The Complete Power BI Interview Guide: A modern approach to acing the data analyst interview and landing your dream job

The Complete Power BI Interview Guide

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To my mother, Cristina Polanco Garcia, and to the memory of my father, Santos Ortega, for their sacrifices and for exemplifying the power of determination. To my children, Diana and John, for being the driving force behind my everyday motivation.

– Sandielly Ortega Polanco

To my ever-patient wife, Ishwari, who endured my selective hearing during this book’s creation. To our daughter, Leysha, who believed this book would turn out to be a fantasy tale.

– Gogula Aryalingam

To my loving wife, Huma, who has stood by me like a rock at every stage of our joint life journey. To my loving parents, for their sacrifices to educate me and my siblings.

– Abu Bakar Nisar Alvi

Contributors

About the authors

Sandielly Ortega Polanco is a highly experienced data analyst with over 10 years of expertise in data analytics and programming. Throughout this extensive career, he has made significant contributions to multiple companies across various sectors, including government, large-scale food sales, automotive, and the tourism industry, where he held a managerial position overseeing IT operations and data analytics processes at more than eight hotels in the Dominican Republic.

Furthermore, Sandielly has served as a consultant in diverse areas, particularly in online education, where he has played a pivotal role in shaping the skills of over 4,000 young professionals in data analysis at two of the largest digital academies in Latin America.

Fluent in multiple languages, Sandielly holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and has completed several diplomas in networking, security, and systems administration. Additionally, he has been a Microsoft Certified Data Analyst for over three years, demonstrating his dedication to excellence in the field.

Sandielly is a content creator on YouTube, where he shares his expertise in Power BI, Fabric, artificial intelligence, SQL, and process automation. His channel boasts an active audience of over 35,000 subscribers and growing, reflecting his influence and impact in the data analytics community.

First and foremost, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my dear mother for her strong endeavor in raising us as both a mother and a father, to my beloved wife for her patience throughout the lengthy process of writing this book, to the Polanco family for their continuous support in my career, and most especially, to my lovely daughter, Diana, who has been my motivation and inspiration for writing this book.

Gogula Aryalingam is a seasoned data and AI professional working at Fortude, a technology and consulting services company committed to delivering impactful digital solutions. With a rich history of serving customers across diverse verticals in multiple technology companies, Gogula has architected, designed, and delivered data analytics and business intelligence solutions that drive business growth and innovation. A recipient of the prestigious Microsoft Most Valuable Professional award for the data platform for over 15 years, Gogula’s contributions to technical communities are extensive and impactful. He is a regular speaker at both local and international technology conferences, sharing his expertise on data analytics and business intelligence topics. In addition to his speaking engagements, Gogula is actively involved in content creation for data certifications and learning for Microsoft, helping to shape the next generation of data professionals. His credentials include being 10 x Microsoft certified in data and analytics, a testament to his deep knowledge and commitment to his field. Gogula also conducts training on Power BI, Fabric, and Azure data technologies, further extending his influence and commitment to the data and AI community. His work empowers others to leverage the power of data to drive decision-making and innovation. He is based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and he holds an MSc in information technology from the Cardiff Metropolitan University in Wales.

I would like to first and foremost thank my loving wife and daughter for their continued support, patience, and encouragement throughout the long process of writing this book. Thanks also to my boss, Gaurika, for his unwavering support.

Abu Bakar Nisar Alvi is a highly experienced product manager and certified project management professional with over 24 years of industry experience. With a demonstrated track record of leading multidisciplinary teams and successfully completing challenging projects, he has a diverse background that encompasses embedded systems development and telemetry data analytics in the defense industry. Abu Bakar has transitioned from a telemetry engineer to a full-time data analytics and business intelligence consultant and trainer. He is 4 x Microsoft certified and works with local and international clients to implement Power BI and Fabric solutions. As a Microsoft Certified Trainer, he also conducts training in this area for public and corporate clients. His contributions were recognized by the government of Pakistan in 2005 when he was awarded the prestigious Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, the fourth-highest civil award for professional excellence. He is the youngest Pakistani professional engineer to get this honor at the age of 27. He is based in Islamabad, Pakistan, and holds a master’s degree in satellite communication and space systems from the University of Sussex, United Kingdom.

