Are you also planning to kick start your career as a Business Analyst and are wondering if you possess the right skill set for the role? Then you are at the right place as we have listed below the key business analyst skills you should have to clear the interview and to become successful in this field.
Firstly, let us discuss what will be your role as a Business Analyst? A Business Analyst is a person who searches a business or an association and records its frameworks or work methods and analyzes the plan of action and its coordination. BA assists the organization in improving its processes and helps in finding out the important data about their clients.
Now onto the skills.
- Analytical Skills – The first task of a Business Analyst is to find relevant data and statistics available on different sources. And then the next task that follows is of analyzing this data which requires the analyst to possess good analytical skills and knowledge about tools like gap analysis, financial planning, risk assessment, and statistical analysis, etc. The sound analysis of the data will help in solving the problems of the organization.
- Problem-Solving Skills- The Business Analyst needs to constantly draw solutions to problems at their disposal. While searching for solutions to the problems of their clients they face many unpredictable situations. These situations can be easily tackled if an analyst possesses problem-solving skills and quickly resorts to the successful completion of the project.
- Interpersonal Skills- Business Analysts should have good interpersonal skills because their job requires them to communicate with their clients daily. He/She should be able to conduct meetings at regular intervals, ask detailed questions, and state ones pointunambiguously. Both written communication skills, as well as verbal skills, play an important role in this career.
- Critical Thinking Skills- The work of a Business Analyst is to analyze the different solutions to a problem before selecting one. While evaluating the best solution on the problem, the analyst needs to think critically about the different factors and assess the requirement of the different parties, and finally derive a solution. Thus, this whole procedure requires the BA to have critical thinking skills and problem-solving skills.
- Technical Skills- Coding is not a task which is performed by Business Analyst but that does not mean they should not have basic technical knowledge. A Busines Analyst should have sound knowledge of operating systems and proficient in working in theMicrosoft office suite. The knowledge of programming languages (like C++, Java, Python, etc.) and database programs (like MS Access, SQL, etc.) varies in different organizations.
- Managerial Skills- An important skill of a Business Analyst is the ability to manage different tasks effectively and efficiently. He/She should be good at all the different functions of a management process i.e. planning, organizing, leading, and controlling.
- Negotiation Skills- A Business Analyst acts as a mediator between the different parties and is required to derive the most profitable situation for the organization as well as to keep the clients satisfied. This act requires one to balance or negotiate different elements and derive a mutual solution for them. Thus, a person should have strong negotiation and persuasion skills to become a successful Business Analyst.
- Presentation Skills- While working, Business Analysts are required to present their data and facts in front of a team, or a workshop, etc. Thus, acquiring presentation skills will help in presenting the information to the respective parties and extracting detailed data if required.
Decision Making Skills- A Business Analyst should have the ability to make sound decisions. The decisions taken by the Analyst should be keeping in mind the different aspects of the parties and their impact on the business organization as a whole. Thus, if you are planning to commence your career in this field you should be able to analyze situations, receive inputs from different parties, and make the best decision
