What is the career path for a business analyst?

The career path for a business analyst includes jobs as a business analyst, IT business analyst, and business analyst manager.

A business analyst is tasked with leading and supervising a set of employees to ensure the productivity and efficiency of operations. They provide guidance on how best to handle different tasks while maintaining customer satisfaction. Business analysts also provide feedback and give recommendations to clients, and gather and analyze financial data.

The business analyst career path is not as straightforward as you might think. There are a number of divergent avenues you can pursue in a business analysis career, this depends on the industry you work in, if you specialize in a specific area, and what company, or companies, you work for.

Before embarking on the business analyst career path, you need to do the proper prep work, in terms of research, and determine what type of business analyst you want to be. Most business analysts either have a strong business background or a good background in information technology.

Most entry-level business analysts have at least a bachelor’s degree in areas such as business management, accounting, finance, economics, information technology (IT), or another related degree.

The good news is that business analysts are in high demand in many industries. Here is a quick look at the six most in-demand business analyst career paths:

• Business Analyst Manager. These professionals are often in charge of large and small teams of business analysts, and also perform recruitment and hiring duties. They define best practices at their company and execute their company’s objectives.

• Data Business Analyst. Data business analysts work with data sets, and attempt to identify trends, create charts, and develop visual aid presentations to assist managers, executives, and stakeholders in making key business decisions.

• Data Analysis Scientist. This is one of the more difficult business analyst career paths, as these professionals need to extract meaning from gathered data. They then interpret this data, and formulate actionable insights based upon it. This role typically involves the necessity of having strong knowledge with machine learning and statistics.

• Information Security Analyst. This is a business analyst role in cybersecurity. Cybersecurity professionals broadly are in extremely high demand because of cyber crimes and hacking companies face in the modern world. Information security analysts help protect companies by extracting and interpreting security data. They also monitor IT networks and other important company systems.

• IT Business Analyst. This position involves developing more substantial business processes, while also usually working on several other projects, and operating systems. If you love statistics, and math in general, this is a great business analyst career path.

• Quantitative Analyst. This type of business analyst professional develops, implements, and gives presentations on certain kinds of math models that give weight to financial decisions. This includes areas like risk management, pricing structures, and investments.

Here’s a look at the typical business analyst career path:

• Education. Earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree in business management, accounting, finance, economics, or another related field

  You should also try to gain an internship while in your last years of college or immediately after you graduate. Securing an internship is a great way to gain experience and start to fill out your professional resume.

• Get an entry-level business analyst role. There are many different roles at this level and job titles may vary depending on the industry you are breaking into.

  Some examples include developer, industry expert, and quality assurance engineer.

• Become an expert in a certain area of business analysis. You should review all the career paths we just went over, and decide which is most appealing to you.

  Once you have chosen a specific business analyst career path, you should seek to become an expert in that field. Some tips for accomplishing this include seeking out a mentor in your area, networking as much as possible with similar professionals, and attending industry events that relate to your role.

  You can also take additional online courses to hone your specific skills. Business analyst certifications are also strongly encouraged ( we’ll go over some good ones later), these can help exhibit your qualifications and skill sets in business analysis.

• Gain a number of years of professional experience in your area. The amount of time it takes to move up, again, depends on your particular area, industry, and company, but most business analysis promotions can occur in the range of two to four years.

  Hands-on experience is the only way to move up on the business analyst career path. You should try to be a strong team player, ask questions often, and gain as much professional knowledge and skills as you can during your initial years in the profession.

• Move up into a more senior business analyst position. These roles include job titles like IT business analyst, product manager, senior business analyst, lead business analyst, and several others depending on your company or specific career path.

  It is worth mentioning that most organizations prefer business analysts with advanced degrees for these types of roles, such as an MBA.

• Reach the pinnacle position. This includes roles like Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), Chief Strategist, or even becoming an independent consultant.

  Achieving these top-tier positions, takes a lot of hard work and many years of professional experience. Most of these roles require at least 10+ years of experience; sometimes more, depending on role-specific factors.

You should seek to develop or hone different skills and qualities when pursuing the business analyst career path. Here are some of the most essential areas you should focus on:

• Strong communication skills. This includes both written and verbal.

• Active listening skills. You not only need to know how to communicate effectively, but it is just as crucial to also listen effectively.

• Teamwork. You are likely going to be collaborating with a number of different professionals, and you need to be able to work cohesively as a team member.

• Adaptability. You must be prepared to deal with abrupt changes and keep your momentum.

• Multitasking is a critical skill to have in all business analyst roles.

• Prioritizing is also key. This often needs to be done based on multiple stakeholders’ needs.

• You must be able to identify specific opportunities that give way to improvements in efficiency and overall output.

To help you progress more quickly on the business analyst career path there are certain certifications you should consider obtaining.

Here are some of the best and most common business analyst certifications:

• Academic Business Analysis Certificate (ABAC). This certification is offered by the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA). The ABAC is an entry-level certification that can be obtained from a college or institution that partners with the IIBA. This is an excellent certification for prospective business analysts who want to start their journey on this career path.

• Entry Certificate in Business Analysis (ECBA). This is another certification that is offered by the IIBA. Obtainment displays to employers that you have a foundational knowledge of best business analyst practices. To earn this certification you need at least 21 hours of professional development. You must also pass an exam. This certification helps establish you as a step up from entry-level business analysts.

• Certification of Competency in Business Analysis (CCBA). Also offered by the IIBA, this certification displays your ability to utilize business analysis methods in real-world business scenarios. To earn this certification the IIBA requires you to have at least 3,750 hours of professional business analyst experience. You must also provide references and complete 21 hours of professional development and pass a test.

• Certified Business Analyst Professional (CBAP). This is the highest competency-based certificate you can earn from the IIBA. Obtainment exhibits a mastery level of business analysis and qualifies you to lead others in the field. You must have at least 7,500 hours of business analyst experience. You also must have 35 professional development hours, and pass a test.

• Agile Analysis Certification (AAC). Agile project management framework is gaining popularity in the business world. This certification displays your knowledge of the Agile techniques and how to perform work with those methods. Gaining this certification requires you to pass an exam.

• Certified Foundation Level Business Analyst (CFLBA). This certification is offered by the International Qualification Board for Business Analysts (IQBBA). This is another entry-level certification that shows basic competencies concerning business analysis practices. You must pass an exam to gain this certification.

• Certified Advanced Level Business Analyst (CALBA). This certification is also offered by the IQBBA, and adds depth to the CFLBA certification, while also having a focus on business analysis process management. You need to pass an advanced exam for this certification which will test your knowledge of engineering requirements, strategic analysis, and management.

• Professional in Business Analysis (PBA). This is a great certification if you work closely with project teams when doing your business analyst duties. To gain this certification you need to pass an exam of 200 multiple-choice questions. Business analysts who receive this certification must submit for renewal every three years. This includes submitting proof of 60 professional development units completed.