I would like to first and foremost thank my loving and patient wife for her continued support throughout the long process of writing this book. Special thanks to my younger brother for his encouragement in writing a book for the first time.

About the reviewers

Mohammed Adnan is a distinguished Microsoft MVP and Certified Trainer, renowned for his versatile roles as a consultant and speaker and being the creative mind behind the YouTube channel taik18. With a wealth of expertise in data, he excels as a data solution architect, specializing in Azure AI, Fabric, Power Platform, SQL, and Excel.

Beyond his professional endeavors, Adnan is a mentor with a personal touch, having collaborated with numerous clients, including Fortune 500 companies. His project portfolio spans diverse domains such as supply chain, manufacturing, HR, and cloud kitchen. Adnan’s commitment to excellence and his comprehensive skill set make him a trusted professional in the ever-evolving landscape of technology and data management.

Ankit Kukreja has over seven years of expertise in data analytics and finance, complemented by an MBA in finance. He has excelled in driving transformative initiatives. As a senior consultant at Wipro, he leads automation with Power Automate and transitioning legacy applications to Power Apps. His tenure at Accenture and CLIX Capital involved delivering impactful solutions and orchestrating data-driven insights with Power BI. Earlier roles at Blackrock Services highlight his proficiency in risk analysis and process optimization. With certifications in Power BI, Power Platform, and Azure, Ankit is a recognized super-user in the Power BI community, poised to drive success through insights, automation, and stakeholder engagement.

Greg Deckler is an active contributor to the Power BI Community, having authored over 200 Power BI Quick Measures Gallery submissions and over 6,000 authored solutions. Seven times a Microsoft MVP for Data Platform, Greg is also vice-president of a global technology firm and has authored five books on Power BI, including the first and second editions of Learn Power BI, DAX Cookbook, Power BI Cookbook Second Edition, and Mastering Power BI Second Edition. Greg also served as a technical editor for Extreme DAX and Power BI Quick Start Guide Third Edition. Finally, Greg has authored multiple external tools for Power BI, including Microsoft Hates Greg’s Quick Measures, and regularly posts Power BI videos on the YouTube channels @DAXForHumans and @MicrosoftHatesGreg.

I would like to thank my son, family, and the entire Power BI community for all their support over the years. Special thanks to Brian Julius for founding and supporting the No CALCULATE movement.

