Tableau interview preparation & Questions with ChatGPT 4

0:00One of the most asked questions when it

0:02comes to Tableau is how to prepare for an

0:05interview

0:06related to Tableau. Maybe you're applying

0:09for a role, maybe you're wondering how to

0:11prepare for a specific role or maybe you're

0:13wondering, "Hey, I found this role that I'm

0:15really interested in. How do I maximize my

0:17chances so that I can perform really well

0:19in this interview?" Now, the reason that's

0:20a difficult question is because your

0:22technical

0:23skills aren't enough. You also need to

0:25understand what to expect from the

0:27interview, but you

0:27also need to know how you might prepare for

0:30such an interview given that the

0:31requirements

0:32span more than just technical knowledge. It

0:34also spans a general understanding of

0:36analytics

0:37and also some soft skills as well. Although

0:40I've made videos about soft skills and how

0:42to prepare for learning Tableau, the tough

0:44thing here is that when you get asked this

0:47question, especially when I get asked this

0:49question, my advice is kind of useless

0:51because

0:52I've been in this game for almost a decade.

0:55I'm a consultant as well, so my answers are

0:58not going to be helpful for someone who's

1:00just starting out. I'm always really

1:02struggling

1:03to understand how can I synthesize the most

1:05useful help and advice for people in

1:07something

1:08concise and consistent. If I'm honest, when

1:12I look at YouTube and I look at a lot of

1:14the

1:14advice being given out, it's being given by

1:16people who've not really spent enough time

1:18in the industry to understand the nuances

1:21of this. And so the best people to ask are

1:23people who've recently done those

1:25interviews, who've recently done those

1:27questions or specifically

1:28people who've just got those jobs. So if

1:30you know a friend who's just got a job in a

1:32role,

1:33they're the best people to ask because they

1:35have first hand evidence and first hand

1:37experience

1:38of how it works. But let's say you don't

1:40have any of that. What do you do? Well, you

1:43grab

1:43your phone and you chat to chat GPT. Let's

1:45get stuck in. Okay, so an experience you

1:47might

1:48not be familiar with is you can actually

1:49open up chat GPT on your phone. I'll put it

1:51up

1:51on screen right here. And you can actually

1:54talk to it as if you're having a

1:56conversation.

1:57So right here, I'm in the native experience

1:59. But if I go ahead and I click on this

2:01headphone

2:01icon here, it opens up this experience. I

2:05can ask it, hey, what can you help me with?

2:09Absolutely. You can ask me a wide range of

2:14questions or seek assistance on various

2:17topics,

2:17whether it's about data analytics, clar

2:19ifying complex concepts, exploring creative

2:22ways

2:22to present information, or general

2:24inquiries on diverse subjects, feel free to

2:27ask, how

2:27can I assist you today? Okay, and so part

2:30of that experience is that you can

2:32essentially

2:33actually have a conversation about Tableau.

2:35And in this case, I'm going to ask it if it

2:37can help me with an interview next week.

2:49Certainly, I can help you prepare for your

2:50Tableau interview.

2:51It's great to focus on understanding key

2:54Tableau concepts, common functionalities,

2:57and maybe

2:58some advanced features depending on the

2:59role you're interviewing for. We could also

3:01discuss

3:02how to effectively communicate your skills

3:04and experience with Tableau. What specific

3:07areas would you like to focus on for your

3:09interview preparation? Okay, so my

3:12interview

3:12next week is actually for a senior Tableau

3:15developer role. It requires three years of

3:17experience and it's specifically for a

3:20pharmaceutical company. One of the things

3:22they've mentioned

3:23in the job description is they don't just

3:25want someone who's good at building dash

3:28boards.

3:28They also want someone to lead a team of

3:31developers to build reports, essentially

3:35come up with

3:36a governance structure for how those

3:38reports should be deployed across the

3:39organization.

