Competing on Analytics

Microsoft NET Developers are well compensated IT professionals because the workplace demand for skilled Microsoft.NET programmers outstrips the supply.

On the other hand, being a Microsoft .NET programmer can be tough because of the constant pressure to keep up with new technology!

So, this post addresses the challenges facing a Microsoft .NET Developer moving to Business Intelligence (BI) / Data Warehousing (DW):

Considering a Career Move from .NET Development to Business Intelligence (BI)?

I am currently working as a .net Developer (for the last 4 years mostly on contracting jobs).

The biggest problem I am facing is not being able to keep up with new .net components coming out everyday.

On my last project I developed in .net 2.0. Now for new positions, everyone is asking for .NET 3.5 (while 4.0 is looming on ahead).

I have a friend who is working as a Business Objects Consultant, and I am thinking of switching toward Datawarehousing / BI.

Would that be a good career move from my side. I think they get paid more and also do not need to keep reading like crazy.

However I am not sure of how will be the future of Business Objects and is there any chance beyond a report developer.

Hopefully, when the economy is better, I will be able to get a fulltime job and settled in one place.

The Career Outlook for Business Intelligence (BI) / Data Warehousing (DW)

1. High Demand: The demand for Microsoft .NET Programmers is driven by Microsoft’s sheer marketing muscle and corporations customizing various Microsoft software products (like SharePoint and Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Microsoft Office) for Collaboration, Marketing and Sales. etc.

2. Steep Learning Curve: Microsoft .NET development has a steep learning curve, so you are not alone in feeling overwhelmed.

   .NET programmers have to keep up with multiple versions including .NET 1.0, .NET 1.1, .NET 2.0, .NET 3.0, .NET 3.5, .NET 4.0 in the works … and perhaps another sequel to .NET 4.0 in some secret Microsoft lab!

   As a Microsoft .NET programmer, you are also expected to keep up with multiple related technologies including HTML, XHTML, CSS, SQL SERVER, JAVASCRIPT, XML and more!

So, what is one to do? On one hand, you have a well compensated .NET programming career and on the other hand, you feel enslaved to the technology because you always have to be learning!

Considering all these, making a career change from Microsoft .NET Development to Business Intelligence / Data Warehousing may be in your long-term interests.

So, the question is, what are the career prospects or job outlook for business intelligence and data warehousing professionals like?

1. Competing on Data: Organizations facing increasing marketplace pressures are turning to business intelligence (BI) projects for solutions.

   Better data and better analytics are needed for faster, more-informed decision making and that is where business intelligence and data warehousing professionals step in to help!

2. Job Outlook for Business Intelligence (BI) and Data Warehousing Professionals: Leading industry analysts including Gartner and Forrester Research rank Business Intelligence (BI) and Data Warehousing (DW) as top technology priorities for Chief Information Officers (CIOs).

3. In plain words, there is gold in business intelligence and data warehousing careers and you can tap into it!

4. How to become a Business Intelligence (BI) or Data Warehousing (DW) professional: Changing careers from Microsoft .NET Development to Business Intelligence shouldn’t be too hard for you.

   Data Warehousing is built on the backbone of strong relational database design, database development and SQL skills and Business Intelligence integrates analytics, database technology and yes, some Microsoft .NET programming.

5. Leverage existing skills; If you decide on a Microsoft BI / DW Career Path, you can still build customized BI and DW projects using your familiar Microsoft .NET Programming and SQL Server Database Development skills and if you go with other vendors, you can learn their particular Business Intelligence (BI) programming / scripting tools and their database technology, too!

The good news for you, is that you can leverage or reuse your Microsoft .NET Programming background and your SQL Server database development skills in the BI / DW Market.

I recommend that you stop looking at business intelligence (BI) and data warehousing (DW) as a reporting job because it is more than that … get a copy of the book titled Competing on Analytics, ok?

Competing on Analytics

This post answers a challenge facing a .NET Developer changing careers to business intelligence and data warehousing.

If you have a question or a challenge facing your career, post it as a comment on this page and I will answer it for you!

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