Table of Contents

Preface

Part 1:Getting Your First Interview

1

Exposing Your Profile

The power of networking

The six-grade theory

Boosting your LinkedIn profile

A quick guide to polishing your resume

Be sure it has the correct keywords

Focus on what you achieved rather than what you did

Add relevant links

Choose a consistent format

Read it several times

Layout matters

Solving the picture dilemma

Creating a personal project portfolio

Get sample data for your Power BI reports

Time to play with data

Validating your skills

You can become outdated

Confidence sentiment

Being a role model for others

Learn by teaching

Start in your environment

Talks and communities

Summary

Additional reading

2

Support Skills for Power BI Developers

Technical requirements

Importance of SQL for a data analyst

Logical process in SQL

Joining tables

Programming languages

NumPy

Pandas

Plotly

Scikit-learn

Design skills for a data analyst

Affordable design

Accessible design

Aesthetic design

Soft skills

Communication and collaboration

Problem solving

Critical thinking

Research

Attention to detail

Summary

Part 2: Beyond the Borders of Power BI

3

The Power BI Workflow

Technical requirements

Bringing data into Power BI

Data connectivity modes

Database systems

Files and spreadsheets

Data lakes and data warehouses

Cleansing and transforming data

Cleansing

Transforming

Power Query

Combining data from multiple sources

Modeling data for analysis

Star schema

Model enhancement

Exploring and analyzing data

Visualizing data on a report

Publishing and sharing Power BI content

Publishing Power BI content

Setting up data refreshes

Sharing the published reports

Licensing options

Q&A

Summary

4

Data Analysis with Power BI

Technical requirements

The six data analysis phases

Phase 1 – Asking questions for data-driven decision-making

Phase 2 – Preparing data for processing

Phase 3 – Processing data for analysis

Phase 4 – Analyzing data

Phase 5 – Sharing analytical findings and insights

Phase 6 – Acting on your findings and insights

Power BI as a data analysis solution

Phase 1 – Asking questions for your Power BI solution

Phase 2 – Preparing data with Power BI

Phase 3 – Processing data with Power BI

Phase 4 – Data analysis with Power BI

Phase 5 – Reporting and sharing with Power BI

Phase 6 – Acting on your data with Power BI

A success story – Analyzing data using Power BI

Q&A

Summary

5

Preparing, Transforming, and Modeling Data

Technical requirements

Designing a model

What is dimensional modeling?

Preparing data

Reviewing the requirements

Connecting to the data sources

Data profiling

Transforming data

Building the model

Looking at the calendar (or date) dimension table

Shaping the model

Adding measures to the model

Exploring advanced modeling considerations

Catering to multiple business processes

Modeling on a data warehouse

Derived dimension attributes

Q&A

Summary

6

Exploring, Visualizing, and Sharing Data and Deploying Solutions

Technical requirements

Exploring data

Exploring data with Power BI

Exploring published semantic models

Exploring data using Microsoft Excel

Visualizing data with Power BI

Creating Power BI reports

Other visualizations in Power BI

Publishing and sharing data in Power BI

Understanding workspaces

Leveraging apps in Power BI

Other ways of sharing Power BI content

Licensing authors and consumers

Deploying your solution

Exploring semantic model settings

Understanding deployment pipelines

Q&A

Summary

7

DAX Programming

Technical requirements

What is DAX?

