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What Skills do You Need to Become a Business Analyst?

IT companies are rapidly looking or adapting modern methodologies, so the business analyst role is increasing day by day. Offline is shifting to online, and this is why today, companies can easily garner important data in any aspect. But, data itself has no meaning hence, organizations look for a business analyst who can analyze the data and draw actionable items out of it.

Some IT jobs have defined responsibilities but the role of a BA always changes means a business analyst professional may work as a project manager, process manager, IT manager or in product innovation. In the modern technology world, BAs are using multiple technical solutions and tools to generate result-oriented solutions. Some most frequently analyst tools are – Python, R, Excel, Tableau, etc.

Business analysts can be a part of any type of organization such as private, government or non-profit. Depending on the nature of work and organization type, job functions of business analysts may vary but the key objective of their job remains the same i.e. to understand the existing business processes and operational activities and to develop such solutions that can improve the overall business model for better performance and productivity. They work with the management team, show them the current picture of all the organizational processes and share new ideas with them for how to improve the revenue, cut the unnecessary cost and achieve a competitive edge in the modern market.

Some business analysts work as external consultants on a contractual base, they perform targeted analysis and basis this provides important suggestions to companies for boosting sales and improving productivity. Such BAs are expertise in specific fields such as health, IT, business, supply chain industry, etc. Businesses that want to move in the foreign market or incorporate a new strategy – involve business analysts for meaningful contributions.

Modern Business Analysts

Business analysts in today’s world have responsibilities in multiple directions. Their prime role is to collect all the business requirements and prepare a solution for all by proper utilization of resources. The main qualities of BA are strong communication skills, result-oriented analysis, team player and robust process creator. In addition to this, a good analyst has a basic knowledge of all areas like sales, marketing, architecture, finance, etc. In simple terms, a business analyst is like a bridge between the business process and technical solution development means he is responsible for developing solutions with the use of technologies & tools for solving business problems.

The Job Role of a Business Analyst

As you go into the details of how a business analyst works, you will explore many facts regarding the job role of a business analyst. Not only a BA has good communication and analytics skills but it also, use numerous technical tools in day to day life. They take care of various development processes that help overcome the gap between two departments of an organization. The major responsibilities of an analyst are – identifying opportunities to improve business process & productivity, optimizing the business model by designing new business concepts, communication with management team & SMEs to understand the actual issue, collecting & documenting the details of requirements and analyzing it, designing technical solutions for business problems, interacting with architects & developers to check If implementation is done correctly, and creating the user manuals.

How to become a Business Analyst?

Now you have a good understanding of what is a business analyst role and how they work. Let’s move ahead with the path you should follow and the academic qualifications that you require to become a business analyst. There is one fact which is very important to keep in mind is that not all the qualification mentioned to be a BA is important rather many people switch from different fields to analytics and make a stable career too. Let’s discuss what you need to become a highly-paid business analyst professional.

Educational Qualifications

You must have a bachelor’s degree to get an entry-level business analyst job. Since many degrees are designed specifically to offer training for business analysis, therefore, many organizations look for candidates having a degree in business analytics. The most demanding courses for this profile are business analytics, business administration, operation management, etc. For the senior or consultant position, companies look for candidates having a master's degree in business analytics or business administration. People who start their career as junior analysts barely go back to join a college for get the Master’s degree but it doesn’t mean that they can’t work as a senior analyst. Master’s degrees is just a standard but many junior profile professionals get experience, knowledge, perform better in their current roles, and get a senior position without any Master's degree.

Certifications

Let’s discuss the topmost certifications that increase the opportunities for you to get a job as a Business analyst at a handsome package.

Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP)

The International Institute of Business Analysis provides CBAP certification. To be a Certified Business Analysis Professional, a candidate has to complete a training session of the duration of 21 hours about professional development, as well as he has to pass a written examination. This certification is designed for experienced people only means it is helpful to achieve a higher position in the industry.

