Exploring a career in business intelligence (BI) involves understanding a range of roles, each with distinct skill sets and focuses, including data analysts, data scientists, BI developers, data engineers, and analytics engineers. These roles vary from data analysts, who focus on interpreting historical data and presenting it to stakeholders, to data scientists, who build predictive models using machine learning and require strong programming and mathematical skills. BI developers bridge the gap between data analysis and engineering, focusing on data that influences business decisions, while data engineers maintain the data infrastructure and pipelines crucial for data flow within an organization. Analytics engineers work on data modeling and transformation to facilitate self-service analytics. Educational pathways into BI are diverse, attracting individuals from STEM and non-traditional backgrounds alike, with hands-on experience through internships or internal projects offering valuable entry points. Fundamental skills include a solid understanding of SQL, data visualization, and communication, with an emphasis on practical application over theoretical memorization, encouraging a learn-by-doing approach to build a strong portfolio.