With the advent of time, huge data is being generated that now needs to be collated and sorted to derive informative outputs. In line with this, job opportunities have enhanced data science, data mining, data cleaning, data warehousing, and data analytics.
Job seekers who can visualize the reams of data can easily find gainful unemployment in this field. Additionally, it’s a chance for the technologists to bridge the gap between data and business.
The primary role of business analysts is to find a viable business solution without the use of algorithms or complex programs through analytics. Here are the key skills that a Business Analyst (BA) must possess.
Communication: A business analyst must possess strong communication skills that help him to articulate the data findings to his team members. While presenting the ideas through data visualization, complex graphs do not usually aid the understanding of the issues. In this case, the use of an easily communicable storyline can aid Data Analysts to deliver a clear and concise idea of data findings.
Problem-solving: While working on a project, a number of problems challenge your endeavor. Being a Business Analyst, you may need to solve certain technical issues, conflicts with stakeholders, etc. and be prepared with a reasonable response.
Knowledge of tools: There are a finite number of tools on which a Business Analyst must know how to work. He must understand Microsoft Office suite, Google Docs, Modelling tools, Trello, etc to visualize the outputs.
Business Understanding: As the profile speaks, a BA must have a deep understanding of the business and complete knowledge of the trends and norms of the concerned industry. Whether he is working in retail, manufacturing, healthcare industry, he needs to have a good understanding of terminologies, SOPs, and requirements of his business.
Decision-making skills: The Business Analyst needs to figure out a solution on which his whole team settles down. Before solving the issue, he can take suggestions from his team, understand the requirements of the stakeholders, or can even ask probing questions to land a feasible solution. These are the situations that make decision-making a very critical element of any business.
These are the key areas that a Business Analyst must-have skills. His roles may also include product management, project management, product ownership, technical leadership, and high management roles as he develops a longer understanding of the concerned business.
Source: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-key-skills-business-analyst-sahil-gupta