Considerations about the DAX language

Operators in DAX

Data types available in DAX

Basic aggregation functions

Measures versus calculated columns

Execution process

Execution context

When to use measures or calculated columns

Understanding evaluation contexts

Measures

Calculated column

Filtering data and modifying contexts

CALCULATE

FILTER

ALL

Time intelligence functions

CALENDAR versus CALENDARAUTO

DATEADD

SAMEPERIODLASTYEAR

DATESBETWEEN

DATESINPERIOD

Complex DAX measures

Complex model = complex measures

Context-define the results

Filters are tables

Identifying the context of the requirement

Q&A

Summary

8

Expert Report Building

Technical requirements

Best practices before adding your first visual

Enabling preview features

Disabling Auto date/time

Editing application languages

Changing report settings

Editing page dimensions

Choosing the appropriate visual

Bar charts

Line and area charts

Combo charts

Ribbon chart

Waterfall chart

Funnel chart

Pie and donut charts

Gauge

Cards and KPI

AI-powered visuals

Key influencers

Decomposition tree

Anomaly detection

Smart narratives

The Q&A visual

Conditional formatting

Slicing and filtering

Power BI slicers

Filters pane

Configuring visual tooltips

Adding bookmarks

Buttons, shapes, and images

Bookmark menu

Using Drill-through

Page navigation

Bookmarks

Navigation menu

Button

Q&A

Summary

9

Effective Data Storytelling

Technical requirements

Fundamentals of data storytelling

The essence of data storytelling

The power of visuals in data storytelling

Turning numbers into narratives

Choosing the right visualization

Understanding the underlying data

Understanding the audience

Matching visualization to data

Reducing clutter and complexity

Using preattentive attributes

How to craft a compelling narrative

Understanding the context

Following a structure

Influencing decision-making

Driving engagement

Data storytelling using Power BI

Process of data storytelling in Power BI

Enriching your reports with advanced Power BI features

Q&A

Summary

Further reading

10

Using Dashboards and Apps and Implementing Security

Technical requirements

Dashboards versus reports

Creating a dashboard in Power BI

Adding pins

Adding a text box

Adding an image

Adding a video

Pinning a visual object

Pinning a report page

Pinning a table from Excel

Sharing content through Power BI apps

Apps versus workspaces

Creating an app

Using third-party apps

Implementing RLS

Creating a role

Adding users to a role

Q&A

Summary

Part 3: The Final Stretch – Preparing for the HR Round and Beyond

11

Understanding the HR Interview Process and Preparing for Success

Overview of the HR rounds

Decoding the purpose of the HR rounds

Initial aptitude test

Power BI developer technical assessment

Hands-on case study-based assessment

Verbal round

Breakdown of the HR interview

Key skills to highlight during the HR rounds

Technical skills

Critical thinking and problem-solving skills

Communication skills and emotional intelligence

Preparation strategies for success in the HR rounds

Preparation strategies for the aptitude test

Preparation strategies for the technical assessment

Things to do before the HR interview

Summary

Further reading

12

Tips for Negotiating Salary and Benefits

Importance of negotiating salary and benefits

Recognizing the value of your skills and experience

Market trends and global best practices

Significance of non-monetary benefits

Cultural, equality, diversity, and inclusion factors

Tips and strategies for successful negotiations

The salary negotiation process

Research and preparation

Framing your narrative

What not to say

Navigating difficult conversations

Common questions and best ways to answer

An ideal and successful salary negotiation

A conversation with an initial stand-off but a successful end

A difficult conversation that ends in a stalemate

Summary

13

Best Practices for Accepting and Rejecting Job Offers – Onboarding and Beyond

Accepting a job offer – the dos and don’ts

Recognizing the value of your skills and experience

Carefully reviewing the offer

Your final response

Rejecting a job offer – how to do it professionally

Reasons for rejecting a job offer

Communicating a job rejection

Onboarding process – what to expect

What is job onboarding?

What to expect during the onboarding process

Tips for making the most out of the onboarding process

Setting expectations with the team

How to set expectations

Beyond onboarding – continual learning and development

A continual learning plan for a Power BI developer

Resources for continual learning and development

Final words

Index

Other Books You May Enjoy

Preface

In the ever-evolving landscape of data analytics, Power BI has emerged as a leading tool, empowering businesses to make data-driven decisions. This book, an interview guide for Power BI, is designed not only to help you understand the intricacies of Power BI but also to prepare you for the interview process itself.

Power BI has revolutionized the way businesses interact with their data, making it more accessible and understandable. This book aims to provide you with a comprehensive understanding of Power BI’s capabilities and how they can be leveraged in a business context. Beyond that, it also aims to equip you with the skills to excel in interviews by demonstrating how this comprehensive understanding of Power BI can be applied effectively in real-world scenarios.

This guide covers a wide range of topics, from the technical aspects of Power BI to the art of interviewing. It includes chapters on how to prepare for interviews, how to navigate common interview scenarios, and how to effectively articulate your knowledge and skills. The guide also walks you through the process of data analysis with Power BI, demonstrating how to build and deploy a Power BI solution in real-world scenarios. This practical focus ensures that you’re not only learning Power BI but also understanding how to apply these skills in a way that resonates with interviewers. To further aid your preparation, each chapter concludes with a comprehensive list of probable interview questions on Power BI, providing you with a practical understanding of what to expect in an interview.

Remember, an interview is not only about demonstrating what you know but also about showcasing your ability to apply that knowledge. As you navigate through this guide, we encourage you to understand the concepts, ask questions, and think about how you can apply this knowledge in different scenarios.

Good luck on your journey into the exciting world of Power BI!

Who this book is for

This book is for data analysts or analytics engineers who use Power BI to build business intelligence solutions and are looking to deepen their existing knowledge for better opportunities.

The two main personas who are the target audience of this book are as follows:

Data analysts: Data professionals who transform complex data into actionable insights

Analytics engineers: Data professionals who build end-to-end analytics platforms where part of their role involves building Power BI content

What this book covers

Chapter 1

, Exposing Your Profile, describes how to highlight your professional profile and stand out from the rest. You will learn about many of the tools and websites that recruiters use to search for human talent. Additionally, I will show you how you can create your professional portfolio, develop personal projects, and work on enhancing your resume.

Chapter 2

, Support Skills for Power BI Developers, helps you discover the fundamental role of support skills in the profile of a data analyst. You will also explore the power of the SQL language for extracting data from MS SQL Server databases. Additionally, you will become acquainted with the most relevant Python libraries in the data field, such as pandas, NumPy, and scikit-learn for machine learning. Furthermore, you will be equipped with the necessary soft skills to stand out as an exceptional data analyst.

