How to Pursue a Career in Business Analytics

Professionals who follow that particular career path take it upon themselves to analyse certain processes and practices in order to see how well they work. They also identify what specific areas can be improved and tweaked in order to yield optimum results for the business in question.

If you're a highly analytical person and you're also a big lover of business, then why not pursue a career as a business analyst? Here's what you need to do to set about such a task:

Get some qualifications

It's not necessary to have qualifications under your belt in order to become a business analyst, but it is recommended. At the very least, you should enter this field of work with an entry-level certification, preferably one that is certified by the BCS Foundation. If you really want to educate yourself in the field of business analytics, however, you should go all out and get yourself enrolled on a Master of Business course. Doing this, especially when you enrol upon a program provided by a notable school of management, such as the Umass Online MBA, you will receive experiential, collaborative learning in the specific focus area of Business Analytics. By taking such a course of action, you would be able to learn all about the latest tactics in the world of analysis, which would stand you in great stead when you come to landing your first role in the field.

Harness a number of key skills

To be able to forge for yourself a great and long-lasting career in business analytics, you need to have a number of different skills in your toolbelt. The key skills that you should seek to harness include:

• Pinpoint problem-solving skills
• The ability to be highly objective when needs be
• Clear communication skills
• The abilities to report and present coherently
• Proficient computer literacy skills
• The confidence to be able to make tough decisions
• The patience to be able to perform extensive amounts of research

Always seek to expand on your knowledge

The world of business is incredibly fast-paced. For this reason, you should always seek to expand on your knowledge, whether you're an intern who is just starting out or a veteran who has been in the BA field for years on end, as stagnating will only ever see you fall behind the other professionals that you compete with for jobs. Specifically, you should regularly seek to brush up on these four all-important areas:

• Your industry domain
• The current job application process
• Your expertise in a highly specific industry, such as accounting or PR
• Your expertise when it comes to a broad collection of business types

If you feel ready to devote your career to making the world of business a better place, one office at a time, then throw yourself into pursuing a career in business analytics. When you decide to take this course of action, make sure to take all of the advice laid out about above.