How to Start a Business Analyst Career

As companies today are turning digital, big data and information have become an integral part of the decision-making for businesses. With the increasing trend of big data, the demand for Business Analysts has skyrocketed recently with lucrative perks.

Though the demand is high, it can be strenuous to start a business analyst career as the field is challenging and requires in-depth technical competence. If you are also looking to initiate a step toward this competitive field, then you have landed in the right place. In this article, we will guide you on how to start a business analyst career to help make your path less challenging. While doing so, we will also be exploring the business analyst roles and responsibilities for you to grasp the importance of the position in any organization. Let’s begin with a short introduction.

What is a Business Analyst?

To understand in simple words, a Business Analyst is a person who analyzes the business data, information, and process to identify the need for improvement and communicate their findings to implement the changes to help strengthen the business process. Thus and so, these professionals serve as a bridge between Information technology resources and business requirements.

Working alongside a top-level management team, Business Analyst plays a crucial role in decision-making for implementing accurate strategic planning to maximize organizational performance. This is why their role is considered of utmost importance for any organization.

Business Analyst Responsibilities

As a business analyst, you have a big opportunity to contribute directly to the success of the organization by analyzing evidence-based facts and data. So, the job is definitely highly satisfying; but yet it can be challenging as it presents you with many salient responsibilities. So, what are the business analyst roles and responsibilities that influence so highly on the business process? Let’s find out.

• Arrange, study, and interpret data to find out the past and current trends to predict the future.
• Review the primary and secondary resources with the proper use of statistical tools to filter the data.
• Prepare reports and present them to the management team for insights on patterns in the data.
• Build and maintain data systems and databases.
• Work alongside various departments such as engineers, management, and IT to identify the change requirements and opportunities to aid make precise strategic decisions.

How to become a business Analyst?

To be able to meet the above-mentioned business analyst roles and responsibilities, it is important that you master business analyst technical skills before jumping in.

Alongside developing the essential technical skills, you are also required to follow the correct path if you are looking to make a successful and strong start to building a career in this field. Here are the steps to follow.

Step 1: Decide your goal

Start by deciding your preferred positions in the field of business analysis. Yes, the field provides you with multiple areas of work to choose from. The common types of business analyst jobs available are Process Analyst, System Analyst, Business Support Analyst, Information Analyst, Business Architect, etc. So, research and decide what you want to become to build a base for your career.

Step 2: Enroll in the Business Analyst Courses

Obviously, learning the basics of business analytics is key. For this, you can enroll in different course programs to gain essential knowledge and skills. In general, companies will require you to have at least a bachelor's degree for business analyst entry-level jobs. However, you may want to obtain a master's degree if you are targeting advanced-level positions.

You can enroll in online courses or traditional courses to expand your expertise in business analysis. During the courses, you will learn in detail about the business analyst skills required to perform your role in the most efficacious way to benefit the organization. Here are the basic skills to learn.

• Statistical Data Analysis
• Communication Skills
• Problem-Solving Skills
• Hands-on SQL and Databases
• Cost Benefit Analysis
• Report and Documentation 

Step 3: Acquire real-life work experience

After the course, look for opportunities to gain some experience in a real-life work environment. Many companies are regularly hiring for internship roles, which is a good chance for you to gain experience as a fresher. So, do not miss on them even if you find the initial payment to be a little low. After all, it will help you land a good role in the future.

Step 4: Go for entry-level jobs to start with

As a fresher, it is always ideal to start by applying for business analyst entry-level jobs rather than directly going for a higher position. This is because many top companies prefer to hire well-experienced candidates for top-level positions. Therefore, as a fresher, your chance of getting selected for those posts may be low.

Also, if you start from an entry-level position, you will have a big opportunity to learn extensively in the field. So, do not shy away from entry-level roles.

How to get a Business Analyst Job in Nepal?

The fact that a Business Analyst career presents you with satisfying job roles alongside lucrative perks has contributed to attracting many data and business enthusiasts. If the role also interests you, the discussed above guidelines should make it convenient for you to start a business analyst career in Nepal.

Once you are confident in your skills, you can start by applying for jobs to pave the way toward your dream career. You may now wonder, how to find a Business Analyst Job in Nepal. Well, do not worry at all, you will find plenty of Business Analyst jobs at JobAxle.

JobAxle is the leading job portal site in Nepal built with a mission to connect the “right” people to “right” jobs. At JobAxle, you can set your preference on the job types you are looking for, this makes it easy for you to hunt for business analyst entry-level jobs as well as experienced-level jobs.

FAQs

What qualifications do I need to become a business analyst?

Typically, you will require a bachelor's degree in relevant fields for an entry-level position. However, if you are targeting top-level positions, then you may want to obtain a master's degree. 

Your employer will expect you to be proficient in basic skills such as Statistical Data Analysis, Communication Skills, Problem-solving Skills, Hands-on SQL and Databases, Cost Benefit Analysis, and Report and Documentation. 

Is a business analyst an IT job?

No, Business Analyst is not an IT job, though IT skills can be plus points for the professionals to perform numerous responsibilities extra efficiently.

How can I start a Business Analyst as a fresher?

You may want to complete a course on Business Analyst fundamentals to start with. After completing the course, enroll in the internship programs to gain real-time work experience before applying for entry-level jobs.