What are the best ways to display data in a Business Intelligence (BI) interview?

1 Know your audience

Before you start creating any charts or graphs, you need to understand who your audience is and what they want to learn from your data. Are they technical experts, business stakeholders, or potential customers? What are their goals, pain points, and expectations? How familiar are they with the data and the context? Knowing your audience will help you tailor your data visualization to their needs and preferences. For example, if you are presenting to a technical audience, you might want to use more detailed and complex charts, such as scatter plots, box plots, or heat maps. If you are presenting to a business audience, you might want to use simpler and more intuitive charts, such as bar charts, pie charts, or line charts.

2 Choose the right chart type

Once you have defined your audience, you need to choose the right chart type for your data. There are many types of charts and graphs, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. You need to consider the type, size, and distribution of your data, as well as the message and story you want to convey. For example, if you want to compare the values of different categories, you might use a bar chart or a pie chart. If you want to show the trend or change over time, you might use a line chart or an area chart. If you want to show the relationship or correlation between two variables, you might use a scatter plot or a bubble chart. You can also use multiple charts to show different aspects of your data, as long as they are consistent and coherent.

3 Follow the best practices

When selecting a chart type, it's important to follow best practices of data visualization to make your charts or graphs clear, accurate, and effective. This includes using appropriate titles, labels, legends, and annotations to explain your data and highlight key points. Consistent and contrasting colors, fonts, and sizes should be used to enhance readability and aesthetics. Additionally, the right scale, axis, and format should be chosen to show the data accurately and avoid misleading or confusing the audience. Filters, slicers, or interactive features can allow the audience to explore the data and focus on relevant information. Lastly, it's important to avoid clutter, noise, and unnecessary elements that distract from the main message and story of your data.

4 Practice and prepare

Finally, you need to practice and prepare for your BI interview. You need to be able to create your data visualization quickly and confidently, using the tools and software that are required or preferred by the interviewer. You also need to be able to explain your data visualization clearly and convincingly, using the data and the charts or graphs to support your arguments and recommendations. You should anticipate the questions and feedback that the interviewer might have, and be ready to answer them or modify your data visualization accordingly. You should also practice your presentation skills, such as your voice, tone, posture, and eye contact, to engage and impress the interviewer.

5 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?