Business intelligence (BI) is a hot commodity, and why not? BI analysts earn an average of $99,306 per annum in the United States. While BI analysts can make up to $101,952 to $107,052 per year, an experienced professional’s salary may vary according to the location, background and the type of company.
In this article, we will talk about the roles and responsibilities of a business intelligence analyst and the skills required to get into this profession.
What Does a Business Intelligence Analyst Do?
BI analysts are experts in collecting and assessing organizational data to maximize profits and improve efficiency. Their arsenal of tools includes Power BI, Tableau, SQL and QlikView for data visualization.
The roles and responsibilities may vary from organization to organization i.e., startups and large corporations, and the industry type. However, the primary responsibilities encapsulate five major areas.
- Data Analysis and Interpretation: A BI analyst’s major responsibility includes analyzing and interpreting data. Wherein their sole task requires sifting through large datasets, and identifying major business trends and anomalies.
Based on the reports gathered (customer behavior, sales figures, market trends), BI experts can interpret their analysis and provide expert recommendations and strategies.
- Generate Reports and Create Dashboards: BI analysts create dashboards to present their data for stakeholders to understand. Not all business leaders and stakeholders understand data the way BI analysts do. Hence, presenting data in dashboards is the simplest and quickest way to tell a business story.
- Stakeholder Collaboration: Collaborating with stakeholders (managers, product development team and executives) is a day-to-day task for BI analysts. They need to ensure that the insights shared resonate with the decision-makers within the organization.
- Monitor and Optimize: BI analysts need to monitor the performance of data solutions continuously, report anomalies and identify areas for improvement.
- Data Security and Compliance: Implement security measures to ensure data safety.
Other responsibilities might include the following:
- Mentor junior BI analysts
- Build and edit data models
- Translate data into charts for others to use
- Attend meetings for projects with executives and stakeholders
- Present market trends and analysis
Skills Required to Become a Business Intelligence Analyst
Before making a career decision, the candidate needs to understand the skills required to become a business intelligence analyst. BI analyst is not everybody’s cup of tea. When someone says it’s a career path for everyone, pay heed; it’s a lie!
A candidate seeking such a job role must have the following skills.
- Coding Skills: Coding is a must-have. As a BI analyst, you need to create systems and build dashboards for data analysis and interpretation. Common coding languages include R, Python and Java.
- Data Visualization Tools: Create graphs and other visualization representations with Tableau and Power BI.
- Database Tools: Database tools such as SQL and Excel to manage data.
- Business Acumen: Understanding the organization’s KPIs and revenue goals to generate maximum profits.
- Communication Skills: The BI analyst must have great storytelling skills to deliver complex data insights into easy-to-understand graphs.
Step-By-Step Guide
Now that you’re aware of the skills, let’s look at the step-by-step guide for you to follow.
1. Develop Essential Skills (Earn a Degree)
Undergraduates must target specific degrees to get into business intelligence. Some helpful degrees include computer science, business administration, computer science, engineering, economics and every relevant field that directs your path to the field of business processes and operations.
Since there’s a lot of data involved, you must select a field that covers database design, data visualization, data architecture and data mining. Exceptional skills in SQL and Excel are an added advantage.
2. Get an Internship
Begin your career in business intelligence by interning at large organizations or startups. An internship provides the candidate with all the relevant skills needed to get the job done. Besides working on new projects, the candidate also receives first-hand or practical experience in handling multiple projects.
3. Consider Professional Certifications
With technology advancement, having an added professional certification will equally boost the candidate’s work experience and professional skills. There are multiple certification programs available in the market. You just need to select the course based on your requirements.
Some renowned certification programs include Microsoft Certified: Data Analyst Associate, Google Business Intelligence Professional Certificate, Microsoft Power BI Data Analyst Professional Certificate and Tableau Business Intelligence Analyst Professional Certificate.
Some courses take months to complete and some even weeks. Depending on the level (beginner, intermediate and expert), the candidate can choose the courses that best fit their requirements.
4. Build a Portfolio of Projects
Candidates with the most outstanding portfolios grab the attention of potential employers. Portfolios that demonstrate skills that closely align with the organization’s requirements are likely to get hired faster. However, there are certain tips one must consider when building their portfolio.
Tailor your portfolio to closely align with the specific skills the organization is seeking from a candidate. Don’t forget to highlight projects and skill sets when applying for a BI analyst job.
- Document your projects and highlight your skills in various areas – data exploration, cleaning and visualization.
- Explain methodologies used to solve a problem and strategize solutions.
- Use storyboarding or graphs that demonstrate your project precisely.
- Maintain consistency throughout your projects and be detail-oriented.
- Don’t forget to quantify achievements and highlight your strengths.
5. Get an Advanced Degree
Obtaining an advanced degree is not required if the candidate has sufficient work experience. However, an advanced degree is an added advantage for candidates without professional experience.
Choosing the Best Business Intelligence Certification Program
There are no right or wrong steps in choosing the best BI certification courses. However, there are certain criteria to consider before making a decision.
- Evaluate your current skill level and clarify your long-term goals.
- Review each course, list down the topics covered, and select the closest program that aligns with your requirements.
- Identify your preferred learning style – online, in-person or hybrid.
- Validate each course by browsing through reviews and testimonials.
- Consider the course duration and value.
- Consider the program’s recognition in the job market.
Related: Top 10 AI Certifications for Beginners & Advanced
In Conclusion
Jobs that fall under the business intelligence umbrella are highly sought after. We’re living in a data-driven world and organizations need candidates with BI skills. The demand for BI analysts is increasing across multiple industries – healthcare, finance, IT, retail, eCommerce and more.
Getting into the business intelligence job market is challenging and requires a certain skill set. If you’re considering a career as a business intelligence analyst, now is a great time to begin your career in the BI field.
Related: Big Data Processing: Transforming Data Into Actionable Insights
