How to Be Business Intelligence Generalist - Job Description, Skills, and Interview Questions

Aug 4, 2022 / 6 Minutes Read / By Albert

How to Become

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The demand for Business Intelligence Generalists has been steadily rising in recent years, due to the need for organizations to make sound decisions backed by data. This has led to an increase in demand for professionals who possess a combination of technical and analytical skills, as well as business acumen. Business Intelligence Generalists can help companies understand their data and use it to their advantage by uncovering trends, predicting outcomes, and providing insights.

By doing so, they can help companies become more efficient, improve customer satisfaction, and increase profits. they are also able to identify areas of improvement, develop strategies to capitalize on opportunities, and identify potential risks. As a result, businesses have become increasingly reliant on Business Intelligence Generalists to help them make informed decisions and stay competitive in their respective markets.

Steps How to Become

Earn a Bachelor's Degree. The first step in becoming a Business Intelligence (BI) Generalist is to earn a bachelor's degree in computer science, information technology, or a related field. This will provide the foundational knowledge necessary to understand the various aspects of BI.
Gain Experience. It is important to gain experience in the field of BI by doing internships and taking on projects. Learning how to use various BI tools, such as Tableau and Power BI, can help to deepen your understanding of the technology.
Pursue Certifications. Earning certifications in specific BI tools can make you more marketable in the field. Most companies will require at least one certification for any job position related to BI.
Stay Up-to-Date. As technology advances, it is important to stay up-to-date on the latest trends in BI. Reading industry magazines, attending conferences, and networking with other professionals in the field can help keep you abreast of new developments.
Develop Soft Skills. In addition to technical skills, it is important to develop soft skills such as communication, problem-solving, and project management. These skills will help you work better with teams and clients.
Become a Specialist. Becoming a specialist in one or two areas of BI will help you stand out from the competition. This could include developing expertise in data visualization or mastering a specific BI tool.
Network. Networking with industry professionals can open up new opportunities for advancement in your career. You can use sites like LinkedIn to find people who are already working in the field and reach out to them.
Keep Learning. As the field of BI continues to evolve, it is important to keep learning and expanding your knowledge base. Staying ahead of the curve will ensure that you remain competitive in the job market.

Business intelligence (BI) generalists are a valuable asset to any organization as they are able to leverage their expertise in data analysis, reporting and insights to provide reliable and qualified insights. By understanding the needs of the organization, BI generalists are able to collect, organize and analyze data from multiple sources to create actionable insights. This information can then be used to inform decision making, improve operations and increase efficiency.

BI generalists also act as a bridge between the technical and non-technical members of the organization, allowing them to bridge the gap between the two sides. In addition, they are also responsible for ensuring data integrity, accuracy and security, which is essential for reliable and qualified insights. Finally, BI generalists are able to provide valuable insights into customer preferences, trends and other key metrics that can help organizations to stay ahead of the competition and remain competitive in the market.

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Job Description

Business Intelligence Architect: Responsible for designing business intelligence systems, including gathering and analyzing data, developing BI models and reporting solutions, and implementing BI applications.
Business Intelligence Developer: Responsible for developing and implementing BI solutions, including data warehousing, ETL processes, OLAP cubes, data mining, and reporting solutions.
Business Intelligence Analyst: Responsible for analyzing and interpreting data to discover trends and develop business insights.
Data Warehouse Manager: Responsible for managing the design, development, and administration of a data warehouse.
Data Quality Analyst: Responsible for ensuring accuracy and consistency of data in an organization's systems.
Database Administrator: Responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining databases.
Business Intelligence Consultant: Responsible for advising on the best ways to use BI tools and technologies to meet organizational objectives.
Business Intelligence Project Manager: Responsible for planning, directing, and coordinating BI projects.

Skills and Competencies to Have

Data Analysis and Modeling: Ability to analyze, model, and interpret data to gain insights and inform decisions.
Data Visualization: Ability to create visualizations to more effectively communicate data insights.
Database Management: Knowledge of database management systems and ability to effectively extract, manipulate and analyze data.
Business Acumen: Understanding of business processes, industry trends, and customer needs.
Statistical Analysis: Knowledge of statistical techniques and ability to use them to interpret data.
Reporting and Dashboarding: Ability to design and develop effective reports and dashboards to present data insights in a clear and concise manner.
Presentation Skills: Ability to present data insights in a way that is easily digestible for a wider audience.
Project Management: Ability to manage multiple projects and tasks effectively and efficiently.
Problem-Solving: Ability to identify problems and use data to drive solutions.
Technical Knowledge: Knowledge of business intelligence tools, systems, and software.

