How To Write a Business Analyst Resume [With Samples]

Introduction

A business analyst is one of the most popular careers in the US today. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that business analyst jobs in the US are on their way to experience and increase by 14% from 2020 to 2030. An increase in demand for business analysts means intense competition in the market. You must make a cut for yourself with comprehensive knowledge, the right skills, and relevant experience to become a part of the race. 

Creating an impressive business analyst resume is the most crucial thing you need to focus on to advance in your career. A well-curated resume gives an insight into your experience and skills and helps recruiters decide whether you will be an ideal fit for the role. Resumes can make or break your chances of securing an interview and the business analyst job, especially for freshers. 

This article helps you understand the step-by-step process of creating a business analyst resume.

How to Write a Business Analyst Resume?

Creating a resume is tricky, especially for freshers. You will have to learn what to add and how to add it. Experienced professionals also face difficulty writing detailed resumes that can capture their strengths relevant to the job description. Here is how you can create an impressive business analyst resume.

1. Select a template:-

The first step to writing a business analyst’s resume is finding a suitable resume template. You can download business analyst resume templates online and edit them to add relevant information. You can choose one of three resume templates; reverse-chronological, functional, and combination. A reverse-chronological resume mentions your work history in reverse order. A functional resume is for professionals with decades of experience. It focuses more on skills rather than work experience. A combination resume is a mix of both reverse-chronological and functional resumes. It highlights both skills and work experience. A combination business analyst resume is better suited for professionals with 2-3 years of experience.

2. Add headings:-

Once you select a template, you have to add different sections. The following are the various headings you must add to your resume.

• Name and Contact Details

Your name goes on the top of the resume in bold. It should have a bigger font than the rest of the text in the resume. Add your email id, phone number, and LinkedIn profile link below your name.

(Your Name)

(Email id/Contact number/LinkedIn URL)

• Career Objective 

An objective is a 2-3 lines statement where you mention your prior professional experience and what you are seeking at other job organizations. You can mention both short-term and long-term objectives. Here are some examples of objectives for a business analyst resume:

1. “A business analyst with over five years of experience in the IT sector seeking the position of a senior business analyst at VyomaTech, where I get an opportunity to implement strategic business process modeling and other skills.”
2. “Seeking a business analyst position at Realty Tech Firm, where I get an opportunity to use data analytics to bridge the gap between IT and the business and deliver data-driven solutions.”

• Education:- Mention your educational qualifications after the objective section. This section is more relevant if you are a fresher and don’t have much work experience. However, if you are an experienced business analyst, you can remove the education section or add it to the resume’s bottom, above the skills.
• Work Experience

Your work experience or internships cover the major part of your resume. It includes the key responsibilities you have performed at other organizations. This section highlights your experience and leadership skills. You have to mention the name of the organizations you have worked for, your job title, and the duration of work, followed by your key responsibilities in bullet points. Work experience is added in reverse-chronological order. Your most recent work experience comes first, and the initial jobs are added towards the end. Here are some examples of work experience that you can add to the resume:

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A. TripleWorks, New York (March 2016 – March 2022) – Senior Business Analyst

• Used Agile Scrum Methodology to implement business strategies and increased customer satisfaction by 35%.
• Identified process bottlenecks and developed strategies to overcome inefficiencies in product management.
• Drafted annual reports based on financial metrics to analyze deficiencies in management.

B. Cache Technologies, New York (April 2013 – February 2016) – Business Analyst Associate

• Identified product management challenges and collaborated with the technical team to devise software solutions for the organization.
• Streamlined data analysis process by using open source Python and SQL languages.
• Conducted activity-based analysis of different business processes and suggested improved policies.

• Certifications

Certifications are not necessary for a business analyst’s resume. However, popular courses in business analytics can add value to your resume and increase the chances of selection. You can add a separate certification or extra course sections in the resume. Mention your learnings in bullet points.

• Skills

You must add popular business analyst skills to your resume to make your candidature stand out. Skills can be added in a separate section at the end of your resume. You can also highlight how you have used business analyst skills by adding bullet points under work experience. The following are the most relevant business analyst skills for a resume:

1. SQL
2. Data Analysis 
3. Data visualization and warehousing
4. Process Mapping
5. Product Innovation
6. Tableau 
7. Microsoft Excel
8. Google Docs
9. Risk Assessment
10. Analytical Thinking
11. Problem-solving

3. Formatting business analyst resume:-

Once you have finished writing the resume, you need to do the formatting. You should use a simple font for the text like Calibri or Arial. The headings can be in font size 12, and the bullet points must be in font size 10. You can highlight important parts with bold or italics. Make sure the space between different headings is uniform, and the text is justified. You should use the same font throughout the text and keep a 0.5 margin on both sides.

4. ATS compliant resume:-

Adding relevant keywords to your business analyst resume to make it ATS compliant is of paramount importance. ATS (Application tracking system) is software that scans and automatically filters resumes before it reaches the employer. The software approves resumes with relevant keywords mentioned in the job description, proper formatting, and resume length.

It means that if your resume is poorly drafted and not ATS compliant, it will be automatically rejected by the computer system. No matter what skills or experience you have, the system will reject your application, and you will not be able to get the job. Most companies in the world use ATS software to filter job applications. You can follow the below-given tips to make the resume ATS-friendly.

• Choose a simple business analyst resume template because the software is more likely to reject fancy documents.
• You must add relevant keywords to your business analyst resume that align with the job description. Examples are business processes, business optimization, market research, and analyzing reports. You can look for a few business analyst job descriptions and pick important words.
• You should not add graphics or charts to your resume. A few business analyst resume samples might include a picture or your signature. However, you should avoid using such samples because the ATS cannot understand images or graphics and will reject the resume.
• You should keep the file format simple. It is better to use PDF, Docx, or Doc format for your resume. The software hardly recognizes other file types.
• Proofread:- Grammatical and formatting errors in the resume can leave a bad impression on the employer. Therefore, you must proofread the resume several times after writing it. You should also ensure that the formatting is in place after downloading the document in PDF or doc form.
• Customize the business analyst resume:- Each organization has a separate set of skills and work experience requirements for a business analyst job. You cannot send the same business analyst resume for all job opportunities. It is necessary to send tailored resumes for each job. You need to read job descriptions carefully and mention the points in your resume. This increases your chances of securing a business analyst job.

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Conclusion

The easiest way people create a business analyst resume is by picking a business analyst resume sample available online and editing it. However, the ATS software often rejects such resumes because of improper formatting, lack of relevant keywords, and other factors. You do not have to start writing the resume from scratch, necessarily. You can pick a template and edit it. However, the objective and work experience should be original. It is also crucial to customize your resume for different job applications by adding the required skills and experience for the job. 

In order to add more value to your business analyst resume, upGrad’s Business Analytics Certification program is an excellent option for upskilling and also helps in enabling candidates to gain in-depth knowledge of business analytics like managing data structures, business intelligence, and performance management. The course will also teach you necessary business analytics skills like MySQL, Excel, Hadoop, MapReduce, and more.

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