5 Essentials of a Business Analyst Resume in 2020
The mere role of a business analyst contains complex tasks and procedures and to communicate the same on a piece of paper is an artwork.
Therefore, you need a resume that not only showcases your potential and achievements in the best possible manner but can be easily understood by the recruiter.
In this guide, we will show you how to craft a business analyst resume that is impressive yet easy to understand universally, so let’s get right into the action.
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The suitable format
You can’t blindly choose the resume format as per your liking.
There are majorly three resume formats:
- Functional
- Reverse-chronological
- Combination/Hybrid
You should choose the one that highlights your skills and achievements as a BA effectively.
Several factors need to be considered before opting for a particular resume format. For instance, if you have had a smooth career journey without any gaps or breaks, a reverse chronological format is the best-suited.
Most recruiters are used to scan resumes in this format, hence the familiarity can play in your favor.
As someone who has had remote work experience or short stints at different organizations, the combination or hybrid resume format is a good choice.
This type of resume format showcases all your skills and represents them as subheadings under the “Professional Experience” section in your resume.
As a fresher, the ideal resume format for BA individuals is always reverse-chronological as it showcases your recent job roles while highlighting your expertise in the form of achievements bulleted under the experience section.
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Resume objective or resume summary?
A resume summary section is one of the eye-catching parts in your resume with the potential of helping you stand apart from the candidates applying for the same position.
It can be described as a short-selling pitch pointing out your major achievements from your job trajectory while also showcasing your gained knowledge and skills.
A resume summary is appropriate when:
- You have 3 or more years of experiences in your field
- When you are not changing your career path
It should be a small paragraph not exceeding more than 3-4 lines talking about your career achievements.
For example-A business analyst with 10 years of experience in developing business strategies by constantly analyzing the latest market trends. Adept at leading teams with a track-record of improving productivity by 30% and conceptualizing process improvements.
The above example showcases the skills and how one deployed those skills to deliver quantifiable impact.
It will not take much of a recruiter’s time to understand what you can bring to the table.
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Quantified work experience section
HR professionals often do not have an in-depth idea of the profile they are hiring for. Therefore, easing up on jargon can help your case.
Use layman terms wherever possible to make it easy to understand for the people reading your resume.
If not purposely asked in the job description, you can omit out heavy jargons and can find substitutes for the same to explain a job role reasonably.
Besides showcasing your achievements and previous job roles, your main focus should always be on how you are the perfect fit for the role.
A business analyst performs several duties and may find several job roles under this umbrella such as:
- Domain consultant
- Product analyst
- Product manager
So as a business analyst, finding the job role you are applying for and connecting it with your experience section can increase the attractability ratio of your professional resume.
Quantifying the bullet points is also a crucial step to follow while drafting the experience section in your resume.
For example:
- Delivered 70% YoY revenue growth in sales by deploying brand ownership
- Managed a marketing budget of 5m across multiple channels
- Chaired a team of 5 BD executives while ensuring timely delivery of the OKRs
The above example draws eyes quickly to numbers and figures mentioned in this section. A recruiter in one glance can understand your contributions without having to scan deeper.
There should be a balance of relevant skills and numerical figures in this section to showcase your potential and set yourself apart from other candidates.
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Education Section
Adding relevant educational information and certifications will help decide recruiters on how capable you are as a working professional.
Most jobs have certain qualifications requirements and thus, listing your education and certifications on your resume in a correct format is important.
The education section in a resume adds credibility and proves that you are academically qualified for the job role of a business analyst.
To add your education, you should follow a reverse chronological format. Start with your latest degree and work towards mentioning your previous qualifications.
The certifications should be listed under a separate ‘Certifications’ section in the specified manner as shown below:
Certificate name | Certifying body| Time period
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Resume Skill Section
A resume is not a catalog of skills, but a sales pitch presenting all your relevant accomplishments and previous experiences.
Creating a resume skill section is all about selectively highlighting what you can bring to the table and not overselling yourself as an experienced candidate.
While soft skills are just an individual’s working traits, industry-specific skills are what recruiters look for in a resume. Below are some examples of industry-specific skills you mustn’t forget to add in your business analyst resume:
- Hadoop
- Cognos
- Programming Languages: Java and SQL
- Microsoft Visio
- UAT
- JAD
- SME
- Microsoft Access
- StataCorp Stata
- Minitab
- Tableau
- QlikView
To present your business analyst skills effectively, you should divide your skills into 2 sections-
Key Skills
Technical skills
Key skills are your core competencies concerning business analysis whereas the technical skills are the technical know-how of the tools and methodologies you deploy to fulfil your daily tasks.
Key Takeaways
Drafting a job-winning business analyst resume is not just about showcasing your achievements and skills but also proving those achievements with facts and figures to increase your credibility as a working professional.
