Careers in business analysis have shown excellent success rates and this is probably why a lot of aspirants in the job market aim to be business analysts. However, for those who want to excel in this career field, a quick summary of the top skills needed to be one would be helpful.
 5 Skills Required for a Successful Business Analyst
- Problem Solving Skills: For a business analyst, each project offers different issues and problems that require quick, long-term solutions. So, a business analyst must be able to learn about a problem, analyse the available solutions and then recommend the best option. They must be able to look at a problem from multiple perspectives within the business – that of a technical expert and the end-user. A business analyst training courses must be able to work in a collaborative problem-solving environment where continuous discussion with technical team is possible and solutions that are technically viable are discovered.
- Communication Skills:Â For a typical IT analyst, modes of communications include meetings, discussions, emails, documents, charts and many other. In all these modes, a BA must be able to be concise and clear. The communication of a business analyst is not always about getting their points across but also about understanding what others have to offer. So, patient listening, communicating adequately are key skills an analyst must possess.
- Management Skills:Â A business analyst has to juggle several activities in each day and he or she should be able to manage all these activities effectively. These activities include gathering requirements, documentation of requirements, getting sign-offs, testing, ad-hoc tasks and managing the project as a whole. Balancing all these tasks is a crucial requirement for an analyst or a vicious circle of deadlines will be all around them.
- Technical Skills:Â Even though a business analyst is not required to write codes for the project, some basic knowledge in IT is important to succeed in this career. A business analyst is expected to act as a conduit between the technical and business departments of an organisation. To work among these departments with confidence, a working knowledge of the technology is required. MS Office Suite, Operating Systems, Testing Skills, Programming Languages, and Data Base are some areas where a business analyst is expected to have some knowledge.
- Analytical Skills:Being able to tackle every single problem analytically is one of the most important skills for a business analyst. That refers to understanding a problem, visualizing it, analysing it, and solving it. An investigative approach backed with logical thinking and interpretation skills are required to achieve this feat. Knowledge in various analytical techniques such as Interface Analysis, Feasibility Analysis, and SWOT Analysis is recommended.
The skills mentioned above are kept to the more important ones than other soft skills. Obviously, skills like presentation, ability to work as a team, flexibility etc. are also required for a solid career as a business analyst. If you are ready to expand your skills and keep them up to date, you will certainly find success in this fast-growing field.