3:40And then lastly, they want someone with

3:42Tableau cloud experience. Can you help

3:44bullet point

3:45out some of the things I should consider to

3:50prepare for the interview? Absolutely, for

3:57a senior Tableau developer role, especially

4:00in a pharmaceutical context, there are

4:02several

4:02key areas to focus on. One, leadership and

4:05team management. Emphasize your experience

4:08in leading teams. Consider discussing how

4:10you've managed projects, coordinated with

4:13different stakeholders, and mentored junior

4:15developers. Reflect on your approach to

4:18team

4:18dynamics and conflict resolution. Two,

4:21governance structure. It's crucial to

4:23understand the

4:23principles of data governance. Think about

4:26how you would establish processes for data

4:28quality, security, and access. Share any

4:31previous experiences where you set up or ad

4:34hered to

4:34governance structures. Three, Tableau

4:37expertise. Besides proficiency in dashboard

4:40creation,

4:41delve into your skills in data blending,

4:43complex calculations, and using Tableau's

4:45advanced

4:45features. Familiarize yourself with the

4:48latest Tableau updates and features. Four,

4:51pharmaceutical

4:52industry insights. Having industry specific

4:54knowledge can be a big plus. If you have

4:56experience

4:57with pharmaceutical data, discuss it.

4:59Otherwise, research common KPIs and data

5:01challenges in

5:02this industry. Five, Tableau cloud

5:04experience. Be ready to talk about your

5:07experience with

5:08Tableau online or Tableau server,

5:10especially in cloud environments. Discuss

5:12any challenges

5:13you faced and how you overcame them, along

5:16with the benefits of cloud-based analytics.

5:19Six, communication skills. As a senior role

5:22, your ability to communicate complex data

5:24concepts

5:25in a clear and accessible manner is crucial

5:27. Think of examples where you've

5:29successfully

5:30translated data insights to non-technical

5:32stakeholders. Preparing examples and

5:35scenarios

5:35where you've applied these skills will make

5:39your responses more impactful. Good luck

5:42with

5:42your interview. Do you have any specific

5:44questions or areas you'd like to delve

5:46deeper into?

5:47Okay, actually, yes. There is a technical

5:50component for the interview and I kind of

5:53don't know what questions to expect. Can

5:55you suggest some kind of exercises that

5:58might

5:58be given for that technical component?

6:01Certainly, for a technical interview for a

6:08senior Tableau developer role, you might

6:11encounter

6:11a variety of exercises and questions. Here

6:13are some common types of exercises to

6:15expect

6:16and prepare for.

6:18One, dashboard development. You might be

6:20given a data set and asked to create a

6:22dashboard.

6:23This tests your ability to choose the right

6:26type of charts, use filters, and ensure the

6:28dashboard is user-friendly and informative.

6:31Two, data blending and manipulation. Exerc

6:34ises could involve blending data from

6:36different

6:36sources or manipulating data within Tableau

6:40. This tests your understanding of Tableau's

6:41data handling capabilities.

6:43Three, complex calculations. Be prepared to

6:46create calculated fields, use LOD, Level of

6:49Detail expressions, or write complex

6:51formulas. This assesses your ability to

6:53handle advanced

6:54data analysis within Tableau.

6:56Four, performance optimization. You may be

6:59asked how to optimize a dashboard for

7:01better

7:01performance. This could involve discussing

7:04extract versus live connections, optimizing

7:06calculations, and reducing dashboard load

7:09time.

7:10Five, scenario-based questions. You might

7:12be presented with a specific scenario, e.g.

7:15a data inconsistency issue or a user access

7:17problem, and asked how you would resolve it

7:20using Tableau's features.

7:22Six, Tableau Server Cloud. If the role

7:24involves Tableau Cloud or Server, expect

7:27questions

7:28about deploying and managing dashboards in

7:30a cloud environment, handling user

7:32permissions,

7:33and ensuring data security. To prepare, it

7:35can be helpful to practice with real data

7:37sets, maybe even related to the

7:39pharmaceutical industry.

7:41Would you like more detailed tips on any

7:43specific type of exercise?

7:44Yes, actually, I'm super interested about

7:48the point you made about relationships and

7:51the data model. Can you recommend some

7:53resources that I can maybe go and find some

7:55specific

7:56help on that?

7:57the next slide.

8:18To enhance your understanding of data

8:20modeling and relationships in Tableau,

8:22especially in

8:23preparation for your interview, here are

8:25some valuable resources.

8:271. Tableau's official guide on data

8:32modeling. This guide covers the basics of

8:34relationships

8:35in Tableau, explaining how they can reduce

8:38upfront data preparation by automatically

8:40combining relevant tables at the time of

8:42analysis, thus preserving the right level

8:45of detail.

8:462. Questions about relationships, the data

8:49model, and data sources.

8:51Tableau's help section provides a

8:52comprehensive overview, including

8:54introducing new data modeling,

8:56tips and tricks, and how to pose questions

8:58across multiple related tables.

