What jobs can a business analyst get?

You might have this question in mind if you are considering business analysis as a career option.

Guess what..!! You have landed at the right platform to clear all the ‘whats’ and ‘hows’ of business analyst jobs.

Business analysis is one of the futuristic methodologies that is helping numerous companies across the globe to improve their business approach. According to a report by FinancesOnline, 60% of companies globally use data and analytics for driving business processes and improving cost-efficiency.

Considering the stats, business analysis seems to be a reliable career option for recent graduates to attain a prosperous and stable life. However, you need to be good at mathematics and statistics to become a successful business analyst.

Let us move ahead to get the fundamental details related to business analyst jobs and check out the summary of this intuitive guide:

  • Choose a suitable profile that meets your interest to establish a smooth business analyst career path
  • Get a bachelor’s degree in business analysis to be eligible for junior business analyst jobs
  • Prepare a professional business analyst resume and cover letter to apply for business system analyst jobs
  • Get a master’s degree in business analysis to apply for senior business analyst jobs
  • Learn and master modern business analysis skills like data visualization and Python to stay one step ahead of your competitors

As part of providing more value for all the business analysis graduates and admirers, we are going to answer the following questions here:

To get a business analyst job, you will require a degree in business analysis, mathematics, or statistics. These degrees will make you eligible to apply for junior business analyst jobs. However, you can apply only with the help of a professional business analyst resume.

Hiration is backing you up with the business analysis resume-building task. At hiration, we have built an AI-powered Online Resume Builder with an auto-suggest feature to assist you throughout the resume-making process.

What Does a Business Analyst Do?

A business analyst works to smoothen the understanding between company management and complex data sets. Moreover, Business analysts help higher authorities to optimize decision-making, company operations, and business processes to boost overall organizational performance.

Business Analyst Roles & Responsibilities

To get deep insights into the business analyst primary functions, take a look at some real-time roles and responsibilities of a business analyst that we have listed below:

  • Assist in the development and implementation of processes for the field sales operation.
  • Leverage diverse technology platforms and data sources to model "what if" scenarios to evaluate key business growth drivers.
  • Analyze and evaluate data gathered from multiple sources. Reconcile differences and apply consistent approaches to data interpretation and performance measurement results.
  • Operate services that provide ongoing maintenance, monitoring, and optimization for IT/Engineering applications & products
  • Utilize agile best practices to build requirements and stories that support consistent incremental delivery of Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and phased product solutions

Popular Career Paths For Business Analysts

Business analysts wear different caps as per the company requirements and their skillset, due to which, entry level business analysts sometimes get puzzled in choosing a profile title.

Concerning this, we are listing the five most popular business analyst profile titles with their work summary. You can opt for any of these to experience steady career growth:

IT Business Analyst

An IT business analyst enhances the digital product quality as well as services. These professionals are responsible for analyzing data and finding solutions to address modern business requirements. The average salary of an IT Business Analyst in the United States is USD 69,788.

Data Analysis Scientist

These are highly educated individuals who discover solutions for business challenges with the help of analytical and skeptical skills. A data scientist collects, analyzes, and interprets complex data sets. A report by Indeed states that the average Data Scientist salary in the United States is USD 113,821.

Business Analyst Manager

As the name defines, a business analyst manager manages a team of BAs to address business needs and improve existing business solutions. Furthermore, these professionals are responsible for collecting, developing, and implementing data to upgrade business performance. According to a recent study by Indeed, a business analyst manager earns USD 61,585 on an average in the United States.

Quantitative Analyst

Quantitative analysts play a vital role in risk management and improving pricing structures. These professionals develop, implement, and present mathematical models to refine financial decisions in an organization. The data unveiled by Indeed shows that the average annual salary of a quantitative analyst in the US is USD 132,101.

Data Business Analyst

Data Business Analysts excel in programming, statistics, and research skills. These professionals are responsible for identifying trends, developing charts, and building visual presentations to help upper-level managers make business-related decisions. According to a recent study by Indeed, the average annual salary of a data analyst is USD 65,612 in the United States.

Also Read: 2022 Insight on Entry Level Business Analyst Job Profile

How to Kickstart Your Career as a Business Analyst

To start your professional journey as a business analyst, you should get a bachelor’s degree in business analysis from a renowned institution.

