Cognos jobs can fall into a couple of different categories depending on the type of technology you are working with. The skillset can also be very different as well going between products. Here is an overview of the overall marketplace and specific roles that can be available if you are in the market.
Positions and demand are strong within consulting groups and in industry. All of the Big Four, for example, are expanding their Cognos practices, and looking to hire. Industry is looking for a wide variety of expertise in all of the products.
With the acquisition by IBM, more and more emphasis is being placed on the full stack arrangement with DB2 as the database, although expect to see more integration with Netezza with that being a recent addition. Having specific experience on those platforms will be a great benefit going forward, although many customers run their products on Oracle, SQL server, and other commonly found databases as well.
For the BI products, most of the abilities will be the same as with other Bi vendors. A general knowledge of datawarehousing is good, as well as the product itself. Like with Business Objects, Microstrategy, or other full-stack vendors, roles and positions are often divided into architect, developer, or report writers. Architects work with more of the metadeta, defining objects against the data warehouse. Developers and report writers tend to do more of the actual report development. You’ll also see an administrator position on occasion, which is more focused on performance monitoring.
TM1 requires a more specialized skillset, as it is really kind of a blend between a traditional business intelligence tool and planning. The calculations can be difficult to master, so experts familiar with this technology are in demand. Cognos Planning analysts and experts often require more of a background with forecasting and planning. Obviously a technical skillset is beneficial, but the work tends to be business and process focused.
SPSS is a tool more focused on statistical and data mining analysis, and so resources with a background in that type of work will be needed.
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