Chapter 3

, The Power BI Workflow, takes you on an end-to-end journey of the workflow of activities that start with getting data into Power BI and culminate in building and publishing a solution. This chapter sets you up for the rest of the chapters, where you will dive deep into each of these activities for comprehensive understanding.

Chapter 4

, Data Analysis with Power BI, explores the phases of data analysis and how they map to the workflow of activities that you learned about in the previous chapter.

Chapter 5

, Preparing, Transforming, and Modeling Data, dives deep into preparing, transforming, and modeling data for your business. It explores the design aspect of your model, how you would prepare and transform data to fit your design, and finally, building the model.

Chapter 6

, Exploring, Visualizing, and Sharing Data and Deploying Solutions, provides you with an understanding of how you would explore your modeled data before you visualize it and then share it for consumption. The chapter also provides you with an understanding of how you would deploy a Power BI solution once you’ve completed development.

Chapter 7

, DAX Programming, dives into the world of the DAX language, a critical aspect of mastering Power BI. We’ll cover fundamental concepts, such as scalar functions for data aggregation and distinguishing between measures and calculated columns. Additionally, we’ll explore evaluation contexts using CALCULATE functions, applying filters, and understanding context transition. Finally, we’ll delve into time intelligence functions to navigate temporal data effectively.

Chapter 8

, Expert Report Building, will guide you through creating a Power BI report using Power BI Desktop, focusing on popular visuals and best practices for report configuration. You’ll learn how to select the most effective charts for conveying insights, utilize AI enhancements, format visuals, add tooltips, and implement drill-down or drill-through functionalities for detailed reporting.

Chapter 9

, Effective Data Storytelling, provides a detailed understanding of the importance of data storytelling in report design. The chapter talks about the importance of narrative and how effective data storytelling drives decision-making for Power BI reports.

Chapter 10

, Using Dashboards and Apps and Implementing Security, will learn about Power BI service functionalities, including report sharing and permissions management. We’ll cover sharing content through dashboards and managing pins, tiles, and alerts. Additionally, you will discover how to use Power BI apps to consolidate reports and implement Row-Level Security (RLS), controlling data access for specific groups.

Chapter 11

, Understanding the HR Interview Process and Preparing for Success, provides tips and trips to successfully negotiate the HR interview process. The chapter discusses various methodologies for test and interview preparation and how to combine your knowledge, preparation, and energy to enter the job market with confidence and success.

Chapter 12

, Tips for Negotiating Salary and Benefits, discusses tips and strategies to negotiate the salary, perks, and benefits related to a job offer. The chapter discusses important tips for the negotiation process and how a balanced strategy can lead to getting the best deal for both sides.

Chapter 13

, Best Practices for Accepting and Rejecting Job Offers – Onboarding and Beyond, provides an overview of the best practices for accepting and rejecting offers. These are mainly based on choosing the right set of communication skills. The chapter also provides a roadmap for onboarding and continual learning in the job role, as well as staying relevant in the data analytics job market.

To get the most out of this book

You will need to have an understanding of the basics of Power BI and a basic understanding of business intelligence concepts.

There are many short code examples in this guide that are provided solely for demonstration purposes, and you do not need to execute these directly.

This interview guide contains many long screenshots. These have been captured to provide readers with an overview of the various features of Power BI. As a result, the text in these images may appear small at 100% zoom.

Download the example files

You can download the sample .csv files for Chapter 8

from the following URL: https://packt.link/gbz/9781805120674

.

Conventions used

There are a number of text conventions used throughout this book.

Code in text: Indicates code words in text, database table names, folder names, filenames, file extensions, pathnames, dummy URLs, user input, and Twitter handles. Here is an example: Similarly, the MAX, MIN, COUNT, and AVERAGE functions are used to obtain the maximum, minimum, count, and average values, respectively.

