A business analyst is a professional who uses data to form business insights and recommend changes in businesses and other organizations. They assess how organizations are performing and help them improve their processes and systems. Business analysts identify business areas that can be improved to increase efficiency and strengthen business processes. They often work closely with others throughout the business hierarchy to communicate their findings and help implement changes. Some of the tasks and duties of a business analyst include:
- Identifying and prioritizing the organizations functional and technical needs and requirements
- Using SQL and Excel to analyze large data sets
- Compiling charts, tables, and other elements of data visualization
- Communicating with several different players within an organization, including upper management and other teams
Business analysts may also be responsible for analyzing and communicating data as it relates to business-relevant trends and solutions to a management team. They evaluate systems and operations to see where they can improve in terms of productivity, efficiency, and profitability. Business analysts need to have both hard skills and soft skills, including the ability to pull, analyze, and report data trends, and be able to share that information with others and apply it on the job. A business analyst career typically begins with a business administration bachelor’s degree, which provides a solid foundation in accounting, analytics, finance, and marketing fundamentals. A degree is usually followed by a few years of hands-on experience and skill-building in areas like software development and quality assurance. From there, a master’s degree in business analytics or an MBA degree can lead to a senior position.
