A business analyst can greatly enhance the success of the companies he or she works for. As the global market becomes increasingly data-driven, more and more companies are bringing these types of professionals on board to help edge out the competition and maximize their earning potential.
Business analysts are not only visionaries who see opportunities for companies to grow and improve; they also use data and technology to create positive change and help businesses thrive in today’s competitive market. Their breadth of skills enables them to find work in a wide range of industries, including healthcare, government, higher education, banking, transportation, and IT.
The job market for business analysts has been projected to grow by around 14% between 2016 and 2026. Business analytics is a rapidly-growing field with many employment opportunities, and it offers numerous different career pathways for skilled and capable individuals.
Demand for business analysis is at an all-time high. And while business analytics can be challenging because of the many and varied job responsibilities you might have, it’s also a rewarding and well-paying line of work.
If you’re pursuing a job in this field, you’ll need to demonstrate your relevant skills and experience in your resume. Not sure what to include? Take a look at our business analyst resume templates to see what features a strong resume should have.
Next, we’ll talk about the skills to focus on and how to include them in your resume. Finally, we’ll discuss some general tips and strong action verbs to make your business analyst resume shine.
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A business analyst implements innovative solutions to business problems using data analytics. They evaluate business processes, operations, products, services, hardware, and software, to identify the need for change. Then, they will estimate the costs of integrating this change and evaluate if it falls under the determined budget by stakeholders. That’s why you should indicate your budgeting skills on your resume.
A business analyst should evaluate and predict a company’s future financial state and production. That’s why they use statistical knowledge to evaluate their production, inventory flow, and deliverables. Hence, it is crucial to highlight your forecasting skills on your resume.
As a business analysts should ideally have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in either business analysis, data science, or business administration. Since this role requires advanced training, it is important to emphasize your academic value on your resume.
Business analysts use a wide variety of skills to accomplish their objectives. A few of the most essential skills include researching, documentation, data analysis, visual modeling, and communication. Many business analysts also work closely with IT departments, so having some technical knowledge helps, but it’s not always required. This resume template highlights many of these skills and provides examples of past achievements in the work experience section.
Placing the skills section near the top of your resume makes it easy for potential employers to quickly get a sense of your abilities. The skills section on this resume mentions specific technical proficiencies that may be useful in a business analyst role (such as SQL and Agile Project Management).
This resume template includes some of the action verbs we specifically recommend for writing about research or analytics-based work experience. Verbs like “analyzed”, “interviewed” and “developed” are all strong choices that speak to your analytical skills.
As an entry level business analyst, you'll be working closely with different teams to analyze business processes and identify areas for improvement. It's important to showcase your adaptability and eagerness to learn in your resume since you'll be entering a constantly evolving industry. Companies are looking for candidates who can quickly grasp new concepts and have strong analytical skills to help them adapt to the ever-changing business landscape.
When writing your resume for an entry level business analyst role, make sure to emphasize your key strengths, as well as your knowledge of recent industry trends and tools. Demonstrating your ability to work with data and understand business processes will be crucial to standing out among other applicants.
Since you might not have extensive work experience, emphasize any coursework or internships you've completed that's relevant to business analysis. This shows you have foundational knowledge and some practical experience, making you a more competitive candidate.
As an entry level business analyst, you'll need to possess strong technical and analytical skills. On your resume, provide examples of projects you've worked on or tools you're familiar with, such as SQL, Excel, or Tableau, that demonstrate your ability to analyze data and make data-driven recommendations.
Business analyst positions may require more skills and experience than some other jobs do. However, if you’ve interned in business or data analytics, or if you have an educational background in areas such as computer science or math, you can still be a competitive candidate for a business analyst job. Emphasizing these experiences can be a good strategy if you don’t have much professional history.
As an entry-level job applicant, you’re not expected to have a lengthy record of past jobs. A resume like this one puts the focus on relevant work the applicant has done at school or internships so that hiring managers can see evidence of their abilities.
This resume template does a great job of pointing out specific projects where the candidate has analyzed a business, identified an area for improvement, and created a solution. Hiring managers will be glad to see that you’ve done these types of projects.