You can consider following these below-given guidelines to get entry level business analyst jobs and gain experience to grab business intelligence analyst jobs:

Top 5 Graduate Degree Program to Obtain

Getting a bachelor’s degree is the first step you should take to become a business analyst. You can choose any college/university in your province to pursue a bachelor degree program such as:

  • Bachelor’s in Business Administration
  • Bachelor of Science in Mathematics
  • Bachelor of Science in Statistics
  • Bachelor of Science in Marketing
  • Bachelor of Arts in Economics

These are the best degrees you can consider to become a business analyst. However, you can also initiate your business analyst career journey with a Bachelor’s Degree in computer science.

How to Get Entry Level Business Analyst Jobs

After getting any of the graduation degrees mentioned above, you can follow these steps to get entry level business analyst jobs:

Step 1- Use Career Building Platforms to Find a Business Analyst Job

You can start the process by searching for business analyst jobs based on your skills and educational qualifications. Here are some online career platforms that will help you in getting a business analyst job opportunity:

If you are looking for remote business analyst jobs, you can check out Pangian & AngelList career platforms. These platforms offer remote working opportunities and are reliable enough to invest time.

Step 2- Build a Business Analyst Resume

Once you get some job opportunities relevant to your qualifications, you should create a business analysis resume based on the job description.

You can follow these guidelines to build a job-winning business analyst resume:

  • Collect your important documents, degree, and certifications in a master folder
  • Outline your resume in reverse chronological resume format
  • Use bullet points to mention your professional experience or training details in the resume
  • Pick some industry-specific keywords from the job description and add them to your resume
  • Make separate sections for your key skills and technical skills
  • Highlight important metrics and keywords to parse through the ATS (Applicant Tracking System)
  • Write an easy-to-read, keyword-rich, and appealing resume summary to impress the recruiter

To ease your resume-building process, you can take a look at Hirations Online Resume Builder. It comes with a highly-useful auto-suggest feature that will assist you while making your business analyst resume. Moreover, Its 24/7 chat support will help you remove its every operating issue if you encounter any.

Step 3- Apply With a Business Analyst Cover Letter

A cover letter is also a significant element while applying for a business analyst job. It is a fact that many recruiters in the United States consider cover letters to be very important during the recruitment process.

Hence, it is necessary to be very attentive while writing a cover letter for your application process. You can follow these below-given guidelines to craft an impressive business analyst cover letter:

  • Use 3-4 paragraph format
  • Start by highlighting your substantial professional achievements & skills
  • Mention some major organization or employers under whom you have worked professionally
  • Write about your positive traits that have left a positive impact on your previous employers
  • Try to wrap it up under 350 words

Still, if you face any trouble while making your business analyst cover letter, you can try Hiration’s Online Cover Letter Builder once. It is powered by AI technology that will help you as a virtual assistant while framing your resume cover letter.

Step 4- Prepare For Interview Process

We recommend you instantly start preparing for your interview round after completing the application process.

Your shortlisting chances will increase if you follow the above-given approach to get a business analyst job.

Hence, it will be better for you to prepare for your telephonic or F2F interview round in advance. As a part of interview preparation, you can read technical business analysis question answers available online.

Moreover, you can also check out Hiration’s Interview Preparation facility. Hiration has a repository of the latest interview questions for more than 250 profiles that can help to crack an interview.

Gain New Skills and Advanced Certifications

Being a part of this continuously advancing world, you must acquire new skills to grow professionally at a constant pace.

You should read about new methodologies and practice new business analysis software to stay up-to-date with the latest business analysis techniques.

Moreover, certifications can also help you in updating your skills as well as position in the company. You can get certified in any of the latest business analysis certifications listed below to upgrade your job profile:

Earn Master’s Degree in Business Analytics

You can get entry level business analyst jobs with the help of a bachelor’s degree and certifications. However, to move further in your professional journey, you will require a master’s degree in business analytics to apply for senior business analyst jobs.

Getting a master’s degree is not necessary but beneficial if you want to boost your salary package and position in your company as a business analyst. Let us see some of the finest master’s degree programs in business analytics.

Top Master’s Degree Program in BA

From all the master degree courses related to business analysis, we have curated four top business analyst degrees that can offer great value in your business analyst career:

  • Master of Science in Business Analytics
  • Master of Business Administration
  • Master of Science in Information Management
  • Master of Science in Data Science

You can pursue any of these master’s degree courses from the best college in your state. However, if you are not bound with regional barriers, you can choose from the below-given list of top institutions in the world offering master’s degrees in business analytics:

  • Imperial College Business School | London, UK
  • MIT Sloan School of Management | Cambridge, USA
  • ESSEC Business School | Cergy-Pontoise, France
  • McCombs School of Business | Austin, USA
  • ESADE | Barcelona, Spain
  • USC Marshall School of Business | Los Angeles, USA
  • Warwick Business School | Coventry, UK
  • Alliance Manchester Business School | Manchester, UK
  • University of Edinburgh Business School | Edinburgh, Scotland
  • Carlson School of Management | Minneapolis, USA

Also Read: IT Business Analyst Resume

Key Skills to Acquire To Get a Job as Business Analysts

Your degrees and certifications will not be useful if you do not know modern business analysis skills. As a business analyst, you will play a vital role in decision-making and process refining in an organization.

