Curious about the skills required for business analyst professionals? As a business analyst, you must be able to master and develop a variety of skills to advance your career. Key among these skills is the ability to communicate effectively. You need to understand the context of initiatives taken by the business and define the outcomes, implement communication strategies and techniques, work with different project management and software development frameworks. You will also be required to come up with techniques for requirements documentation. Sounds overwhelming, right? It need not be. Here are some tips for advancing your career as a business analyst.
- Get a Mentor
A mentor is someone who has more experience in the field than you do. You need to find someone with a significant number of years as a business analyst and one who can be a trusted confidant. A mentor offers a reliable sounding board, emotional support, second opinion, and expands your social network.
- Engage with People in The Same Field
If you cannot find a mentor, you need to find people in the same field to engage with. While they may not offer the same benefits a mentor would, they are best placed to answer your questions and also point you in the right direction. Even with a mentor, you still need to network with people in the same field. Take advantage of the interactions to learn more about the career, especially from those that have been there longer than you.
- Educate Yourself
Learn, read, and listen. There is a lot of free information without the need of purchasing a book or studying. You can ask for resource recommendations from other business analysts or search the web for business analyst forums and blogs. Make it a point to broaden your knowledge in the field. It is okay not to know everything from the onset. Knowledge can be garnered as you advance in your career. Always be willing to ask questions on issues you don’t understand.
- Develop Reflective Listening
Listening is an important part of communication. Reflective listening is where you strive to understand another person’s perspective. You then offer your understanding of the issue back to them to confirm that your understanding is correct. If you do not understand, you can request for a better explanation. You cannot handle a project that you don’t understand. Therefore, understanding and communication are important for any business analyst.
- A Sense of Humor Is Ideal
Whether you have experience in the field or just starting out, a business analyst needs a sense of humor. It is a great asset for any business analyst, especially when they need to ask questions that may seem silly. A sense of humor also goes a long way in creating a working relationship with the different departments they work with. A sense of humor will defuse hard situations and also reduce stress levels in circumstances that may be overwhelming.
- Learn the Required Methodologies
This is one of the most important skills required for business analyst jobs. You need to take your time to learn and understand how software development methodologies and project management methodologies work. You will be required to convey information based on these methodologies to clients and management in simpler terms. The key to an effective conveyance of information is understanding.
