views:

158

answers:

1

I am graduating soon in electrical engineering.

I would like to learn a data-warehousing tool. Which of the following would you suggest I learn to help me advance my career, bearing in mind I don't have a computer science degree?

  • business objects;
  • informatica;
  • hyperion;
  • datastage
  • cognos
+1  A: 

Data warehousing is becoming more and more commoditized. Those products are just tools (and the tools you list address very separate areas - ETL and business intelligence).

If you are looking to make a career in data warehousing, you really need to get a solid basis in the theory and principles - particularly modelling philosophies and warehouse development lifecycle practices (and dealing with the business stakeholders) - read Inmon and Kimball.

Typically data warehousing is completely different from regular software lifecycle. In DW, you build the system AND THEN you get the requirements. Seriously. The point is to model your DW as best you can, get it into the users' hands and then refactor.

ETL is about as exciting as it sounds, and BI spans a wide range of things from reporting to dashboards to data mining and decision support - and the tools vary in capabilities.

I guess my point is that learning any particular tool is not going to really advance your career except to be able to check a box which might get you a job. Advancing your career comes from solving people's problems (and well) and becoming familiar with as many technologies, tools and techniques as it takes to do that.

Cade Roux