Certified Management Consultant (CMC)

The Institute of Management Consultants USA provides this CMC designation. This professional certification is designed especially for experienced business analysts who are working as a consultant. However, the institute provides basic certifications to candidates with bachelor’s degrees only. to get a Certified Management Consultant, you will need to pass an oral as well as one written examination. This analyst certification is very helpful for getting a senior analyst position in big consulting firms.

Scope of Business Analytics Career

The business analytics role is multifaceted, so are the positions. A business analyst is a permanent & most-demanding job role in top MNCs, whereas small to mid-sized organizations hire consultants on a contractual basis to improve the process and productivity of their companies. All the top companies such as Amazon, Flipkart, TCS, Cognizant, Wipro, American Express and many others set a hiring process for business analytics profiles. Now, coming to the remuneration part of a business analyst, it is a well-known fact that business analyst professionals are one of the highest-paid employees of an organization.

Conclusion

If you have the minimum required qualification equipped with the skills stated above, you can easily follow a path that certainly would help you become a successful business analyst. Since most companies are planning to expand in the foreign market, hence, they are looking for BA professionals who can help them execute this process effortlessly. Many skilled candidates want to be part of this dynamic move and make their careers in business analytics, develop these skills, and come forefront to be part of it!

This entry was published on Nov 27, 2019 / Digvijaybook. Posted in Soft Skills. Bookmark the Permalink or E-mail it to a friend.
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COMMENTS

Stewart F posted on Friday, January 3, 2020 7:43 AM
I have just one question - what country are you basing your comments on? Because as a BA Manager based in the UK who hires BAs, Project Managers and even Product Owners, certification and certainly University degrees are not the best way forward.

I have worked in Central London in the heart of the Financial Change Industry, both carrying out Process re-engineering, developing new financial products for the market and Software development for Finance companies including The Bank Of England, I can tell you now that having a degree wont make a bit of difference. It will be well down the list in terms of what recruiters are looking for.

I know several Hiring colleagues at other Finance companies and Software Development Houses, that have the same opinion - a degree wont open doors for you. Having the right skills, aptitude and desire will. I know the US seems to be different (for reasons that I do not understand) and that for them, certification is everything. But just because I have a bit of paper that says I did well in an exam, it doesn't tell someone that I am any good at my job. I did well in my Mathematics exam, but it doesn't mean I'm an accountant. Experience in an appropriate role and the willingness to learn will.

So, whilst the article is probably true for the US, anyone in the UK (and possibly Europe as a whole) might want to consider a slightly different approach.
Stewart F
spklassen posted on Monday, February 3, 2020 5:41 PM
I've been a BA (various levels) in Canada in the Financial Services sector for 20 years, almost before "business analyst" was even a thing. I stumbled into the position and, over my career, have supplemented my experience with formal education in the form of certification and designation as CCBA.

Some of the best BAs we've hired within the company's I've worked are those who have the core competencies, soft skills, analytical skills, problem solving skills, etc., where they have industry knowledge but little to no formal BA education whatsoever. Maybe there are some industries (??) that may require their BAs to have formal education in the form of Bachelor Degrees, etc., but, you cannot train the core competencies such as soft skills, analytical skills, problem solving skills, etc...if you don't have them, but you have a degree, you're unlikely to be a successful BA.

The shift I'm seeing here in BC, and possibly in Canada, is that employers are looking for people who have those inherent core competencies such as soft skills, analytical skills, problem solving skills, etc. as opposed to oodles of degrees.
spklassen
Rich Anderson posted on Friday, February 14, 2020 1:41 AM
I don't see why it's not possible for BAs to be trained right out of high school. What exactly is it, besides demonstrating the ability to get accepted and persevere long enough to get a four year degree (not nothing) that qualifies someone to be a better BA. Think of it this way: Would you rather have a 22 year-old fresh out of school or a 22-year old with 3 or 4 years of BA experience through some basic training coupled with experience? The answer is not clear cut.
Rich Anderson
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