Classes are running in-person (socially distanced) and live online. Secure your seat today
Business analysts use business, technology, and project management skills to analyze business problems and propose data-driven solutions. Grounded in technical expertise, business analysts perform risk analyses, manage project plans, and translate technical information such as diagrams and blueprints. Experienced business analysts can become business or project managers, which puts their professional expertise to work with the management of project deliverables and other people. Business analysts can put their skills to work across a variety of industries, companies, and job functions.
Business Analysts use their skills in business and project management to analyze problems and provide data-driven solutions to those problems. Business Analysts’ day-to-day lives will vary dramatically between different employers and each day. They might work for a corporation, a government organization, a medical company, or a software or IT company. They often lead a team of liaisons from each portion of the company, work on their own with input from upper-level management, or work remotely.
They usually work full-time and on-site but they can sometimes find freelance or remote opportunities. A Business Analyst's tasks usually include investigating a business’ goals, issues, and potential solutions; analyzing information; communicating with point people in the business; documenting their findings; presenting their findings; evaluating solutions, implementing solutions; liaising between teams; and arranging and attending meetings.
Business Analysts should be self starters with strong leadership and decision-making skills. They should be fantastic at problem-solving, communication, analytical reasoning, research, active listening. They should know how to collect information through research, interviews, and meetings strategically. Mastering basic project management, testing skills, spreadsheets, as well as project and team management tools typically happens on the job.
Each employer will have their own technical expectations for you. Most will prefer you to be able to understand and implement agile business and software practices. Most will also expect you to know certain coding languages, databases, softwares, or technologies that they use within their business or the specific project you’re working on. Testing software and designing business systems will likely be a large portion of the role of a Business Analyst.
SQL stands for Structured Query Language. It is a computer language used to store, manipulate, and retrieve data which is stored in a relational database.
Excel is a spreadsheet developed by Microsoft that runs on Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. It is used for calculation, graphing, data visualization, and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macro programming.
Microsoft Offices is a family of client software, server software, and services. The Office suite includes Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Outlook Publisher, Access, and OneNote.
Data analytics uses analysis techniques to infer conclusions about raw data. Algorithms and machine learning have optimized data analysis over time to find trends and answer questions more efficiently.
Tableau is a data visualization tool. This tool can be used to simplify raw data, reformat data, and perform efficient data analysis. Tableau can also be used to create data visualizations, dashboards, presentations, and worksheets.
Powerpoint is a software package developed by Microsoft that is used to create digital presentations consisting of a series of separate pages or slides.
A Business Analyst in the United States makes, on average, $80,332 annually, according to Indeed.com.
Salaries for Business Analysts vary by region within the the United States. Listed below are some Business Analyst salaries for specific areas with the United States compared with the average national salary:
Business Analyst positions usually require a bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business administration, economics, statistics, political science or sociology. Some employers might prefer a master’s of business administration. Because most training for this role happens on the job, most positions won’t require you to have certifications.
Some employers, however, might prefer it if you have an IIBA certification like Certification of Competency in Business Analysis (CCBA) or the Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP). Certifications will most likely lead to a better salary as well. Business Analysts do not need to know how to code, but they should have a high-level understanding of software engineering so that they can communicate with their development or technical teams, understand which solutions might work, and understand the business’ current software limitations.
Most Business Analyst positions are within larger companies. Some might be remote or contract positions, but the majority are in-house. You might even find that some businesses have a budget for education which you can use to get better certifications or attend educational workshops and conferences with. Upward mobility within a larger company from Business Analyst to a Management position is certainly possible and much more likely with a certification. Plus, these positions usually lead to a pay raise.
You can find Business Analyst Positions on these sites:
To get a job as a Business Analyst, you should make sure your LinkedIn is up-to-date, searchable by recruiters, and your headline is optimized for your job search as a business analyst. Ensure that you’re using keywords from the job description within your resume. Most larger companies looking for Business Analysts will use software to preliminarily sort resumes and yours won’t stand out without making it past the first round.
Professional certifications can boost your resume because they represent a standardized set of skills that employers or recruiters are searching for. This is something to pursue after you’ve found your first or second position in Business Analysis. Make sure any courses, certifications, and projects you’ve worked on are represented on your profile and your resume.
Spend time practicing your skills, including soft skills. Practice mock-interviews. Recruiters can see poor soft skills within only a short website There are websites that simulate an interview or you can ask a friend to help you out.
A Business Analyst has a few job titles to choose from, but most of the variety actually comes in the specific industry that the Business Analyst chooses to specialize in. Rising the ranks in the Business Analyst position is possible and so is pivoting into more technical positions. Each of these career changes will likely lead to a pay raise in the long run.
Business Analysts can look for these job titles:
Experienced Business Analysts can become Business, Product, or Project Managers, which puts their professional expertise to work with the management of project deliverables and other people. Developers and other industry professionals might upskill into a Business Analyst position by practicing their project management skills, learning more about business, and getting some certifications or experience.
Business Analysts might also find a satisfying career pivot by learning more about data science and finance to upskill into a Data Analyst or Financial Analyst position. These positions will rely more on analytical reason, math, and communication skills in combination with other technical skills like using databases, spreadsheets, R, Python, and data visualization tools. If you’re a Business Analyst who leans toward design, you should consider a position like User Experience (UX) Design. UX Designers use similar research tactics and high-level understanding of software development to recommend a design for the experience that a program wants a user will have.
Data analysts review large amounts of data to summarize, analyze, and visualize it and provide insights. Working from data from multiple, relevant sources, they create and maintain databases, and use statistical techniques to analyze the collected data. Data analysts must be able to communicate with others about what the data shows and to be able to provide realistic recommendations based on their analysis. Many industries such as healthcare, advertising, and retail rely on the work of data analysts to inform their business decisions and strategy.
Learn about becoming a Data AnalystFinancial analysts use their business, finance, or accounting background to analyze data and make recommendations for investments. They study past, present, and future business and economic trends to provide data-driven insights for business decision-making. Financial analysts take on roles as fund managers, portfolio managers, investment advisors, and risk analysts. Many earn additional credentials in the field, such as Certified Public Accountant or Project Management Professional certifications.
Learn about becoming a Financial AnalystProduct managers guide product development from ideation to market. Starting with consumer and market research, they use their understanding of customer wants and needs to inform product development and go-to-market strategy. They will work closely with engineering, marketing, sales, and other teams to launch products. After launch, they solicit and analyze feedback on the product to inform future iterations.
Learn about becoming a Product Manager