9:003. Relate your data. Tableau help guide.

9:03This section further elaborates on

9:05combining data

9:06using relationships, an important feature

9:08of Tableau's new data modeling capabilities

9:11.

9:114. Don't be scared of relationships. Table

9:15au. This resource is designed to make you

9:17comfortable

9:17with Tableau's new data modeling

9:19capabilities, explaining how relationships

9:22combine data

9:23from different tables based on common

9:25columns.

9:265. The Tableau data model. Tableau. It

9:29details how creating relationships between

9:31tables

9:32in Tableau can aggregate measures before

9:35performing joins, thus avoiding unnecessary

9:38duplication

9:39and simplifying the tracking of the level

9:41of detail in your measures.

9:426. Relationships Part 2. Tips and tricks.

9:46Tableau, a useful resource for practical

9:48tips

9:48and tricks in using relationships for more

9:50flexible analysis in Tableau.

9:527. Relationships. Asking questions across

9:55multiple related tables. This series covers

9:58the introduction to relationships, tips and

10:00tricks with filters and row-level

10:02calculations,

10:03which are essential for a senior Tableau

10:05developer role. These resources provide a

10:08mix of theoretical

10:09knowledge and practical tips that should be

10:12very useful in preparing for your technical

10:15interview. They cover various aspects of

10:17data modeling and relationships in Tableau,

10:20essential

10:20for a senior role in a pharmaceutical

10:23company.

10:23Okay, I'm also slightly concerned about,

10:26you know, just general conversations about

10:29data as best practice. Can you recommend

10:32maybe two or three books I should go and

10:34read? I've

10:35got a week to the interview, so ideally I

10:37should be able to consume the books within

10:39that time. Have you got any suggestions?

10:48Certainly focusing on books that provide

10:50concise yet insightful coverage on data

10:52best practices

10:53is a smart strategy for your interview prep

10:56. Given your time constraints, here are

10:57three

10:57highly recommended books. One, Storytelling

11:01with Data, a data visualization guide for

11:04business professionals by Cole Nussbaum.

11:07This book is excellent for understanding

11:09how to

11:10present data effectively. It teaches you

11:12how to use visualization to tell a

11:14compelling

11:15story with data, a crucial skill for any

11:17data professional. Two, The Big Book of

11:20Dashboards,

11:22Visualizing Data Using Real World Business

11:24Scenarios by Steve Wexler, Jeffrey Shaffer

11:26and Andy Cottgrieve. This book is

11:30especially relevant for your Tableau role.

11:32It provides

11:33practical guidance on how to build

11:34effective, insightful dashboards tailored

11:37to specific

11:38business needs. Three, Naked Statistics

11:40Stripping the Dread from the Data by

11:43Charles Whelan.

11:44While not a technical manual, this book

11:46offers an engaging introduction to the

11:48fundamentals

11:49of statistics, making complex concepts

11:51accessible and enjoyable. It's great for

11:53brushing up

11:54on statistical principles, which underpin

11:57much of data analysis work. These books are

11:59well regarded in the data community for

12:01their practical insights and engaging

12:03writing style,

12:04making them relatively quick reads. They

12:07should provide you with a solid foundation

12:09in data

12:10visualization best practices, dashboard

12:12design and statistical thinking, all of

12:15which are

12:16valuable for your upcoming interview. Happy

12:19reading.

12:20Okay, last question. This interview is

12:23remote. The company is based in America,

12:26East Coast.

12:27I'm based in London. What tips can you give

12:29me for a remote interview, especially in

12:32this

12:33context? Anything I should be aware of

12:41ahead of time?

12:44For a remote interview, especially when it

12:46involves different time zones like yours

12:48between

12:48London and the East Coast of America, there

12:51are several key points to keep in mind. One

12:55,

12:55time zone awareness. Double check the time

12:58of the interview in both your local time

13:01and

13:01the interviewer's time zone to avoid any

13:03confusion. Two, technical setup. Ensure

13:06your internet

13:06connection is stable. Test your camera and

13:09microphone beforehand. Choose a quiet, well

13:12-lit

13:12space where you won't be interrupted. Three

13:14, dress professionally. Even though it's a

13:16remote

13:17interview, dress as you would for an in-

13:19person interview. This shows professionalism

13:21and

13:22respect for the company's culture. Four,

13:24prepare your environment. Have a clean,

13:27tidy background.

