In this short post, we will learn about the value of Tableau software as a data visualization tool and we will see how to benefit from the Tableau for Students free offer.
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Tableau Software in any way. I am simply bringing this opportunity to your attention.
What is Tableau?
Tableau Software has become a staple of the business intelligence world. It is one of the leading solutions for data visualization.
The company behind it was acquired by Salesforce in 2019 in a $15.7B deal.
Today, Tableau Software offers a wide array of solutions making it the most powerful end-to-end analytics platform.
From connecting to various databases and data sources to driving insights through intuitive automated dashboards.
“Tens of thousands of organizations in nearly every country choose Tableau to solve data problems—including Fortune 500 enterprises, small and midsize businesses, government agencies, universities, research institutions, and non-profits.”
Tableau Software
Organizations using Tableau Software include:
Examples of Tableau Dashboards
You can visit Tableau Public, which allows people from all over the world to publish dashboards hosted online by Tableau.
New dashboards are added daily and the creativity they display is simply limitless.
It is a great place to find inspiration and get a feel for what the tool can do with enough practice.
Click on the image below to see the interactive version of this dashboard:
The tools are so versatile, you can bend them to your imagination.
For instance, I created µNutrient a nutrition tool that allows you to select foods from thousands of options, input the quantities and then get the full breakdown of your diet in terms of micronutrients and macronutrients (link to the article).
Tableau for Students
Tableau for Students is a free one-year Tableau license offered to students at accredited academic institutions. The package includes:
- Tableau Desktop: the tool you will most likely be using the most;
- Tableau Prep: a tool for cleaning data before visualizing it;
- Access to the entire eLearning suite: a wealth of knowledge to speed up your learning process;
- Discounts for the Tableau Desktop Specialist Exam;
- Activation on up to 2 devices.
The license can be renewed each year for free as long as the student is still enrolled.
This license can be used:
- In class;
- At home;
- During internships.
The last point can be leveraged as a selling point by proactive students to secure internships.
The market value of this free package is $999 a year.
Step by Step Guide
Here is the step-by-step guide I followed to benefit from the Tableau for Student offer at no cost.
Before we start, you will need a scanned version of one of the following: official student ID, current transcript or any other official document proving you are currently enrolled in a program.
You first need to go to this page: https://www.tableau.com/academic/students
You should receive an answer within 24h in your email box (check Spam folder).
What happens if you cannot find your institution on the list?
Fear not, just follow this guide:
Bonus 1: Maximize ROI with a Portfolio
To get the most out of this deal and accumulate as much practice as possible, I advise you to create multiple dashboards on Tableau Desktop with the end-goal of publishing a few high-quality flagship dashboards on your personal Tableau Public profile.
This will be your very own Tableau portfolio.
You can include it as a shortened link on your resume.
Bonus 2: Maximize ROI with Certification
Another option to push you to learn fast and master the basics is to sit for the Tableau Desktop Specialist exam.
There are other more advanced official certifications but they are only valid for 2 years and can be costly for a student.
I chose to go with the Tableau Desktop Specialist certification for many reasons:
- It doesn’t expire;
- It is relatively inexpensive (discounts are frequently available);
- It still conveys the signal that you are committed to learning and investing in yourself.
I personally believe that a good portfolio does a better job of showing your skill and creativity than any certification.
Dayta4u Initiative: Help Spread the Message
If you found this guide useful so far, I would like to ask you for a favor.
I would like you to help pass on this knowledge to benefit other students like you.
The more people use Tableau at the local level, the more valuable a skill it becomes (network effect)
One way to contribute is to share this article with your classmates, friends and family members that could potentially benefit from it.
Another way would be to bring this offer to the attention of your teachers.
Tableau Software sponsors another program called Tableau for Teaching which can be used both by teachers and their students for free.
You can use the following presentation to aid you:
Conclusion
Tableau is a powerful platform that can help you stand out from the crowd if you put in the time and effort to be competitive in a world increasingly data-centric.
Thank you for reading and see you next time.
