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The role of an IT Business Analyst is to advise senior management and other stakeholders within an organisation. Their job is to identify problems and opportunities within a business and work to provide solutions and initiatives to streamline operations and improve functionality.
Primarily situated within the IT department, an IT Business Analyst’s main role is to use data analysis to identify and implement improvements in IT policies and operations that support the company’s overall business needs and outcomes.
The role of a business analyst is multi-faceted and requires thorough knowledge of software development and business analytics. It also requires project management capabilities as well as a keen eye for business intelligence. It is therefore not an entry-level position.
Although there is no one specific certification required for a IT Business Analyst position, the following experience and qualifications are generally considered useful:
A bachelor’s degree in computer science, business administration, information systems or similar
A postgraduate degree in business administration or similar
Experience within IT (for example as data analyst, systems analyst or finance analyst)
A Business Analyst Certification from the IIBA (International Institute of Business Analysis)
Again, not all of these specific elements are officially required but a thorough understanding of information technology and its impact on business processes is essential to the role. So, the more experience and relevant qualifications you have, the better.
Future career paths for Business Analysts can be broad. Many become Senior Business Analysts while others move into IT Project Management. With a grounding in data analytics and a thorough knowledge of business processes, Business Analysts are gifted with skillsets than can be useful in a wide range of senior roles.
Depending on the size, type and goals of an organisation, the role of a Business Analyst can vary. Therefore, no IT Business Analyst job description is exactly the same as the next.
Broadly speaking, however, there are some key Business Analyst responsibilities that most positions will involve in one way or another. These include:
Collecting and collating data for business analysis
Financial modelling and forecasting
Analysis of commercial data
Analysis of IT systems and business processes
Risk assessment
Identifying areas for cost saving
Testing and implementing new systems, solutions and methodologies
Reporting to key stakeholders and offering solutions to improve functionality and profitability
Advising stakeholders on business model and business decisions
Ultimately, a Business Analyst’s role is to provide insight that enables key stakeholders to make sound financial and business decisions that ensure an organisation is achieving — or exceeding — its goals.
The ability to gather and analyse complex data are obvious Business Analyst skills. But, as the role of a business systems analyst involves working with various departments and stakeholders, it requires several soft skills too.
IT Business Analysts must be able to effectively communicate with senior personnel and may also be required to manage their own development team. As well as being able to understand a business’ functional requirements and implement new systems to facilitate them, they must also be able to explain these complex IT systems in a way that is easy for non tech-minded stakeholders to understand. They may also be required to write reports and carry out in-person presentations prior to rolling out new systems. As such, they require a broad range of skills.
Some key skills required for the role of IT Business Analyst include:
Problem solving and critical thinking skills
Communication skills
Decision making abilities
Interpersonal skills
Team management capabilities
Strong presentation skills
Good writing skills
If you have the skills and experience required for a Business Analyst position, the next step is to find the right role.
As we’ve already mentioned, the duties of the role (and the experience required to perform effectively in it) will vary depending on the organisation. It’s therefore extremely important for you to read the Business Analyst job description thoroughly before you apply.
Take a close look at the responsibilities outlined in the job description as well as the required experience. If you meet these requirements, make sure your resume and cover letter highlight all of the relevant information.
If you don’t have the right level of experience, don’t waste your time by putting in an application. Instead, look for a Business Analyst job opportunity that is better suited to you. For example, if you’re looking to step up into a IT Business Analyst role for the first time, you may wish to focus your search on smaller organisations or a role with a narrower scope of duties. You could also explore a more junior role within the IT department and work your way up from there.
If you’re looking for a job as a Business Analyst, check out our list of current Business Analyst job vacancies.
Alternatively, if you’d like to discuss future opportunities with one of our specialist recruiters, get in touch with your local team today.
