Before applying for any job, it is necessary to be sure of the professional goals so that a balance can be maintained in the job catering and position advancement. There are several goals both technical and non-technical that must be kept in mind while working as a business analyst or before stepping into the shoes of a business analyst.
Given below are some of the important goals that should be adhered to by every individual in the field of business analysis.
- Analytical and technical skills: While working on an analytics project it is necessary to have an individual in the team who knows the technical stuff such as databases(SQL, Oracle, etc.) or a person who is well equipped with business software such as visualization tools, programming languages like R, Python, etc. Apart from these technical skills, an individual knowing the core analytical concepts serve as a boost to the team.
- Good communication skills: There is no point in working on something that cannot be explained to the general public or other officials working in the same organisation. A particular project involves several aspects of business analysis which may not be understood by the other members of the team as everyone is working on different components of the team. So, to deliver the idea effectively, communication skills are a must. Also, the product that is designed needs to be delivered to the client which requires communication skills again.
- Problem handling skills: Any idea that is proposed to a business analyst either as a project or assignment, must be solved before proceeding with the solution. This requires problem-solving ability as a quality of the business analyst.
- Flexibility: As business analysis involves several aspects such as the technical domain, product delivery, model construction, etc. an individual should have the ability to switch from one task to another. This is not a mandatory goal but it is always better if an individual possesses it. This goal showcases the ability of a person to work without getting stressed in any given atmosphere.
- Improving business analysis skills: When an individual is working in a field, there should be a zeal in the individual to progress each day and improve the skills that they learn or apply in their day to day job life. Several business analysis courses teach the skills in all levels- basic, intermediate and advanced. Continuous up-gradation of the skills serve as a boost in the business analysis career and gives new heights to an individual in the job field.
- Sharing of knowledge: We have often heard of the proverb “Sharing is caring”. An individual should always possess the tendency to share knowledge with other colleagues of the institution. While sharing whatever we know, we get to learn new things. Not only this, but it also helps us find out if we learned anything wrong and shows proof of the leadership skills of an individual.
- Ability to adapt to other domains: In drastic situations, an individual might be expected to perform a duty other than the business analyst work. In such a situation, instead of panicking an individual should calmly work with their assigned portion of the job. After their job is done, they can proceed with the other duties different from the assigned duties. This not only shows the flexibility of an individual but also portrays the leadership skills and ability to adjust to any environment.
- Continuous learning: Even after working for many years in the field, an individual should not stop with what they have learnt. They should keep learning every day to upgrade their knowledge in the field. Moreover, there might be a day when a new requirement involving a completely new requirement pops up. In that kind of situation, the attribute of continuous learning will be highly helpful to an individual.
The career goals of a business analyst are not limited to the above-mentioned points. It goes far beyond the points that are mentioned above as the scope of business analysis is vast. However, the above-mentioned points do give a brief idea of what should be the goals of a business analyst.