Your one wrong step can create disastrous results for the business. Hence, we recommend you learn, practice and master the modern business analysis skills mentioned below, before applying for any business analysis job.

Technical Skills Core Skills
Statistical Analysis Tools Critical Thinking Skills
SQL Databases & Database Query Languages Problem Solving Skills
Programming Languages like Python & R Commercial Awareness
Survey/Query Softwares Analytical Skills
Business Intelligence & Reporting Softwares Leadership Skills
Data Mining Project Management
Data Visualization Time Management

Books to Enhance Your Business Analyst Knowledge

You can check out these skill-oriented business business analysis books that will enhance your business analysis knowledge and strengthen your business analyst skills in 2022.

Business Analysis Book Name Author/Publisher Name
Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABoK) IIBA
How to Start a Business Analyst Career Laura Brandenburg
Seven Steps to Mastering Business Analysis Barbara A. Carkenord
Business Analysis for Practitioners: A Practice Guide PMBoK® Guide and Standards
Business Analysis Techniques: 99 Essential Tools for Success Debra Paul, James Cadle, and Paul Turner
Agile and Business Analysis: Practical Guidance for IT Professionals Debra Paul and Lynda Girvan
Business Analysis and Leadership: Influencing Change James Archer & Penny Pullan
Business Analysis: Best Practices for Success Steven Blais
Adaptive BABoK Study Guide Adaptive US
Business Analysis for Dummies Kate McGoey, Kupe Kupersmith, and Paul Mulvey
3D Business Analyst Mohamed Elgendy
The Agile Business Analyst: Moving from Waterfall to Agile Barbara Carkenord and Ryland Leyton
Design Thinking Business Analysis: Business Concept Mapping Applied Thomas Frisendal
Business Analysis Methodology Book Emrah Yayici
Mastering the Requirements Process Suzanne Robertson, James C. Robertson
Rapid Agile Business System Analysis: Fast, Agile, Measurable Results Trond Frantzen
Product and Process Modelling: A Case Study Approach Ian T. Cameron and Rafiqul Gani
Software Requirements, 3rd Edition Karl Wiegers and Joy Beatty
Writing Effective Use Cases (Agile Software Development Series) Alistair Cockburn
IIBA Agile extension IIBA

Top 5 Traits of a Good Business Analyst

Business analysts pay a great role in the success of a business. These professionals help business owners in heading in the right direction for the success of a project.

In the 21st century, market competition is getting complex every moment with the emergence of new technologies and methods. Hence, you must have the following traits if you want to be a business analyst in 2022:

  • An Analytical Mind

As a business analyst you will evaluate data equality, understand the context of entire data, and use the data to get valuable insights for the company. Hence, you must have an analytical mind to be a business analyst.

  • Problem Solving Abilities

You will face numerous problems every day as a business analyst. Hence, you must think out of the box without sticking with the traditional methods for any problem you come across in the organization.

  • High-End Negotiation & Facilitation Skills

After finding a solution for any business problem, you must be able to represent it effectively in front of the decision makers of your company.

  • Smooth Communication Skills

Listen the ideas and suggestions of your colleagues and juniors. It will make them feel confident about their position and value in the company. Moreover, it will also help you see things from a different angle.

  • Love to Learn New Technology

You will always need to dive into new systems, businesses, and technologies to find fruitful solutions as a business analyst. Hence, you should love to learn new technology to become a good business analyst.

Key Takeaways

Check out the key takeaways of this reference guide:

  • Use online platforms to find in-office as well as remote business analyst jobs
  • Make a profile-centric resume containing keywords picked from the job description
  • Apply with your resume and business analyst cover letter to strengthen your application
  • Start preparing for the interview with the help of online interview preparation platforms

Business analysis is undeniably one of the finest career options for high school graduates. Therefore, we have addressed all the predominant information for young business analysis aspirants to start their careers as business analysts.

Still, if you need any additional career-building assistance, our experts will be obliged to help you at support@hiration.com.

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