Tableau Developer Skills And Responsibilities (With Tips)

Updated 17 March 2023

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Tableau developers use the Tableau platform to develop data visualisation solutions and use software development procedures to improve an organisation's business operations. These information technology (IT) professionals possess excellent technical, analytical and problem-solving skills. If you are planning a career in this domain, learning about the responsibilities and skills of these professionals can help you make an informed decision. In this article, we define what a Tableau developer is, explore the many responsibilities of these professionals and share the skills that these professionals possess.

What Is A Tableau Developer?

A Tableau developer establishes software development procedures to improve the business operations of an organisation. These professionals are highly proficient in using the Tableau software, modelling data and optimising Tableau dashboards. These developers possess the ability to collect and simplify data, work with vendors, mentor team members, identify problem areas and perform statistical functions. By applying their soft and hard skills, these professionals complete varied tasks routinely. For instance, they use their communication skills to create reader-friendly reports and utilise their statistical analysis abilities to share actionable insights and support process efficiency.

Essential Tableau Developer Skills

Below are some skills that a Tableau developer possesses to successfully accomplish varied tasks routinely:

Technical skills

There are several data types developers may use as values in Tableau. These include string, numerical, boolean and date and time. These professionals are required to understand the principles of programming. They are skilled in technical analysis, for which they possess in-depth knowledge of computer software tools. Their technical skills also include Structured Query Language (SQL) and various other analysis programs apart from Tableau. Since these developers work with large amounts of data, they also possess an in-depth knowledge of the Relational Database Management System (RDBMS).

Business intelligence

These developers utilise business intelligence to help organisations analyse large data sets. This assessment allows organisations to make data-driven business decisions. With their knowledge of business intelligence technology, they conduct historical and current data analyses. This helps them to improve the strategic decision-making of an organisation and give it competitiveness in the market. By employing business intelligence systems, they enable organisations to collect and evaluate complex data to extract meaningful and actionable insights.

Communication skills

These developers work in teams and are required to effectively communicate with others . This helps them to deliver the best results and complete projects successfully. They use their communication skills to create stories using interactive visualisations and simplify technical topics for users who are not proficient in information technology. These professionals may often be required to present insights to a company's decision-making teams for which they utilise their public speaking skills. By employing effective communication, they are better able to interpret data and create reports coherently.

Analytical thinking

When these developers think analytically, they use logic to devise business solutions. With these skills, they are better able to reason analytically, which helps them to communicate effectively, resolve conflicts cordially and manage crises efficiently. A professional in this position is required to work with extensive sets of data, calculations and statistics. To perform these tasks successfully, they apply their analytical thinking ability to recognise patterns, find meaning in those patterns and devise data-driven decisions accordingly. Their analytical thinking also allows them to quickly identify cause and effect and discover trends.

Attention to detail

Detail-oriented developers provide accuracy to an organisation's software development procedures. With their observational ability, they quickly notice anomalies in data processes. They are methodical in their work, as they understand how a single error in a process may result in unfavourable outcomes. They analyse big data sets routinely and staying detail-oriented helps them to collect the right information effectively, helping organisations to possess valuable insights. With these skills, they are better able to create effective data visualisations and complete their tasks meticulously.

Problem-solving skills

The problem-solving skills of a developer help them to determine the root cause of a problem and devise effective solutions. A skilled professional in this position applies their many abilities to solve problems, like research analysis and decision-making. These abilities enable them to fully understand the cause of an issue, evaluate different solutions and make appropriate decisions. With the help of their problem-solving skills, these developers are better able to define, visualise, categorise and redefine problems. They are also adept at ranking potential solutions based on timeliness, risk, expense, practicality and effectiveness.

Key Tableau Developer Responsibilities

Below are some important responsibilities of a Tableau developer:

Using the Tableau suite

These developers can proficiently work with many components of the Tableau platform, like Tableau Desktop, Tableau Prep, Tableau Cloud and Tableau Architecture. They use the Tableau suite to use data and deliver the best business outcomes. These professionals utilise these components to help organisations access, visualise and clean data for effective analysis. They use Tableau to prepare quality data and help a company make insight-driven decisions that may result in business growth.

Managing data

These professionals employ different data collection methods to gather critical insights for making well-researched decisions. Their data management process focuses on supporting an organisation's data automation plans. They connect data and sources to applications that the organisation uses, delivering growth in business. Professionals in this position administer data flows and are also required to understand the context of data to analyse it better.

Visualising data

Developers use the Tableau platform to develop interactive data visualisations that graphically represent business information. They use different data visualisation tools in Tableau to create appealing charts, graphs and maps. They may present data in a format that management understands easily and recognises patterns quickly. Their ability to visualise data includes exhaustive data analysis and captivating storytelling, helping organisations to discern big data.

Building dashboards

These developers build interactive dashboards that allow them to present data-driven stories. They realise the importance of creating multiple dashboards, given how one dashboard may not address all business challenges. They assess the requirements of the dashboard audience to develop efficient dashboards for them. These professionals are also required to possess a strong knowledge of design to create customised and powerful dashboards for users.

Creating business intelligence strategies

These developers utilise different business intelligence methods to collect, store and analyse business data. With business intelligence, they improve the performance of business operations by using databases and machine learning to identify industry trends. They prepare comprehensive data analysis reports to help managers make informed decisions. They may compare the present performance of the organisation to historical data to measure performance against organisational goals.

Collaborating with others

These developers work in tandem with other team members to prepare reports and develop theories. They understand the reporting requirements of various partners and collaborate with data architects to develop robust databases. These professionals work in close liaison with data management teams to evaluate an organisation's data networks, prepare data models and identify new data collection methods. They are also required to work in collaboration with an organisation's executive leaders and stakeholders to better understand organisational goals and requirements.

Tips To Include Skills And Responsibilities On A Resume

To include your skills and responsibilities on your resume, you may use different sections of the document. For instance, use a professional summary to briefly mention your merits and career goals, write a work experience section to highlight both your skills and key accountabilities and include a skills section to list your strengths and abilities. Here are some tips to help you mention skills and job responsibilities that are associated with your past roles on your resume:

Write a professional summary

In two to three sentences, a professional summary allows you to briefly describe the skills you possess, the merits you have and the career goals that you have set for yourself. Use this section to mention your credentials and how your skills may help an organisation to grow. For instance, you may write that you have been working in the IT industry for over eight years and possess outstanding data analysis skills to help organisations develop robust business intelligence systems.

Create an appealing work experience section

Creating an impressive work experience section focuses on listing key accountabilities that are associated with your past positions. These responsibilities are more likely to impress hiring managers when they align with the open positions in their organisations. With these relevant key accountabilities, you help recruiters to better understand your expertise in data management and recognise why you may be a suitable candidate for the position. To write the responsibilities impressively, create a bulleted list of these accountabilities.

Include in-demand skills

Creating a resume that includes the skills that you possess and other in-demand skills helps you to create an appealing resume that augments the strengths you possess as a developer. To identify in-demand skills, conduct online research by visiting professional networking websites or job portals. Search for the position and examine different job descriptions to identify the keywords that hiring organisations have mentioned the most in these descriptions. Add these skills to your resume if you possess them to create a robust skills section.

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