A technical business analyst provides innovative software solutions to an organization. They develop software that improves business operations by automating processes and reducing redundant tasks. Even though this is a highly technical role, you still need to demonstrate you are capable of evaluating business needs. That’s why it is essential to highlight your business analysis skills on your resume.
As a technical business analyst, you should ensure that the company’s software aligns with IT regulations. This will keep the company compliant and safe. If you are familiar with relevant laws, you should indicate them in your resume.
Technical business analysts are required to create software solutions, so it’s a good idea to mention the programming languages are familiar with in your resume. This will let your potential employer know whether you are a good fit for the projects they’ll like to implement in their business.
A technical business analyst works directly with technological systems and processes. They need to be able to pinpoint problems by troubleshooting, testing, debugging, and analyzing software and hardware. When you’re seeking this type of position, your resume should focus heavily on how you’ve used your technical skills to design workable solutions for problems.
In the work experience section, this resume has several examples of bullet-point items discussing specific, measurable achievements in past jobs. For example, pointing out that the applicant “increased app engagement time by 2x and decreased drop off rate by 30%” shows that they have experience with improving apps for a better user experience.
On this resume template, the applicant has the skills section near the top of the resume, and they mention being “advanced” or having “a strong understanding” of specific frameworks and softwares. Being well-versed in systems like SQL and Visual Basic makes you more marketable as a candidate, so it’s wise to highlight these skills.
A senior business analyst has direct contact with stakeholders. They perform a bird’s-eye view evaluation of the company’s processes and operations to identify improvement opportunities. The purpose of a senior business analyst is to improve efficiency. To become a senior business analyst, you should ideally have a graduate degree in a related field and extensive industry experience.
That’s why they’ll craft a solution considering the company’s resources, budget, and goals. You should highlight your business acumen in your resume. Talk about previous projects in which you successfully implemented innovative solutions.
In order to support project success, you should have risk management skills as a senior business analyst. Risk is always present in any project; it’s your ability to mitigate, overcome, and anticipate it that drives you through success. Any senior business analyst should be proficient at this skill.
Data visualization and storytelling play a huge role in a senior business analyst position. It’s what will help you represent your insights and make it easy to understand for everyone. Senior business analysts with data visualization skills can significantly improve the reporting process.
If you want a senior business analyst job, your resume shouldn’t only show your experience and accomplishments with business analytics; it should also demonstrate that you are highly motivated and have leadership capabilities. If you’ve been promoted in the past, or if you’ve coached or mentored other employees, mention these experiences so potential employers can see that you’ll be a good fit for a leadership role.
Senior positions demand a high level of knowledge and experience. With a resume like this one, you can show how you’ve successfully improved other businesses, led teams, designed workshops, and mentored other analysts -- all responsibilities you might have as a senior business analyst.
This resume template shows the candidate holding two different positions at a previous company. Promotions always look good on a resume, but especially when you have your sights set on a senior position, it’s important to show proof of excellent performance and professional growth.
An Agile Business Analyst serves as the bridge between all teams during the development cycle, harnessing their business acumen and Agile understanding to ensure effective workflow. It's a role that's evolved with the increasing adoption of Agile methodologies. As Agile prioritizes adaptability, you must demonstrate how you've responded to change or uncertainty in your resume. Your potential employer wants to see examples of adaptive problem-solving, and not just a list of certifications or skills.
On top of that, businesses are seeking candidates who can mesh with their teams, fostering a collaborative environment. In your resume, it's essential to communicate not just what you achieved, but how you did it – your work style, interactions with diverse teams, and how you've put Agile principles to use.
While soft skills are vital, your technical fluency matters too. Agile teams often utilize tools such as Jira, Confluence, Trello, or Slack. Mentioning your experience with these tools is a clear, concise way to show your hands-on Agile practice.
Agile is all about fast response and adaptability. Highlight your experience in adapting project strategies, responding to feedback, or modifying processes under uncertain conditions. This tells employers you understand Agile is more than just a buzzword, but a real, practical approach.
