How do you present data in a BI case interview?

1 Understand the context and the question

Before you dive into the data, make sure you understand the context and the question of the case. What is the business problem or opportunity that you are trying to solve or explore? Who is your audience and what are their expectations and objectives? What are the key metrics and criteria that you need to measure and evaluate? Clarify any assumptions or constraints that you have to work with. This will help you frame your analysis and presentation in a relevant and logical way.

2 Choose the right tools and methods

Depending on the case, you may have to use different tools and methods to analyze and present the data. Some common tools are Excel, Power BI, Tableau, or SQL. Some common methods are descriptive statistics, data visualization, hypothesis testing, or predictive modeling. Choose the tools and methods that best suit the data type, format, and size, as well as the question and the audience. For example, if you have to compare sales performance across regions, you may use a bar chart or a map in Excel or Power BI. If you have to forecast demand based on historical trends, you may use a regression model in SQL or Tableau.

3 Structure your analysis and presentation

A good data presentation should have a clear structure that guides the audience through your analysis and recommendations. A simple and effective structure is the MECE framework, which stands for mutually exclusive, collectively exhaustive. This means that you should divide your analysis and presentation into distinct and comprehensive sections that cover all the relevant aspects of the case. For example, you may have an introduction, where you summarize the context and the question, a data exploration, where you show the main features and patterns of the data, a data analysis, where you apply the tools and methods to answer the question, and a conclusion, where you present your recommendations and next steps.

4 Communicate your insights and recommendations

The most important part of your data presentation is to communicate your insights and recommendations in a clear, concise, and convincing way. You should use simple and precise language, avoid jargon and technical details, and highlight the key takeaways and implications of your analysis. You should also use data visualization to support your arguments, but make sure you choose the right charts and graphs, label them properly, and explain them clearly. You should also anticipate and address any questions or objections that your audience may have, and provide evidence and logic to back up your claims.

5 Practice and get feedback

The best way to improve your data presentation skills is to practice and get feedback. You can find many BI case interview examples online or in books, or create your own based on real or fictional scenarios. You can practice alone or with a partner, and record yourself or use a timer to simulate the interview conditions. You can also get feedback from peers, mentors, or experts, and ask them to evaluate your analysis and presentation based on criteria such as clarity, relevance, accuracy, and persuasiveness. You can also learn from other data presentations, and observe what works and what doesn't, and how you can apply the best practices to your own cases.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?