A block of code is set as follows:

SUMX TEST = SUMX (

    Products,

    Products[Price] * Products[Qty]

    )

When we wish to draw your attention to a particular part of a code block, the relevant lines or items are set in bold:

Dates Between =

    CALCULATE (

        [SUM Total Sales],

        DATESBETWEEN (

            'Calendar'[Date],

01-01-2008, 31-03-2008

        )

    )

Any command-line input or output is written as follows:

pip install numpy

Bold: Indicates a new term, an important word, or words that you see on screen. For instance, words in menus or dialog boxes appear in bold. Here is an example: To do this, go to File | Options and Settings | Options and open the Preview features menu.

Tips or important notes

Appear like this.

Get in touch

Feedback from our readers is always welcome.

General feedback: If you have questions about any aspect of this book, email us at [email protected]

and mention the book title in the subject of your message.

Errata: Although we have taken every care to ensure the accuracy of our content, mistakes do happen. If you have found a mistake in this book, we would be grateful if you would report this to us. Please visit www.packtpub.com/support/errata

and fill in the form.

Piracy: If you come across any illegal copies of our works in any form on the internet, we would be grateful if you would provide us with the location address or website name. Please contact us at [email protected]

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Part 1:Getting Your First Interview

In the first part, we will delve into the professional profile of the data analyst and discover how to expose it effectively through a variety of strategic channels that will ensure visibility to even the most discerning recruiters. Additionally, we will provide you with effective techniques to enhance your resume and show you how to create an appealing portfolio. Furthermore, we will explore some key supporting skills for the data analyst, such as SQL, Python, design, and of course, those essential interpersonal skills known as soft skills, which are fundamental for success in this exciting field of work.

This part has the following chapters:

Chapter 1

, Exposing Your Profile

Chapter 2

, Support Skills for Power BI Developers

1

Exposing Your Profile

As a professional, having a standout profile plays a crucial role in the search for your first job interview. Its purpose is to communicate to the public who you are, your interests, and what you have achieved, as well as describe the set of skills you possess and what you can do with them. Think of it as the first impression that people have of you and the first thing that those who are interested in offering you a job will see as well. That is why you must know how to efficiently highlight your professional profile and stand out from the rest.

In this chapter, you will learn how connecting with people helps increase your chances of getting your first job interview. You will see the power of having an online presence on LinkedIn and the importance of creating your work portfolio.

You will also understand the importance of validating your technical skills through certifications, official courses, or conference talks. Along with that, you will see how teaching what you know is a method that can keep you constantly learning.

By the end of this chapter, you will have a set of proven techniques to properly expose your professional profile and help enhance the first good impression you will need in your first interview.

The topics we will cover in this chapter are as follows:

The power of networking

A quick guide to polishing your resume

Creating a personal project portfolio

Validating your skills

Learning by teaching

The power of networking

The human being is the result of connections and disconnections with people throughout their lives. From a young age, we begin to create bonds with those around us, many of which last for a long time, but a large percentage do not. It is easy for us as children to greet our classmates in a friendly way or to tell them how our weekend was at the beach. However, this does not happen as easily for adults. It is as if we are slowly losing empathy or simply do not know how to start a conversation, no matter how simple it may seem.

We are social beings by nature, meaning that connecting with people is in our DNA. Even the American psychologist Abraham Maslow placed personal relationships or friendships within the famous Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a psychological theory that tries to explain the needs that humans try to fulfill as they satisfy those of the lower level in the pyramid. Of the five levels, belongingness and love needs are third:

Figure 1.1: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

Connecting with people, besides being inherent to each one of us, is a method (that’s right, a method that), which, at a professional level, can increase your chances of progressing in your career and, in this case, the chances of finding your first interview as a data analyst.

The six-grade theory

In his book SAPIENS: From Animals to Gods, Yuval Noah asserts that primitive chimpanzees could relate and coexist in troops of between 20 and 50 individuals. Any number greater than this would generate chaos among the members and would force the group to separate and form new ones again with the same number.

Another slightly more contemporary theory asserts that the maximum number of people with whom an individual can relate is 150; of course, we are talking about connections of sufficient relevance to you. You are probably calculating the exact number in terms of your circle of friends and confirming if the theory applies to you, but don’t worry if you are nowhere near that number; I assure you that any person is no more than six degrees of separation from another.

