When searching for inspiration for your career path, you may have come across the role of a business analyst. The main goal of a business analyst is to outline a business’ problems and come up with solutions to fix them. It takes a lot of planning, attention to detail, and, of course, analysis.
When looking at the job description, you might be a little cautious about entering the career, especially if you’ve never worked with big data or done any programming before. The good news is, there are plenty of ways for you to learn and enter this career without any prior experience.
Here are 17 reasons you should consider becoming a business analyst.
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1: The Opportunity to Study Online
With no prior experience, the best way to get started in an analyst career is to get higher education. You could start with a degree in business, and then hone your skills with a business analytics masters online.
Two of the reasons many people struggle to attend higher education are costs and travel. If the nearest university offering a business course is over five hours away, it isn’t viable unless you move, which isn’t an option for everyone. One solution is to study online, as the costs are lower, and there’s no need to leave your home to complete the course. Also, you can pace yourself while studying and tailor the way you study to suit your unique learning style.
Fortunately, there are plenty of online courses in business and analytics, so you can learn all that you need to for a successful career. If you already have your bachelor’s, then you could apply for a business analytics masters online, which will appeal to potential employers.
2: The Variety of Roles Available
While you might set out to become a business analyst, there are plenty of other analyst careers to choose from. So, depending on your skills and what you enjoy, you can choose the one that suits you best. If you are particularly ambitious, for example, then you could reach for the more senior roles. Of course, experience would help you there.
Some of the analyst roles you could do include a data analyst, a data analyst consultant, and a marketing analyst. As well as the option to choose from a variety of roles, it also means that you can choose a setting that suits you best. So, if you do a business analytics masters online, you will have plenty of job opportunities once you receive the qualifications.
3: Analysts Are in High Demand
Job security is crucial – you don’t want to spend your time and money gaining skills only to find that it is difficult to even secure a role. If you are worried about entering a career that has few job openings, then rest assured that business analysts are highly sought after.
The business analyst job growth is expected to be 14% by 2028. With the number of companies needing big data analyzed, this isn’t exactly surprising. The growth is fantastic for you, though, as you won’t just succeed in finding a job, but you will also know that you are in a career with large growth potential, so you can feel secure even after passing the interview.
4: High Earning Potential
If money is your motivator, then a career as a business analyst will fulfill that desire. The average wage in the US is around $50,000 per year, while the average business analyst earns an average of $76,000 per year, with some of the highest earners taking home well into six figures! This means that, by becoming a business analyst, you will earn an average of $26,000 more than the average American each year.
5: The Role Is Needed Globally
Business analysts aren’t just needed in the US – they are required all over the world. This means, no matter where you are, you have the chance to earn your salary with an analyst role.
This is great for those who are curious about traveling or would prefer to move overseas someday. With so many companies needing someone to handle big data, your skills will be valuable to them. Having skills that are relevant to your home country is necessary, but having skills that are essential all over the world is a million times better.
6: It Involves Plenty of Communication
You might look at the job of a business analyst and assume it involves sitting in the same room all day while staring at numbers, but in reality, the role requires much more communication. You’ll be talking to project managers, business owners, and more daily. This is so that they can tell you exactly what they are looking for and you can inform them of how you can help.
Of course, this means you must have strong communication skills, but it also means that the job will never feel lonely. While you might do a lot of the work alone, there are plenty of opportunities to connect with people and practice networking. Even when doing a business analytics masters online, you will find yourself chatting to many people – online communication is now bigger than ever.
7: The Skills Are Transferable
Not everyone sticks in the same career for their whole lives. Whether you plan on doing that or not, it is still useful to know that the skills you will learn while training to become a business analyst will transfer over to many other careers and even over to your personal life.
When learning to become a business analyst, you will learn programming, which is used in many careers. On top of that, you will learn to be detail-oriented, focused, a quick-thinker, and a great communicator, which are all highly sought-after skills.
8: Your Brain Will Stay in Shape
With all the information you will come across each day and the problem-solving you will do, your brain will receive a constant work out. Your brain needs as much exercise as the rest of the body, and it will help you keep your mind in top form well in your later years.