Agile business analysts specialize in the area of agile software development, which takes a collaborative, responsive approach to resolving software issues. To be a successful agile business analyst, you must be adept at working with a team while also designing excellent software that aligns with the Agile philosophy. Your resume should show that you are flexible, adaptable, and creative in your approach to solving problems.
This resume example is well-tailored to the job title. The applicant’s prior work experience shows that they have led teams and facilitated interactions between people -- and for agile business analyst roles, it’s important to emphasize those interpersonal dimensions of your work history.
All of the bullet points in this resume begin with action verbs such as “designed”, “facilitated”, and “streamlined”. Verbs like these tell recruiters that the candidate has played an active role in their achievements.
An experienced business analyst interrogates the past for information that can help decision-makers make better and more profitable decisions in the future. This position requires an analytical educational background and a lengthy analyst career. Your aim will be to help businesses save money, increase profits, or improve efficiency. Take a look at this resume that highlights the applicant’s success in all the above areas.
As an experienced business analyst, you will be expected to have quantifiable success in your resume. Be sure to use actual figures to show recruiters how much money you saved your company by suggesting changes that reduced costs or increased efficiency.
This is not an entry-level position, and as such recruiters will want to see a progression in your career up to this point. Showing promotions in your career indicates to recruiters that you are an exemplary employee and have had a successful career.
A healthcare business analyst will look specifically at healthcare data and try to gain insights that can help a healthcare institution function more efficiently. This position requires you to have in-depth knowledge and understanding of the delicate and complex healthcare ecosystem. You need to be able to know how it should run and what is vital to operations so that you can pinpoint places of inefficiency or weakness. This applicant has a degree in nursing which recruiters will very much appreciate.
Show recruiters that you have an in-depth knowledge of the way the healthcare industry works by listing any healthcare-related certification you may have. This applicant has a bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Using numbers and metrics makes your resume easily digestible and understandable to recruiters. It also makes it easy to impress recruiters and put you above your competition. This applicant has used metrics to show recruiters their workload capabilities and the impact of their work on the bottom line.
A good position to begin your business analyst career is as a junior business analyst. You will most likely work under a senior business analyst and will assist them in their projects, or you may be assigned your own. Use this position as an opportunity to train and learn as much as you can from your superiors so you can progress to the business analyst position and beyond.
Because you may not have much business-analyst-specific experience, fill the rest of your resume with any experience you have had in a research or analytical position. The skill set is transferable and relevant to a business analyst position. This applicant has included their experience as a student research assistant.
What you lack in experience, you can make up with certification. In today's world, it is easy to take an online course and receive certification, so pursue courses in business analysis, research, auditing, or a related field. It will show recruiters a dedication to the profession.
A business system analyst will look at the systems a business uses to operate and try and find points for potential improvement or for potential upgrades. You need to have expertise in the operating systems of whatever industry you want to work in and you need to be able to show success in analyzing these systems. This recruiter-approved resume shows both.
This can be a very I.T.-heavy position so you need to show recruiters that you are experienced in this field. If you have gotten any certification in this area, be sure to highlight it. E.g. this applicant is a certified information systems auditor.
Every industry, and every company, uses different operational systems. It is imperative that your skills list reflects the industry standards or company standards for the company you are applying to. So do some research and adjust your skills list accordingly. Make sure you get experience using a system before adding it to your list. An online course is an efficient way to make that happen.
As an IT business analyst, you will be in charge of synthesizing a company’s needs and communicating them to the IT professionals so that the systems and processes they create, serve the company best. You will be in constant communication with the IT team as well as the decision-makers in the company, so communication skills are crucial. You must also have a strong IT background so you can understand the part IT systems play in the running of a company.
Your job as an analyst is to provide recommendations and insights that will assist the company in lowering costs, increasing revenue, or increasing efficiency. Highlight times when this was achieved by using actual metrics in your experience section.
If you do not have a lot of IT-specific analyst experience, feel free to add analyst experience in related fields. Analyst skills are largely transferable, so recruiters will value that addition. This applicant included their analyst experience as a financial data analyst.
