Making your career in Business Analyst

When I grew up during my Undergraduate, I have heard my classmates dreaming of becoming Technical Architects, Test Manager, Database Administrators, Network Engineers etc. but none ever saying " I want to be a Business Analyst." The reason is that Business Analyst jobs just happen, and everyone in any field would be doing Business Analysis work without having seen it coming. The great thing about the Business Analysis career path is that anyone, from any background, can choose to become a Business Analyst. Though one can become a Business Analysts by possessing an experience of more than 5 years in the Information Technology field or be certified Business Analysts from IIBA, but one has to possess the below mentioned soft skill as it is very essential to be a Business Analyst.

 

1. Good Communication Skill: The role of a Business Analysts is to interact with different groups of people be it Stake Holders, End Users, Customers, Technical Architects. Hence a good command over English is a must. The only difference is that the way in which he communicates to these groups would vary. Hence the person should be both "Tech Savvy" and "Business Savvy". In other words the person should be "Techno-Functional".
2. Good Documentation Skill: Documentation is also one of the key skills a person should possess to be a Business Analysts. The person should immediately document and get the confirmation (or signed off) whatever was discussed and interacted in any sessions /meetings to ensure that everyone is aligned on the same page of understanding.
3. Good Analytical Skill: The person should possess a good Analytical Skill to enable solve the Problem effectively and efficiently in a quick span of time. Thereby the person should always be inclined to "Lateral Thinking or Out Of Box Thinking".
4. Good Project Management Skill: The person should possess a good Project Management Skills like Plan Management, Time Management, and Interpersonal and Leadership Qualities.

The reason is that the analysts interacts with many Business groups in the organisation, collects all the Business Requirements and translates to the Technical Group in the form of Technical Specifications. This makes the analysts not only know the Functional aspects of the project but also know the Technical intricacies. Hence the Business Analyst is also known as the "Go-To" person in a project. A good Business Analysts could soon jump to be a good Project Manager because of many unknown Project Management Skill that is being developed or known as the time pass by along with experience and close working and interaction with the Managers.