The six-grade theory is an idea that attempts to demonstrate that an individual is connected to another with no more than six people between that connection, even across the world. That is, you and I could be connected through a chain of referrals of no more than six people.

This theory claims that, on average, each person knows about 100 people, including friends, family, colleagues, university, or gym mates. Let’s say your circle of friends does not reach 100 people and is about 80 people. If each of those people knows 80 more people, you can send a message to about 6,400 people just by asking your friends to spread the word.

Networking with people enables us to tap into the collective knowledge, experiences, and resources of others. It opens doors to collaboration, mentorship, personal growth, and career opportunities. Whether it’s attending conferences, joining professional organizations, or simply reaching out to acquaintances, networking helps us build a diverse and supportive community that can enrich our lives in various ways.

In summary, connecting with people is an essential aspect of human interaction and plays a vital role in expanding our social circles, fostering meaningful relationships, and accessing opportunities. By appreciating the interconnectedness of the wider world, we can effectively leverage the power of networking to enhance our professional lives.

Nowadays, reaching that number is easier than ever if we consider the number of social networks we have on our phones, but more importantly, the number of professional networks we have access to, such as LinkedIn, where connecting with people and applying the six-grade theory can have a beneficial impact on your professional profile.

Boosting your LinkedIn profile

As you saw in the previous section, creating friendly bonds is among the needs that every human being seeks to fulfill to be happy. We have modified this ability over time by always creating different methods to create these bonds. Just a few decades ago, our circle of friends or connections depended largely on how social the places we frequented were. However, things have changed a bit these days, thanks to the fact that we have used the internet to connect individually through the different social networks that exist today.

Social networks not only allow us to create connections but also provide a stage on which we can showcase who we are and everything we represent, such as our interests, likes, skills, achievements, the places we frequent, and the ideas we are for or against. This is the essence of any of the social networks that exist today, some with a more directed focus than others, such as TikTok and its videos, Instagram and its photos, Twitter and its 280 characters, or LinkedIn if you are looking to expose your professional profile and connect with more professionals around the world.

LinkedIn is considered the most useful professional social media network that exists today, with a well-deserved reputation, as it perfectly fulfills its mission to connect the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful. Currently, LinkedIn has around 900 million users, with the exponential growth expected to exceed 1 billion by 2025. This means more and more professionals are using it. But more importantly, more and more companies are using LinkedIn as a recruiting tool, which undoubtedly obliges you to create a profile that is optimized enough to stand out from the rest.

You probably already have a LinkedIn account, and maybe you’ve already changed your profile picture and clicked on recommend for the first post. However, this is a social network that gets some resistance from those who are just starting out. So, as a novice user, you may feel overwhelmed when starting to use it. However, although the network par excellence in these cases is LinkedIn, you are the professional here, and that professionalism can be taken to any social network, such as Instagram or TikTok, that you use.

Next, let’s discuss the three tips that can help you make the initial process smoother.

Tip 1 – Don’t let yourself feel intimidated

Many people are hesitant to use this platform because they believe it is too formal or for serious people. However, you don’t need to have a university degree to create your first profile. You also don’t need to be a business owner or have a job. LinkedIn is primarily used for job searching, so you can view it as an advantage to connect with the same serious people who could help you land your first job interview.

Tip 2 – Be yourself

Remember that this is a social network, a place where you can interact with people and share your ideas and the things you like. So, don’t be afraid to be yourself and share your ideas. Believe me, we have all had that impostor syndrome that uses other people’s opinions as a reference and makes us believe that ours is not interesting enough. At some point, that has happened to all of us, so the best thing you can do is be yourself. After all, there are people behind each profile.

Tip 3 – Connect! Connect! Connect!

One of the magical things that LinkedIn has, which other networks do not, is its high acceptance rate. Around 70% of connection requests are accepted by users, which speaks very well of the trust that users give to this network. So don’t hesitate to follow anyone or, even better, send them a connection request. They will likely accept it back.

Over time, you’ll adapt, and things will start to flow. The algorithm itself will suggest friendship connections and posts that are within your area of interest. However, remember that my purpose with you is to make your profile appear on the radar. To do this, you must optimize it as best you can. Some of the things that will help you optimize your profile are the