Intro
Thanks to the huge demand for business analysts many students become inspired to become an analyst. But is it that easy to become an analyst? No, it is not that easy to become a proficient analyst. In order to become an analyst one requires in-depth knowledge of different things. For instance, you must have good knowledge of stats/probability to become a BA. Keeping this in mind, today we are going over the five major skills a business analyst needs to have.
Statistics and Probability
Knowledge of statistics/probability is one of the basic requirements for becoming a business analyst. The role of an analyst requires an analyst to find solutions on the basis of the data at hand. But this is not possible without having good knowledge of statistics and probability. By using different methods of statistics/probability you can easily connect missing dots and find solutions. Besides this, knowledge of statistics/probability will also help you make more accurate predictions with the data at hand. In other words, knowledge of statistics and probability can be very rewarding for analysts. Following are some of the major concepts of statistics/probability that a BA must master:
- Permutation and combination
- Probability distribution
- Bayes’ theorem
- Regression analysis
- Sampling techniques. To learn about different sampling techniques in more detail feel free to join our Business Analyst Training.
- Hypothesis testing
- T-distribution testing
- Analysis of variance
Programming Skills
Generally, analysts have to deal with data only. However, sometimes they may have to deal with coding too. Thus, learning programming can be very advantageous for a BA. For instance, learning coding languages like R and Python can be very advantageous for an analyst. Why? Because this will make it very easy for him to work with big data. Additionally, an analyst must also have working knowledge of database management systems to efficiently process and analyze data. So, do acquire coding knowledge if you want to become a competent BA. Following are some of the key coding languages that every BA must consider mastering:
- Python
- R
- Oracle
- MongoDB
- SQLite and MySQL
Data Visualization
Data visualization is another key skill that a BA is required to possess. An analyst has to present data to stakeholders for better decision-making. However, the majority of stakeholders are not capable of understanding raw data. But by presenting this raw data in the form of digital representations a BA can easily avoid this problem. Thus, it is very important for a BA to have exemplary data visualization skills. Additionally, he must also good have knowledge of different data visualization techniques. For instance, he must have knowledge of data visualization techniques like scatter plots, time series, sequences, etc. So, if you are also an aspiring BA then make sure you become proficient in data visualization. Following are some of the most important data visualization tools in the market for analysts:
- Power BI
- Tableau
- Qlik Sense
Communication Skills
Having good communication skills is essential for a competent analyst. The main responsibility of an analyst is to provide an organization with solutions for business development. Thus, he must be proficient in communicating his ideas/views to his team so that it can convey solutions to the management efficiently. Additionally, an analyst also has to interact with clients and stakeholders frequently. But if he doesn’t have great communication skills he may struggle to interact with them. In other words, it is extremely important for a BA to be proficient in communicating with others. So, do become proficient in communicating with others if you are an aspiring BA. Following are some tips that you can follow to enhance your communication skills:
- Work on communicating effectively with clients outside of an office environment.
- Listen carefully to others before engaging.
- When you hear a new word/sentence look for its meaning and try to use it in your conversations.
- Record your voice and listen to it over and over again to find and fix problems in your speaking.
- Pause for a few seconds to prepare yourself before speaking.
- If you hesitate to talk to strangers then try to communicate with more and more people. This will make you more comfortable in communicating with strangers.
Negotiation Skills
A competent business analyst is also required to have good negotiation skills. Why? Because they have to act as a bridge between different teams. Besides this, he has to implement solutions in the organization. But for implementing solutions in the organization a BA has to interact and negotiate with different teams. Thus, it is essential for a business analyst to have good negotiation skills. So, if you are also an aspiring BA then do consider improving your negotiation skills. Following are a few tips that you can follow to improve your negotiation skills:
- Patiently explain your POV to others and be open to suggestions. To learn how to efficiently and patiently explain your POV to others feel free to join our Business Analyst Certification Online training program.
- Interact with others in a friendly manner.
- Be practical when necessary, etc.
Conclusion
Business analysts are required to have certain skills. For instance, he must possess good knowledge of statistics & probability. Additionally, he must also have good communication/negotiation skills. So, do develop all the skills that we have discussed today if you are an aspiring BA. If you do this then you can easily become a pro-BA.