As a hiring manager who has recruited business analysts at top companies like McKinsey, Deloitte, and Accenture, I know what it takes to create a compelling business analyst resume. The following tips will help you craft a resume that stands out and showcases your skills and experience in the best possible light.
Business analysts need a mix of technical and soft skills to succeed in their roles. Make sure to highlight your proficiency in:
For example, instead of just listing 'Excel' as a skill, you could say:
Still curious about how to build an outstanding business analyst resume? Here are a few of our best pointers.
Writing a strong summary for your business analyst resume is optional, but when done right, it can give hiring managers a compelling snapshot of your qualifications and fit for the role. Avoid using an objective statement, which is an outdated approach that focuses on your goals rather than what you bring to the table.
Instead, think of your summary as a highlight reel of your most relevant skills, experiences, and achievements. It's a chance to provide context for your career trajectory and emphasize how you can add value in a business analyst position. Keep it concise and targeted to the specific role and company.
Your work experience section is the most important part of your business analyst resume. It's where you'll highlight your relevant experience and accomplishments to show employers you have the skills they need.
In this section, we'll break down how to write an effective work experience section step-by-step, with examples of what to do and what to avoid. By following these tips, you can craft a compelling work experience section that will help you land your next business analyst role.
A business analyst resume should discuss achievements at former jobs using vivid, precise language. Leading with the right action verbs can you help frame what you’ve accomplished in the best possible light and leave a strong impression on your potential employer.
The following are just a few action verbs that are well-suited for people in research and analytical professions. Business analysts need to highlight their abilities to analyze, interpret, and communicate information, as well as their skills in solving problems -- so they should choose their verbs accordingly.
Visit this page for a complete list of action verbs for resumes.
For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs.
When applying to become a business analyst, there are certain steps that you should follow to ensure your resume is tailored to the role. This guide explains how you can craft a business analyst resume that will impress recruiters in 2022.
Place your Experience section just after the header. The header should include your name, contact details, and (preferably) your LinkedIn profile. Keep the education section short (2-3 lines) and only put it at the top if you are an entry-level job seeker.
Adding a skills section will allow you to include keywords that are usually selected by resume filtering software. Avoid listing soft skills in this section. Rather, focus on hard skills such as 'agile methodology', 'user acceptance testing' and 'requirements analysis'.
If you want to be a top candidate for a business analyst position, use your resume to show that you are capable of succeeding in the role. Highlight your technical background and other hard skills in your skills section. Meanwhile, you can show other proficiencies like analysis, data modeling, organization, and communication through bullet points of your past accomplishments.
Showcasing your most relevant hard and soft skills will show hiring managers that you’re the best person for the job. Tailoring your resume to the business analyst job you’re applying for will also help you get through automated screenings such as the applicant tracking system (ATS), which scans resumes for keywords related to the job.
You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:
This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Business Analyst job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.
You should use bullet points to describe your achievements in your Business Analyst resume. Here are sample bullet points to help you get started:
Leveraged evidence-based research methodology (interviews, user shadowing, requirements workshops, surveys, and use scenarios), future-focused industry research, and design thinking facilitation techniques to elicit latent user needs
Led the cost analysis for the data consolidation effort; interviewed stakeholders to collect cost data, documented requirements and identified shortfalls between the current and future state environment
Translated business questions into use cases and data model requirements with emphasis on anticipating future ad-hoc needs
Implemented automation and reporting frameworks for product testing, leading to adoption by testing teams and reducing internal testing timelines by 30%
Developed new management dashboard to evaluate individual team performance by revenue segment
For more sample bullet points and details on how to write effective bullet points, see our articles on resume bullet points, how to quantify your resume and resume accomplishments.
Notice how the bullet point starts with an action verb, “Analyzed”, followed by the task alongside a relevant metric, “33%”.Analyzed user engagement for 50000 consumers and modelled a performance enhancement framework that increased customer retention by 33%.
Thank you for the checklist! I realized I was making so many mistakes on my resume that I've now fixed. I'm much more confident in my resume now.
