How to become a Business Analyst
So you know you want to get into tech, you’ve done your research on what roles you may want to do but now you're even more confused…which role is best for me? Which one does my skills work best with? Which one will be the most fulfilling for me?
Don’t worry, Verve has got you covered.
We’ve started our “Roles in tech” series this month and the first one is all about how to become a Business Analyst (BA); one of the common roles those without a code background tend to gear towards.
As a Salesforce Business Analyst, I got the best of both worlds, but we’ll focus on all things BA related in this blog. This isn’t like other articles you’ve seen online about how to get into tech roles filled with fluff; this is a no-nonsense guide to what a BA is, what they do, average salaries and how you can take the first step in becoming a Business Analyst.
So get your coffee ready.
What really is a Business Analyst?
According to CIO, “Business analysts are a key part of the puzzle between understanding business requirements and how IT will help improve these functions”
We know this is one of the most common non-code related roles in tech, but what exactly is a Business Analyst?
You can find many definitions of what a Business Analyst is online, but talking from experience, a Business Analyst is someone who is responsible for analysing business processes, understanding their challenges and identifying areas of improvement.
Their main role is to ensure the improvements/changes they’re recommending will improve business efficiency and success.
What exactly do they do?
The responsibilities of a Business Analyst can vary depending on the company you work for, but they all have some common tasks they do.
Let me help you imagine a typical day of a Business Analyst.
It will usually include analysing the business processes using available data and process maps, as well as talking to key stakeholders. The key word here is analyse; they are identifying areas that are working well for the business that could probably stay as it is AND areas that need improvement.
Once they’ve identified the areas that need improvement, they will ask more questions to the key stakeholders they’re interviewing to help them understand the challenges and what they can suggest to improve these processes; essentially ways of making processes more streamlined and efficient. A good Business Analyst will challenge the client on their business functions; this definitely does NOT mean you argue with them - this is about asking challenging questions to get the client to really EVALUATE in detail about their processes and help them be more successful.
They will then go back and collate all this information to come up with potential improvements and how feasible they are. At this point, a Business Analyst will speak to the development team on the project to understand how these improvements can be implemented, what is involved in it and how long it may take. Then they’ll present this back to the client (or their manager), in a great presentation or a storytelling format (more on this in later articles).
Is it for me?
Now imagine YOURSELF as the Business Analyst. Can you?
Do you have attention to detail and excellent analytical skills? Are you someone who tends to enjoy problem solving and always think of better ways of doing things?
Do you enjoy talking to people? Can you empathise with others?
Are you someone who is good with reports and presenting? Or is that an area you want to get better at?
If the answer to most of these questions is yes, then a role as a Business Analyst in tech may be great for you! Just follow our steps on How to become a Business Analyst 😉
Ok I want to do this! Now tell me about the money
Let’s be honest, with the cost of living increasing like there’s no tomorrow, money is an important part in someone’s decision to change careers, especially into a challenging career like tech.
Well you’ll be happy to know that a Business Analyst definitely gets paid well 🤑
Salaries can vary vastly between companies and specific BA roles, for example a Salesforce Business Analyst (more on this later in the month) will tend to get more than a Business Analyst without Salesforce knowledge, but an average salary of a BA is £42,768 based on Glassdoor.
As someone who has already gone through the Junior to Senior BA route, I can tell you with confidence that your salary can jump very quickly, depending on your company, as long as you are willing to put in the hard work and show your employer they made the right decision in hiring you.
Tell me how to become a Business Analyst
If you’ve been reading this, the likelihood is that you’re probably someone who is looking to transition into tech, or you may already be in tech but are interested in becoming a Business Analyst now.
You’ve read the skills you need to become a BA, now let’s talk about qualifications.
You DON’T need an IT degree, or any degree for that matter to become a Business Analyst. You need to be able to showcase you have the skills to be successful as a BA, but as someone without a tech background, having a qualification to prove you have the foundation knowledge of a Business Analyst will be beneficial.
The main professional bodies offering BA qualifications include the International Institute of Business Analysis UK (IIBA), The Chartered Institute for IT (BCS) and the Project Management Institute (PMI).
In the UK, one of the most common ones favoured by employers is the BCS qualifications. I would recommend the BCS Business Analysis Foundation qualification You can find more details about this on the BCS website. You can choose to do the course, or self study and take the exam if you’re on a budget.
You can also check out LDN apprenticeships if you want to gain the qualification while working in a BA setting and also find out about other roles in tech!
Are you ready to take the leap?
I want to manage expectations here, getting into and becoming successful in tech is definitely not easy, but the most important thing is to get your foot in the door. Once you’re in the door, it is up to YOU how far you want to go. If you’re willing to put in the hard work, then you will be in for a very lucrative and fulfilling career.
If you want to become a Business Analyst, ensure you develop your soft skills and hard skills by taking a qualification or self learning the methods a BA should be implementing to be successful. Most importantly, remember to read the job descriptions of BA roles and what you might be missing in terms of experience so you can focus on developing those areas before taking the leap to changing your career to become a BA.
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