How to Become a Business Analyst in 2025

Do you have a knack for business? There are almost the perfect ingredients for every career or job role. However, to become a business analyst, you need to have a sharp mind and a zeal to read market trends and provide valuable insights.

Business analysts are experts who use insights such as market trends to identify patterns and weaknesses and recommend improvements to increase efficiency and productivity. In this article, we will provide an overview of business analysts, what they do and the prerequisites to become one.

What Do Business Analysts Do?

A business analyst performs analysis using four strategies.

Strategic Planning: Evaluate strategic activities.
Operation Model Analysis: Identify and evaluate business policies and procedures.
Process Definition and Design: The outcome of this phase [process definition and design] is process design and modeling.
IT and Technology Business Analysis: Assess technologies, organization’s structure and process and narrow down solutions to achieve organizational goals.

As a business analyst, your core duties and responsibilities include the following:

Generate ideas to improve and recommend solutions to the management.
Evaluate the company’s data to identify weaknesses within the system and processes. Develop a backup plan or a strategy to improve processes.
Develop reports to demonstrate it to the stakeholders and leaders.
Understanding SQL and Excel is an added advantage for business analysts who work with data. This skill may help them analyze large data sets, which are ideal for compiling charts, tables and data visualization.
Create financial models that support business decisions.

Most often, people aren’t able to distinguish between a data analyst and a business analyst. It is worth noting that there’s a thin line between both job roles. Although data analysts and business analysts support data-driven decisions, a business analyst’s major focus lies in making business recommendations. Additionally, a data analyst is an expert who works closely with data.

A day in the life of a business analyst will typically look like this:

Evaluate data and business requirements.
Data gathering and analysis.
Gathering information and monitoring new deployment processes.
Draft presentations and demonstrate data visualizations to stakeholders.
Draw conclusions from data related to customer behavior and provide business solutions.

Who Can Become a Business Analyst?

Anyone with an interest in the business line of work can opt for this career. However, we will outline the list of professionals who can pursue a career as a business analyst.

Fresh MBA Graduates

With competition skyrocketing, most organizations prefer candidates who are certified or at least have hands-on experience in handling business and strategy—all the more reason for students to take up certification courses before hitting their first interview.

Data Analysts

Do not confuse the difference between a data analyst and a business analyst. Data analysts with a knack for business acumen can definitely opt for a business analyst role. With skills in data analysis, switching to a career in a business role won’t be a challenge.

Sales Professionals

Sales professionals can easily walk away from targets or hectic sales numbers. Most sales professionals are said to have the mind of a business tycoon. They have the skills to deal with multiple customers, and moving their career toward the business horizon will only strengthen their professional and financial growth.

Software Engineers/Developers, IT Analysts/Testers

These professionals, with their technical expertise and a mindset for business acumen, can opt for a business analyst profile. Popular companies hiring for such roles include names like Amazon, Dell, Ernst & Young, CISCO, American Express and Capital One. Not to mention, the average salary of a business analyst in the U.S. is around $94K.

Roadmap – Business Analyst

Let’s highlight a few simple steps toward pursuing your career as a business analyst.

Decide Your Career Goals

Getting your fundamentals right from the very start of your career is crucial. You must begin by learning business fundamentals and concepts of business analysis. This phase is where you’ll get a clearer picture of whether or not this career choice is right for you. Take professional help or consult online with other business experts in the industry.

Pursue a Degree

Earning a bachelor’s degree should suffice for entry-level jobs as a business analyst. However, if you’re seeking to get into business analytics, then perhaps earning a master’s degree is ideal.

Develop Business Analysis Skills

To gain success as a business analyst, you will have to develop the below skills.

Problem-Solving
Communication Skills
Business Analytics
Technical Skills
Stakeholder Analysis

Earn Online Certifications

Enrol yourself and get certified. Certifications can be the closest thing that will help grab your first job. Certifications can give you an edge in terms of your earning potential. Employers prefer certified candidates when hiring, it provides assurance and credibility to the field.

Gain Practical Experience

Hands-on experience provides you with the skills and familiarity in using the tools and technologies. Knowing how these tools work leverages your chances of getting a job as a business analyst sooner than expected.

Conclusion

There is no easy way to say this, but becoming a business analyst is no easy feat. It requires the knowledge, skills, and critical thinking to get there. Business analysis is a crucial component in all organizations. Additionally, the demand for skilled business analysts is expected to grow. With businesses constantly relying on data-driven insights, the need for these professionals will become even more essential.

Categorized in:

Business, Career,

Last Update: November 6, 2024

Tagged in:

Business Analyst, Certifications, How to Become, Roadmap

How to Become a Business Analyst in 2025

What Do Business Analysts Do?