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Why become a business analyst?

by with 4 Comments Business

I am frequently asked in my workshops by students who intent to change their role why they should consider becoming a business analyst.

My answer to this question is simple- If you have ever dreamt of being in a leadership position or owning a business, then business analysis is the first logical step to turn that dream into reality. Being a customer facing role, it gives us immense opportunities to gain vast range of knowledge, skills and real-world experience very early in our career which expedited our growth into leadership roles.

For you to fall in love with Business Analysis, you should know what the role offers and then try to align it with your goals and interests. If your goals/interests are congruent to the role, you know that this role is for you.

As a Business Analyst you will be responsible for understanding business needs and building solutions that can address those needs. You need to constantly focus on the VALUE delivered to the customer. You will be responsible for end to end re quirements management in the project, coordinating with multiple stakeholders, solving conflicts and issues, teaching and prioritizing tasks.

If you are still unsure, do a self-assessment and ask yourself these questions:

  1. Do you like to collaborate and coordinate with multiple people?
  2. Do you like to solve problems?
  3. Are you a team player?
  4. Do you like to be in a front-line leadership position and drive the end-to-end product delivery?
  5. Do you like to help customers to achieve their business goals?

Minimum Requirements to become a Business Analyst

In the industry, you will find 2 kinds of roles- Functional BA and Technical BA.

  • Technical BAs are tech graduates who have worked as programmer or engineer or having a computer science degree. They are hired in technically complex projects.
  • Functional BA have an expertise in a particular sector like Banking, Insurance, Healthcare. So if you have worked in Banking Operations, Insurance Claim processing, Loans Settlement, etc you will be hired for that expertise and placed in a project that utilizes your knowledge of the domain. 

Having said that, what if you don’t have domain knowledge or you have worked in a domain that is not very much in demand in the industry. No worries!

At Interactive Learning Solutions, we have coached even people coming with zero expertise and helped them start a career in Business Analysis. This was possible using the Zero-Tech Business Analysis Model. I have personally coached Police Officers, Teachers, Recruiters, Sales and Marketing professionals, graphic designers, event managers, students and even housewives. They are now working in different domains and product companies as Business Analysts. So, what is required to get you started using Zero-Tech Business Analysis – Good communication, problem solving and analytical skills and an open mindset to learn the skills required for the role.

Business analyst role has also been of demand due to the following reasons:

Fastest growing occupation:

Today companies across the world have realised the significance and potential of business analysis in projects. Hence new openings are available in abundance. In a competitive job market, this profile is expected to grow at 19% over the next 10 years.

Whooping Salary

The average salary of a business analyst in India is Rs. 6.75 lakh per annum. The top 10% earn more than Rs. 15 lakh per annum. Looking at the growing demands, the salary should continue to rise.

Mid career shift

This is one career that allows people from diverse backgrounds easily migrate and start a career in IT as a business analyst role and leverage their existing experience and skills.

No Automation

Automation is all around us now. Manual Testing is completely automated. Operations Support has been automated and so are many fields. But Don’t worry, Business Analysis cannot be automated. It requires human touch. We built customised solutions for our customers and every customer has a unique problem. One solution cannot fit all, so we are safe!

Sajana Binil

Hi, I am Sajana, a writer turned business analyst.I am on a mission to help 100,000 working professionals build a successful and rewarding career in business analysis. I am the Founder of Business Analysis Hub – fastest growing community of business analysts in India.

How can an Introvert Succeed as a Business Analyst?

by with One Comment BusinessHow To

Are you an introvert who wants to start a career in business analysis but skeptical about whether you will be able to succeed? 

I understand that feeling. Because I am an introvert myself. In spite of being an introvert, I have been in business analysis for over 22 years now, working with large banking and telecom customers helping them build applications that could solve their problems and automate tasks.

So, if you are an introvert, don’t worry, I am going to give you the exact formula that has worked for me. I truly believe that you too can be successful.

In this article, I will share some amazing qualities an introvert already has which makes him the perfect fit for a BA and then we will dive into the formula and your next steps.

Skill 1: Problem solving and analytical skills.

Introverts have good problem solving and analytical skills.

This is primarily due to the fact that they are deep thinkers, they like to look at a problem from all different angles, permutation and combinations and analyze problems, risks, requirements, issues on a much deeper level. They do not do surface level analysis. They don’t run into hasty decisions or make false recommendations. They like to get to the root of the problem. This is one crucial skill organizations look for in a business analyst.

Skill 2: Listening Skills

They are very good listeners. If you have an introvert, in a meeting you will see him most of the time listening and processing information and talking less. Many times, this is misunderstood as having lack of confidence, that is not the case. Introverts listen most of the time and speak only when required. Effective Listening skills very important in a Business Analyst Role.

Skill 3: Simplicity

They like to keep it Simple. If you observe an introvert giving a sales presentation, or a demo, you will see that they like to get to the point. They will be quick to tell the customer how the recommended solution will help solve his problem, the benefits and costs associated with it.

They do not like to beat around the bush and keep on talking and convincing customers.

If you see my content also on YT, its quite simple to understand, no jargons, no complexities. Very simple straightforward content. This is what customers like.

Skill 4: Continuous Improvement

Because introverts are deep thinkers, they are continuously looking for areas of improvement. Like when I was working as a Junior BA, the documentation that I used to produce was not that great. When I saw my technical team coming back to me with lots of queries after reading documentation, I realized there were significant gaps.  So, I modified the template and added new sections and diagrams in the document which in turn improved the final quality of the product. Over the years, I was able to improvise this further and today, in our Business Analysis Hub, our community members have several ready to use templates which they can directly use in their projects.

Skill 5: Leadership

Yes, you heard it right. Introverts are great leaders. If you do a quick google on introvert leaders you will find these names Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk. Yes, they are all introverts. So, if you dream of starting your own business or become the CEO of a company one day, don’t lose hope just because you are an introvert. 

Now that you have understood that you have some amazing qualities to become a successful business analyst, let us look at what are the areas you need to work on. This will be your formula for success. 

I am not going to ask you to change into an extrovert. Changing your personality is not at all required. But based on the need of the role simply adapt to the situation.

Here are three areas I worked on:

  1. Work on your Fears: If you feel anxious in meeting rooms when you are surrounded by people, then that’s the first thing you need to work on. Lot of introverts feel that they don’t have good communication skills but the problem is not communication skills. The problem usually is lack confidence or fear of the outcome. I used to overcome my fear by rehearsing before a presentation and detaching myself from the outcome of a meeting. I practiced script for several meetings by looking into the mirror and asking questions. More and More exposure to meetings will help you gradually overcome this fear.
  2. Rapport: Introverts are very selective about friends. We must build a good rapport with every customer whether you like him or not. So, engage in casual chats with your customers whenever you meet them in cafeteria or while discussing requirements. 
  3. Team Bonding: Introverts feel drained when surrounded by people, so they tend to miss most office gatherings. You need to come out of that shell and mingle with your team on a need basis. Having a good bonding with your team can help you get customer issues resolved very quickly.

If you need help in instilling confidence and improving your soft skills so as to play your BA role better, you can drop an email at info@interactivelearning.in

Sajana Binil

Hi, I am Sajana, a writer turned business analyst.I am on a mission to help 100,000 working professionals build a successful and rewarding career in business analysis. I am the Founder of Business Analysis Hub – fastest growing community of business analysts in India.