I have learned R reading stack overflow and watching YouTube. Nowadays there is also AI, do not spend money on more courses, all the entry level information is for free online.

Kaggle has lots of courses for python, they are free.

Much better to start to work on projects though. Possibly something that is full stack, e.g. how to web scrape some data with python, store it in a mysql database, analyse it and then visualise it in an excel report or a dashboard in tableau. In a real job you will need to learn to use many pieces of software, you can’t learn all of them in advance. Learn how to learn while working on a project. No course is going to teach you that and this can be your advantage.

DataCamp in general has been alright for me. But the best process has been watching some YouTube tutorials for familiarity and then just finding datasets to actually play with. I’d recommend just coming up with a project that has a way to mesh all of those together.

Describe your level in these tools and what level your looking to attain and have AI make you a tailored course. It’s really that simple!

Example AI response to my q on how to add PowerBI to my toolbox:

I can help you leverage AI to bridge your Excel expertise with Power BI skills! Here are several effective approaches:

Use AI as a Translation Guide

• Ask AI tools like me to explain how familiar Excel functions translate to Power BI DAX formulas

• For example: “How do I create the equivalent of Excel’s VLOOKUP in Power BI?” or “What’s the Power BI version of pivot tables?”

• Request side-by-side comparisons of Excel vs Power BI approaches for specific tasks

AI-Powered Learning Path

• Ask AI to create a personalized learning roadmap based on your current Excel strengths

• Get AI to identify which Excel concepts directly transfer (like data modeling principles) vs what’s completely new

• Request practice exercises that build on your existing knowledge

Real-Time Problem Solving

• When stuck on a Power BI task, describe what you’d do in Excel and ask AI how to accomplish the same thing in Power BI

• Use AI to debug DAX formulas by explaining the logic you’re trying to achieve

• Get AI to suggest best practices for data transformation (Power Query vs Excel’s data tools)

Hands-On Practice with AI Guidance

• Ask AI to walk you through converting actual Excel reports to Power BI dashboards

• Get step-by-step guidance for importing your existing Excel data models into Power BI

• Request AI feedback on your Power BI designs from an Excel user’s perspective

Concept Bridging

• Have AI explain Power BI concepts using Excel analogies you already understand

• Ask for comparisons like “How are Power BI relationships similar to Excel’s data connections?”

Would you like me to start with any specific Excel skills you’d like to translate to Power BI, or help create a learning plan based on your current Excel expertise?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

perfect! You have strong Excel foundations that translate beautifully to Power BI. Let me show you how AI can help bridge each of these skills:

Pivots → Power BI Visuals & DAX

• Ask AI: “Convert this Excel pivot table logic to Power BI” (share your pivot structure)

• Learn how Excel pivot fields become Power BI visual elements (rows, columns, values, filters)

• Get AI to explain when to use Matrix visuals vs Table visuals vs custom DAX measures

Conditional Logic → DAX Formulas

• Excel IF statements become DAX IF or SWITCH functions

• Ask AI: “How do I convert this nested IF formula to DAX?”

• Learn DAX equivalents: CALCULATE, FILTER, ALL vs Excel’s array formulas

• Get help translating complex conditional formatting rules to Power BI conditional formatting

Buttons → Power BI Bookmarks & Actions

• Excel form controls become Power BI buttons with bookmark navigation

• Ask AI to guide you through creating interactive dashboards with drill-through actions

• Learn how Excel’s hyperlink buttons translate to Power BI’s page navigation

Drop Downs → Slicers & Parameters

• Excel data validation lists become Power BI slicers

• Ask AI: “How do I create cascading filters like my Excel dependent dropdowns?”

• Learn about What-if parameters for dynamic scenarios

Scenarios → What-if Analysis & Parameters

• Excel’s Scenario Manager becomes Power BI’s What-if parameters

• Ask AI to help convert Excel sensitivity tables to Power BI dynamic visuals

• Learn field parameters for user-controlled measure switching

XLOOKUP → DAX LOOKUPVALUE & Relationships

• Ask AI: “What’s the Power BI equivalent of this XLOOKUP formula?”

• Learn when to use DAX LOOKUPVALUE vs creating proper table relationships

• Understand how Power BI’s star schema replaces many lookup formulas

Scripting/Macros → Power Query M & DAX

• VBA logic becomes Power Query M code for data transformation

• Ask AI to convert your macro steps to Power Query transformations

• Learn DAX for calculated columns and measures (replacing formula-heavy worksheets)

Data Cleaning → Power Query

• Excel’s Text-to-Columns, Remove Duplicates, etc. become Power Query steps

• Ask AI: “How do I automate this Excel data cleaning process in Power BI?”

• Learn Power Query’s UI vs M code (like Excel’s macro recorder vs VBA)

AI Learning Strategy:

1. Start by uploading a sample Excel file and ask AI to create a Power BI conversion plan

2. For each feature, ask: “I do [Excel method] – what’s the Power BI way?”

3. Request Power BI templates that mirror your most-used Excel dashboards

For SQL checkout sqlbolt first and then datalemur, they are completely free, structured and interactive. Search for the study plan on datalemur first. After you’re done with this you can practice sql 50 on leetcode, maybe also the free problems on hackerrank and stratascratch. You can then look at working on some projects using youtube as a guide or even grabbing a free dataset on kaggle that interests you.