What is a business analyst?
A business analyst uses data to help business’ make decisions. This could be implementing new systems, changing the way a business works, identifying growth areas or many more important decisions to maintain and improve business operations.
It requires you to understand and analyse how a company operates and be able to communicate this in a logical an understandable way.
Key facts
- The starting salary for a business analyst is £23,000, while experienced business analysts can earn £55,000 or more.
- Business analysts require strong problem solving skills and the ability to analyse and understand business processes.
- Competition for business analyst roles are high, so having good qualifications and relevant experience can put you ahead of the competition.
What does a business analyst do?
A career as a business analyst allows you to use your problem-solving skills and make an impact within a business. It’s a rewarding career where your actions have real positive consequences.
You could take on a number of responsibilities, including:
The skills of a business analyst
If you want to know how to become a business analyst, you will need to have these skills.
What careers could I go into?
You can work directly as a business analyst. This will likely start at a junior, entry level position. After building up your experience you will be able to progress to an analyst position.
You could progress this further, working independently as a consultant or even starting you own business.
If you decide to move away from business analytics, the skills and knowledge you have are also found in many other areas. These include:
- Computer science
- Accountancy and Finance
- Systems development
- Data analytics
- Data science
- Project management
- Information technology
We hope this guide has helped you understand how to become a business analyst. If you'd like to explore degrees, take a look at some of our courses below.