13:28A cluttered or distracting background can

13:30take away from the focus of the interview.

13:32Five, practice with the platform. Familiar

13:34ize yourself with the software or platform

13:36like

13:37Zoom, Microsoft Teams, et cetera. That will

13:40be used for the interview. Check how to

13:42mute,

13:43unmute, turn the video on/off and share

13:45your screen. Six, cultural awareness. Be

13:48mindful

13:48of any cultural differences. American

13:51business culture might have different norms

13:53compared

13:53to the UK, such as communication style.

13:56Seven, engagement. Maintain eye contact by

13:59looking

13:59at the camera. Nod and smile to show

14:01engagement as it's harder to convey body

14:03language over

14:04video. Eight, have materials ready. Keep

14:07your resume, job description, and any notes

14:10handy,

14:10but avoid sounding like you're reading them

14:12. Nine, prepare questions. Have some

14:14questions

14:15ready about the company or role showing

14:17your interest and research. Ten, follow up.

14:21Send

14:21a thank you email after the interview,

14:23expressing your appreciation for the

14:25opportunity and

14:26reiterating your interest in the role.

14:29Remember, remote interviews have their

14:31unique challenges,

14:32but they also offer you the comfort of

14:34being in your own space. Good luck with

14:36your interview.

14:37Okay, thank you. Now, I don't know about

14:42you, but if you had no one else to have

14:46that conversation

14:47with, didn't have a peer, didn't have a

14:49point of context, and you were starting

14:50from zero

14:51and you know you're about to go through

14:53maybe five or 10 Tableau interviews or

14:56roles that

14:57are related to Tableau, or maybe you're

14:58just looking for your first role in the

15:00analytics

15:00space and you're trying to make sure you

15:02make the best first impression. If you have

15:04this

15:04conversation with chat GPT, not only will

15:07you actually get tips and tricks that you

15:10maybe didn't even think about, there were a

15:12couple of points there that I just would

15:13even forget to mention. And they're

15:15actually really important, especially if it

15:17's the first

15:18time that you've experienced them. Now, the

15:20key thing is that I was very open and

15:22forward

15:22about all of these questions, you can

15:24actually see, you can actually see the

15:26detail of the

15:27questions. And one of the interesting

15:29things now is that we've just finished the

15:31recording

15:31the session, I've come out of the specific

15:34thing. And actually, what it's done is it's

15:36actually got the full transcript of the

15:38discussion. So everything we've just

15:39discussed, I can

15:40actually go into chat GPT itself. And it's

15:43got everything, the lists, the resources,

15:45the books, everything we covered. And it's

15:48even busy quoting the website, you can see

15:50here where it has these quotes, it's

15:52actually giving me the links specifically

15:54to those

15:55resources. So there's so many videos out

15:57there, there's so many resources out there

15:59on having

16:00interviews, and whatever. And of course, I

16:03am using chat GPT plus. So this is using a

16:05slightly enhanced GPT model in order to do

16:08this. But nonetheless, if you have no one

16:11else to talk to, and you're just trying to

16:13get off the ground for the first time,

16:15maybe

16:15you're maybe you're about to go for roles

16:17in six months time, have this conversation

16:20now, go through everything in this list.

16:22And you've genuinely got enough time to

16:24start

16:25prepping yourself, read the books, go

16:27through the resources, start building your

16:29portfolio

16:29with these points in mind. And I honestly

16:32can't see how you'll find an interview

16:35tough.

16:36All the all the hard work of being good in

16:38an interview is partly dependent on how

16:40prepared

16:41you are, and knowing what to expect. If

16:44everything that comes up is within your

16:46expectations,

16:47the only thing the only thing that's going

16:49to stop you from getting that wrong is

16:51someone

16:51better out there. And that's always the

16:53case, that's always going to be the case,

16:54it doesn't

16:55matter how hard you prepare, but just

16:57giving yourself the most amount of chance

16:59with something

17:00like this. And this is incredible. This is

17:02just an experience I've shown you, you can

17:04have your own conversation. I've done this

17:06partly to show people that look, there's

17:08lots

17:08of help out there these days, there's lots

17:10of resources out there. And for the price

17:12of a one month subscription to chat GPT, I

17:14couldn't think of a better place to get

17:17help

17:17on this specific topic. So there you go.

17:19That's how to prepare for a tablet

17:20interview brought

17:21to you by chat GPT.

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