows desktop application
- Power BI Service, an online Software as a Service (SaaS) application
- Power BI mobile apps for all the major mobile OS
- Power BI Report Builder, which allows users to create reports to share
- Power BI Report Server, which provides a location to publish Power BI reports
The platform can be used for a variety of purposes across job responsibilities. For example, a sales professional might use it to track sales numbers while a marketing professional might use it to better understand customer engagement data. Meanwhile, an executive might use it to examine “what-if” scenarios. Developers can deploy it to create custom applications.
In this article, you will learn, among other things, how to hire Power BI developers.
Power BI administrator and expert
Data analysis has become a must for businesses that want to compete. While Power BI can be used by most professionals, companies may still want someone on staff who can provide additional analytical skills. A Power BI developer is that person — someone who knows the application thoroughly and can help colleagues convert data into meaningful business insights.
Those in this position may take on a variety of roles, depending on company requirements. For example, the Power BI developer may maintain the Power BI tool, design and develop reports, or use Power BI to extract insights and provide recommendations. Power BI developers must be highly knowledgeable about the platform and should also have experience in business intelligence and databases.
Interview Questions
The following questions are just a few employers can use to assess the skill level of potential Power BI developers.
What is a dashboard?
A dashboard is a single view that includes various elements to help viewers visualize complex information at a glance. It provides high-level views that users can select to gain further insights on specific topics. These high-level elements are called tiles, and they can be pinned or moved to create a more useful visual interface.
What is DAX?
DAX is a data analysis expression, which is a library of formulas used for calculations and data analysis. It includes functions, constants, and operators. DAX formulas can be either numeric or non-numeric and always begin with an equals (=) sign.
What are the differences between Power BI and Tableau?
Power BI uses DAX for calculating table columns, while Tableau uses multidimensional expressions (MDX). Additionally, Tableau can handle more data than Power BI. And Tableau is more difficult to learn than Power BI.
What is the working system of Power BI?
Power BI primarily operates in 3 steps: data integration, data processing, and data presentation. Data integration involves compiling data from various sources and converting it to a standard format. Data processing involves “cleaning” data to make it usable for analysis. Data presentation involves displaying data in a way that’s easy for users to understand, such as reports, dashboards, and graphs.
Job Description
We are looking for a Power BI developer to join our company and participate in a variety of exciting projects. We are seeking team players who can handle being part of a passionate, driven group. This position is an excellent opportunity for individuals to use their high-level skills and results-oriented attitudes to help drive our company’s success.
Responsibilities
- Design data models to convert raw data into meaningful insights
- Develop dashboards and interactive visual reports
- Identify and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs)
- Analyze and present data using easy-to-understand reports
- Establish relationships between data sources and develop data models to demonstrate them
- Create charts and documentation explaining algorithms, models, and relationships
- Design, develop, test, and deploy Power BI scripts
- Perform detailed analytics
- Perform DAX queries and functions
- Analyze current ETL process and refine if needed
- Develop a data warehouse and work with SSAS, SSIS, and SSRS
- Enhance existing BI systems through redefinition and technical/strategic changes
- Create customized charts and custom calculations
- Use SQL querying for best results
- Use filters and graphs to aid in the understanding of data
- Work with colleagues in all departments to gain performance improvement suggestions
Skills and Qualifications
- At least 2-3 years working with BI tools or in a data-specific role
- Knowledge of database management, SQL querying, data modeling, data warehousing, BI, and online analytical processing (OLAP)
- Familiarity with data science, BI, and data analytics
- Knowledge of data integration, data warehousing, BI, and presentation concepts
- Experience working with BI tools and systems
- Experience creating data-rich dashboards, writing DAX expressions, and implementing low-level security in Power BI
- Ability to develop custom BI products using scripting and programming languages such as R and Python
- Ability to convert data into stories that help with data-driven decision making
- In-depth knowledge of and experience with Microsoft Business Intelligence stacks such as Power Pivot, SSRS, SSIS, and SSAS
- Analytical mindset and problem-solving approach
- Ability to communicate insights using charts, reports, and dashboards for maximum understanding by all employees
- Ability to develop custom BI solutions
- Ability to interact and communicate well with business professionals
- Strong interpersonal and client management skills
- Ability to learn quickly and respond to quickly changing business requirements
- Commitment to staying updated with design and development best practices
How to choose a Power BI Developer
Power BI developers should exhibit the technical skills mentioned above and have the right soft skills as well. They include the ability to work well on a team, the ability to clearly communicate their ideas to colleagues and clients, an innovative mindset, patience, and dedication to the task at hand. Choose a developer who has these attributes, and they will likely be a good addition to your team.
