Do you have a knack for numbers and a penchant for programming languages? If your technical skills are off the chart, you may want to become a business analyst. This highly lucrative career is calling your name.
In the following guide, we will take a look at what this professional does, the skill-set you need to excel, the average salary, and how to start out.
What does a Business Analyst do?
First up, let’s talk about what a business analyst does. In the simplest of terms, these professionals help businesses and teams to analyse problems and solve them. They may look at specific business processes, use data analytics, or critical thinking. On a daily basis, the tasks that a business analyst has to complete will vary and may include:
What qualifications are needed to become a Business Analyst in Ireland?
If you want to become a business analyst, you may need to gain a bachelor’s degree in either business or a related subject. For example, you may choose to study accountancy, business administration, economics or business analytics. When you have a degree under your belt, you can further your education with a master’s degree or additional training.
When you are looking for a way to kickstart your career, it may be worth enlisting in one of the most beneficial online courses. For instance, you can study analytics courses online or business courses. Take the time to consider which courses best suit your long-term business goals. That way, you can invest in your professional future and get ahead.
Once you have gained all of your qualifications, you can register with the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA). You can gain certificates with this particular institute that will help you to further your career. Depending on the specific career path you want to take, it may be worth looking at this route to see whether it will support your goals. Gaining some business analyst certification is a sure-fire way to solidify your professional future.
What skills are needed to become a Business Analyst in Ireland?
Ready to get started in the world of business analytics? It takes a certain amount of finesse to excel in this specific role. If you’re looking for a vacancy, you need to make sure that you have the right business analyst skills first. Let’s take a quick look at each competency you will need to have before you start applying for new jobs:
When you are hoping to land a business analyst role, you need to make sure that you have a highly diverse skill-set. It’s vital that you have a mixture of both hard and soft skills.
Hard skills apply directly to the job at hand. For example, data analytics and SQL will fall into this category. Soft skills allow you to collaborate well with others. Your communication skills are an example of that. Since you will be working in a range of departments, you need to make sure that you are up to date on both of these unique skill-sets.
You will learn many of these skills when you complete your undergraduate degree. Whether that is in business or a related field, it should give you the skill-set that you need to excel. Of course, you can also sharpen these talents by taking some online courses.
Does becoming a Business Analyst need any work experience?
Before you can become a business analyst, you are going to need some real-world business experience. That means that you need to work in your chosen industry to gain some insights into how it works. You may find yourself working alongside a systems analyst and shadowing them before you get your big break. Take a look at the different career paths you can choose ahead of starting out in the business industry.
Career prospects for a Business Analyst in Ireland
If you are all set on a career in business analytics, you need to know what career prospects you have. If you work in this role for a matter of years, you may find that new opportunities open up for you. As a rule, you will start your career as an entry-level business analyst. However, you may be able to climb the career ladder and become a senior business analyst in time. Armed with the right business analyst certification and experience, there is seemingly no cap on where your business analyst career will go.
Looking for a way to kickstart your career? If you want to become a business analyst, this guide is a good starting point. Gaining the right certificates and getting some experience will help you along the way. Take a look at the various training options available to you.
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