9: The Chance to Work from Home
Working from home is just a dream for many, but business analysts have a chance to do it. While many roles involve working in an office, lots of them also offer analysts to perform from home. So, whether you work better in an environment you’re comfortable in, or you prefer to travel to work each day, you will find an opening for you.
Working from home comes with many benefits, including:
- Choosing Your Work Environment
Not everyone works well in a bustling office, and choosing your work environment could help you focus.
- Reducing Travel Costs
Public transport and money for gas can quickly add up, and working from home eliminates them.
- Lowering Pollution
Cars are one of the greatest contributors to pollution. By taking your car off the road in the morning and evening, you reduce your carbon footprint.
- Saving Time
If it takes you an hour to get to work each morning, that means two hours of your day are spent traveling. By working from home, those two hours could be used for something else, like getting your house clean, walking your dog, or simply lounging in front of the TV at the end of a busy workday.
10: You Could Work for Yourself
Many business analysts decide to go freelance. There are benefits to working from a company and there are benefits to working for yourself – it is down to the person which one suits them better. It is always great to have options, though, and as an analyst, you do.
If you do a business analytics masters online, you will quickly grow used to the feeling of working from home. Studying online will strengthen many skills, including self-perseverance, time management, and online communication.
11: You will Keep Up with the Latest Tech
When working as a business analyst, you will work with a lot of the latest tech. Like most careers, your role will evolve over the years, meaning you’ll always stay ahead in the tech world. If you are interested in new software developments, gadgets, and fresh ways to come up with solutions, then working as a business analyst will keep you entertained.
12: It is a Well-Respected Career
While it’s not always a good idea to focus on how you appear to others, there are certain times when how others perceive you is important. These situations include meeting your partner’s parents for the first time, going for a job interview, or speaking publicly.
When people learn that you are a business analyst, they will instantly assume you are intelligent and up-to-date with the times. To those who own businesses themselves, they’ll understand how much hard work you do, resulting in unwavering respect.
13: The Work Is Satisfying
Remember those times at school when you struggled with a question, and by the time you came up with the answer, the satisfaction outweighed the frustration? As a business analyst, you’ll get that feeling almost daily.
As the job is about problem-solving, you’ll find your brain consistently stimulated. When you can arrive home at the end of the day knowing you came up with solutions that will help a business, your satisfaction will sky-rocket.
14: You Get to Work Independently
With a business analyst role, the annoyance that comes from being micro-managed is pretty much eliminated. This is because the tasks you do are done by you alone, and it is unlikely that those who hire you know your process. If you prefer some peace while you work, then this is a job that you would thrive in.
By doing a business analytics masters online, you will learn how to work well independently before even starting the role. By studying from home, you’ll create your study schedule, work at your own pace, and take initiative in communication. This will prepare you for working as a business analyst.
15: There Aren’t Specific Education Requirements
While a business analytics masters online will help you learn the skills you need to become a business analyst, if you already have experience or know what you are doing, then there aren’t any specific education requirements. This is especially handy for those who don’t thrive in the education setting, don’t want to pay tuition fees, or simply don’t like the idea of spending years in education before they can start their career.
While you might not need higher education for a role, you will still need to know what you are doing. A business analytics masters online will allow you to get your education without having to pay full tuition costs or travel to university. Plus, you can complete it in as little as a year.
16: It Involves Creativity
While a job that manly works with numbers might seem anything but creative, it actually requires a lot of creativity to succeed. This is because of the problem-solving side – you will find yourself thinking outside the box when it comes to finding solutions for businesses and clients.
So, if you’re a creative person, but you also enjoy working with numbers, a business analytics career could be the most fulfilling role for you. By doing a business analytics masters online, you can stimulate both the logical and creative sides of your brain.
17: Boredom Won’t Occur
When thinking about office jobs, many people envision roles that involve sitting in front of computers in uncomfortable chairs and watching the clock tick closer to five. With a business analyst career, this isn’t the case. You’ll be so engrossed in your work that you won’t even have a minute to feel bored. For many, this is the difference between a fulfilling job and one that feels dead-end.
By choosing to build your analyst skills, you open the door to one of the most fulfilling, in-demand, and satisfying careers you can find. Good luck with your next endeavor!
