Getting an Education and Developing Skills
Pursue an undergraduate degree in a technical field. Enroll in an undergraduate degree program in computer science, engineering, information systems, mathematics, or statistics. Take all the required classes required to earn your degree.Tip: You will need to become familiar with computer programming languages to become a technical business analyst, so a bachelor’s degree in computer science is one of the best degrees you can pursue. Remember that technical business analysts are different from regular business analysts, who typically have an education that is more business-focused, such as finance or accounting.
Take courses to learn common computer programming and coding languages. Select courses in your degree program, additional elective courses, or sign up for online courses to learn programming and coding languages. Aim to learn SAS, SQL, VB, HTML, CSS, and PHP. You don’t need to be an expert in any one specific language, but you need to be familiar and comfortable with a variety of them. Technical business analysts often work on software development projects. You need to understand different programming languages to be able to analyse such projects effectively.
Learn about project management. Take courses in project management or use the Internet to teach yourself. Learn about project management methodologies like Agile, Scrum, and Kanban, as well as project management skills like stakeholder management, project lifecycle management, and change management. YouTube and project management blogs are great resources you can use to teach yourself about project management online.
Work on your communication skills. Take communication courses like public speaking or writing classes to practice your written and verbal communication skills. Read books, magazine articles, blogs, and other online resources about communication techniques for additional tips. As a technical business analyst, you will need to be able to effectively communicate with people on both the business and IT sides of a company. You’ll also need to be able to clearly write documents like project management reports and give presentations to stakeholders.
Improve your analytical skills. Take data analysis courses and statistical mathematics courses to learn how to analyse numbers. Read books or online resources related to analytical and critical thinking skills. Technical business analysts are responsible for analyzing a business and collecting data to find key metrics that help a company understand itself and improve processes. You will need to be able to run complex analyses to draw insights and help with decision making.
Gaining Experience and Finding a Job
Get an internship while you study to start gaining experience. Search online for technical business analyst, data analyst, or business analyst internships in the city where you are studying and apply to any that interest you. Check with your degree program department to see if they have any resources you can use to find an internship as well.Tip: Try looking for startups in your area that offer internships or part-time job opportunities. Even if you don’t find any internships or part-time jobs advertised, you could still reach out to a startup and ask if you could do an internship for them to gain experience. Don’t wait until after you have your degree to start getting experience as an analyst. Having something on your resume already once you graduate will set you apart from other applicants and increase your odds of landing a full-time job you really want. If you can’t specifically find a technical business analyst internship, try to get any internship that would allow you to at least practice some of your technical and analytical skills. For example, you could find a programming internship to continue developing your programming skills.
Volunteer to do business analyst-related tasks. This is particularly important if you aren’t able to specifically find a business analyst internship or part-time job. Volunteer to perform any job duties related to business analysis, such as data analysis and statistical reporting. If you do find a business analyst internship or part-time job, you can volunteer for additional tasks that involve skills you want to work on developing more. For instance, if you feel like you need to work on your communication skills, you could volunteer to put together weekly data reports and present them to your team.
Search for job openings online in the city you want to work in after graduating. Look on LinkedIn and job listing sites using keywords like “technical business analyst” and the name of the city you want to work in. Bookmark jobs that look interesting to you to create a list of companies to research and potentially apply to. For example, if you want to work in San Francisco, search LinkedIn and job listing sites using the term “technical business analyst San Francisco.” You can also use other terms to narrow down your searches, such as “junior” or “entry-level.” This will cut out some of the jobs you probably aren’t qualified for yet.
Research companies you’re interested in to ensure they are data-driven. Search LinkedIn for employees at companies that interest you and check if they have any analysts on the staff already. Look at all the jobs a company has posted and see if they are hiring for a variety of technical and analytical roles. Visit company websites and look for data-driven insights in their website content and blog posts. It’s important to find a data-driven company to work at so you will be challenged and have the opportunity to continue developing your skills. If a company already has a developed data and business intelligence team, you’re more likely to have other people around who can mentor you and help you grow professionally. In general, larger, more established companies are more likely to be data-driven than smaller companies like startups.
Apply to technical business analyst jobs at data-driven companies. Fill out online applications and send your resume to any companies that interest you to try and get interviews. Make sure your resume includes information about all your relevant technical and analytical skills as well as your past experience from internships or part-time jobs. If you have any connections who work at a company you’re applying for a job at, make sure you let them know you’re sending an application. They might be able to put in a good word for you with HR and get your resume ahead of other applicants.
Working as a Technical Business Analyst
Recognize that your duty is to use data to help the company improve. Use all of the data collection methods available to you in your role to gather data sets about different processes for analysis. Scrutinize the data to look for ways to improve the business’s efficiency. Some examples of deliverables you might be expected to provide are business plans, documentation of systems and enterprise architecture, data models, flowcharts, and strategic plans. Technical business analysts are often the liaison between different departments in a company. They must stay on top of the changing needs of the business and work with different departments to streamline workflows and standardize processes.
Set 6- and 12-month goals to advance your career. Write down specific goals you want to achieve during the first year in your career. Focus your 6-month goals on settling in and getting to know the ins and outs of your job in order to perform it well. Set 12-month goals that are related to taking on more responsibility and moving up in the company. For example, some 6-month goals could include things like becoming familiar with the company’s business model, getting comfortable with all the available data, and learning at least 1 new tool, system, or technology. Some ideas for 12-month goals are to become an expert in at least 2 new tools, systems, or technologies, become indispensable to the company, train a new analyst, and become a team leader.
Work your way towards becoming a senior technical business analyst. Work harder than everyone else on your team and focus on delivering measurable results to the company. Let your supervisor or manager know that you are interested in moving up to a more senior analyst position, so they keep you in mind when it’s time for annual promotions or when a position opens up. Ask your supervisor or manager if there is a mentorship program available that you can take advantage of. Even if there isn’t an official program, you could ask them if they would be willing to be an unofficial mentor to you and let you help out with some more senior responsibilities. Make sure to ask your supervisor or manager for regular feedback and thank them when they give it. Always implement the feedback in your work to improve in your role and get closer to your goal of becoming a senior analyst.
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