How to become a Business Analyst

What does a Business Analyst do?

Business Analysts: Making the world a better place, one office at a time…

Business Analysts (known as BAs) are responsible for analysing a business’s processes and investigating how they work. They then identify improvements that can be made and present the case for these improvements back to the business.

Although specific responsibilities vary greatly from specialism to specialism, the role of a Business Analyst will generally include the following:

• Analysing the business (either one element or the business as a whole)
• Evaluating all available data
• Identifying any problems that need addressing or potential improvements
• Projecting how feasible these improvements are to make
• Using all of the acquired information to present a business case back to the company which details the solutions
• Implementing the necessary and agreed-to changes, overall increasing efficiency for the business

Is a career as a Business Analyst right for me?

To be successful as a Business Analyst, excellent analytical skills are an obvious pre-requisite. You will need to be objective when evaluating elements within the business, combining your observations with an acute awareness of any developments within the marketplace in order to present any outcome.

You will be spending most of your time researching processes and extrapolating data, so self-motivation and the ability to work independently are also necessities.

Other key skills include:

• Exceptional problem solving skills
• Superior communication skills, not to mention the ability to be objective
• Reporting and presentation skills
• Computer literacy, not to mention proficiency in Microsoft Office (in particular Microsoft Excel)
• The passion and confidence to justify your suggestions and back them up with solid research and analysis