Business Intelligence Generalists are responsible for analyzing data to gain insights that can help inform business decisions. As such, having strong analytical skills is the most important skill for a Business Intelligence Generalist. This includes the ability to interpret data, identify patterns, draw conclusions, and make data-driven recommendations.

a Business Intelligence Generalist should be familiar with data visualization tools and techniques to help them to effectively present the results of their findings. They should also be knowledgeable about data mining, querying, and warehousing solutions to extract and store data from multiple sources. Finally, a Business Intelligence Generalist should have good communication skills to be able to explain their findings to stakeholders in a clear and concise manner.

All of these skills work together to help Business Intelligence Generalists make the most informed decisions possible.

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Frequent Interview Questions

What experience do you have in the Business Intelligence field?
What challenges have you faced and how did you address them?
How do you stay current on the latest trends in data analytics?
Describe a data project you completed that you are particularly proud of.
What techniques do you use to ensure data accuracy?
How do you identify and analyze key performance indicators (KPIs)?
How do you structure data models to make them easier to understand?
How do you collaborate with other departments to ensure that data is accurately used in decision-making?
What challenges have you faced with data visualization?
What methods do you use to ensure data security?

Common Tools in Industry

Tableau. Tableau is a business intelligence and analytics platform that enables users to visualize and analyze data quickly and easily. (eg: Tableau can be used to build interactive dashboards and data visualizations, allowing users to analyze trends and make data-driven decisions. )
Microsoft Power BI. Power BI is a business analytics service provided by Microsoft that allows users to visualize and analyze data with greater speed, efficiency, and understanding. (eg: Power BI can be used to create interactive reports and dashboards, track key performance indicators, and uncover hidden insights. )
Qlikview. Qlikview is a business intelligence and analytics platform that enables users to create dynamic data visualizations, dashboards, and applications to support better decision-making. (eg: Qlikview can be used to quickly analyze large amounts of data, provide interactive insights, and build custom applications. )
Looker. Looker is a cloud-based business intelligence platform that allows users to create data visualizations, explore data, and develop insights from any data source. (eg: Looker can be used to generate real-time dashboards, build predictive models, and collaborate with colleagues to make better decisions. )
IBM Cognos Analytics. IBM Cognos Analytics is a business intelligence platform that provides users with advanced analytics capabilities, including predictive analytics, forecasting, and data discovery. (eg: IBM Cognos Analytics can be used to create interactive dashboards, uncover trends and insights, and develop predictive models to drive better decision-making. )

Professional Organizations to Know

International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA)
Association for Computing Machinery (ACM)
Association for Information Systems (AIS)
Society for Information Management (SIM)
Institute of Management Consultants (IMC)
Project Management Institute (PMI)
Business Intelligence and Analytics Association (BIAA)
Association of Business Process Management Professionals (ABPMP)
International Association for Business Analytics (IABA)
Analytics and Business Intelligence Summit (ABIS)

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Common Important Terms

Data Warehousing. The process of constructing and using a data warehouse, which is a central repository of integrated data from one or more disparate sources.
ETL (Extract, Transform, Load). The process of extracting data from one or more sources, transforming it into a format suitable for analysis, and loading it into a data warehouse.
OLAP (Online Analytical Processing). An approach to answering multi-dimensional analytical queries quickly in relational databases.
Data Mining. A process of discovering patterns in large datasets using methods such as cluster analysis, regression, classification and association rules.
Dashboards. A graphical user interface that presents data in an organized, easy-to-digest form.
Business Intelligence (BI). A set of processes and technologies used to analyze and present business data in order to make better decisions.
Data Visualization. The practice of representing data in graphical form in order to provide insight into the underlying trends and relationships between variables.
Predictive Analytics. An approach that uses past data to make predictions about future events.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Business Intelligence Generalist?

A Business Intelligence Generalist is a professional responsible for gathering and analyzing data to help businesses make informed decisions and improve performance.

What skills are needed to be a successful Business Intelligence Generalist?

To be a successful Business Intelligence Generalist, you should have strong analytical and problem-solving skills, knowledge of databases and data mining techniques, knowledge of business processes and software applications, and the ability to communicate complex information in an easy-to-understand format.

What types of data are used by Business Intelligence Generalists?

Business Intelligence Generalists use a variety of data including financial data, customer data, market data, operational data, and competitive data.

What are the typical roles and responsibilities of a Business Intelligence Generalist?

The typical roles and responsibilities of a Business Intelligence Generalist include developing and implementing data analysis solutions, creating reports and dashboards, analyzing trends and patterns, forecasting data, and providing insights to management.

What are the benefits of having a Business Intelligence Generalist on staff?

The benefits of having a Business Intelligence Generalist on staff include improved decision-making, improved customer service, increased efficiency, cost savings, and better insight into the business.

Web Resources

Business Intelligence Services | The George Washington University businessintelligence.gwu.edu
Business Intelligence Analysis | UC San Diego Division of extendedstudies.ucsd.edu
Business Intelligence Degree | DeVry University www.devry.edu