Business Analyst Resume Sample

Most companies have business analysts in some capacity, but depending on the type and size of the company, their responsibilities, tasks, and software used may vary greatly. The applicant above is applying for a mid-level or senior analyst position.

If your resume is not as complete as the one above, don’t worry. Employers and hiring managers understand that life happens. You can use this applicant’s resume as a guide, and regardless of employment history, the tips below will be useful to anyone in the field.

Business and market research analyst positions have strong outlooks for the future, and it is a great field to get into right now. In fact, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, business analyst positions are expected to grow 19% by the year 2024.

If you are looking for a mid-level or senior position, check out the tips below and tailor your resume accordingly.

1. Choose the Right Format for Your Resume

The purpose of a resume is to emphasize your qualities to a hiring manager, while demonstrating why you would be a great fit with the company. It sounds pretty straightforward, but everyone has different qualities, whether these are specific technical skills, years of experience in a related field, or exemplary academic achievements and certifications.

Depending on your life situation, you will want to highlight those qualities, while potentially minimizing the emphasis put on other aspects of your professional profile. Would you really want to draw attention to your professional experience if you had none?

Whether you are a recent graduate, a mid-level manager, an executive with many years of experience, or just someone looking to change career paths, there is a resume format that can really make you look great to a hiring manager. Here, we will outline three of the most common, most successful resume formats out there.

A. The Reverse Chronological Resume Format

The chronological resume is by far the most common resume format, and probably the one you are using now. This format highlights your work experience, starting with the most recent.

It is perfect for those who want to show vertical career progression in a single field, those who have no notable gaps in their employment history, and those who want to apply for a job in the same or a related industry.

If you’ve changed jobs a lot in a relatively short period of time, have gaps in your employment history, or want to change your career path and move into a new industry, this format is probably not for you.

B. The Functional Resume Format

The functional resume highlights your skills and qualifications. As hiring managers go through your resume, ideally they will be nodding their heads approvingly at your skills by the time they reach your employment history section.

You should even tailor your resume to include specific keywords and skill requirements used in the job posting, assuming you have them.

Those with a particular skillset that they want to emphasize should use this format. If you have gaps in your employment history, or are changing career paths and moving into a new industry, this format is also great for you.

It goes without saying then, that if you don’t have any related skills or are a recent graduate, this format wouldn’t be a good choice.

C. The Combination Resume Format

The combination resume format is simply a combination of the reverse chronological and functional formats. Surprise! As it is a combination of the two, it offers the most flexibility. This format is for those with well-developed skillsets and a background of mixed experience and education.

This format may be the right one for you if you are an expert or extremely experienced in the given field. It may also work well for you if you are making the move to a new career path, or have a particularly relevant skillset.

Remember, the format you choose is ultimately less important than the substance you put into the resume, so make sure you spend adequate time researching the desired position and developing your resume accordingly.

While there are guidelines we suggest for choosing a resume format, in the end, you need to feel comfortable with your resume, as it is a reflection of you. Feel free to choose one that gives you the most confidence.

2. Make Your Business Analyst Resume Objective Compelling

As it is the first bit of real content on your resume, your resume objective is a chance to grab the attention of the hiring manager and really set yourself apart from other candidates.

It is a chance to briefly say who you are as an employee, which position you’re applying for, and what you can bring to the hiring company. It is often ignored, done incorrectly, or even completely omitted by job seekers, but its importance cannot be understated.

In fact, it could be the difference between scoring an interview and having your resume passed over in favor of another.

To make the most of your career objective, you need to be clear and poignant. Do not use overly literary words or sentence structures. Career objectives that are wordy or flowery tend to turn people off. It just makes it seem like they are trying too hard.

The idea is to exude confidence in yourself, your experience, and your abilities, not to prop yourself up with fluff. This is a place to be serious, and also direct. Use strong action verbs to outline exactly what you bring and how you can contribute to the success of the hiring company.

Be sure to mention the position you want, and any relevant education and certifications that you have attained.

Let’s take a look at the example above sentence-by-sentence:

– Meticulous business analyst with over 5 years of experience in analyzing market trends and developing dynamic business strategies.

Here, the applicant emphasizes his or her experience, while using strong action verbs like “analyzing” and “developing” to really highlight what he or she could bring to the hiring company.

– Looking to apply my ample experience and skills in predictive analysis toward the success of your company via the open analyst position.

In this sentence, the applicant again emphasizes his or her experience, while cleverly inserting another related skill. Additionally, he or she identifies the position being applied for, and discusses his or her desire to contribute to the company’s success.

Too often applicants use their career objective section to outline why they want the position and what it would do for their careers. Hiring managers ultimately want someone who can contribute to their goals in a positive way. They are not looking to throw someone a bone.

– Possess a B.S. in Business Administration from one of the most premier programs in the country.

This sentence is important because nearly all business analyst positions require the applicant to have at least a bachelor’s degree. Putting your education and any relevant certifications in the career objective allows the hiring manager to know that you meet the requirements for the position without having to scroll down the page.

It also adds strength to your career objective as a whole, and will leave a lasting impression to anyone who reads it.

– My proven record of success in a myriad of industries will make me an immediate contributor at your company.

Finally, we see the applicant again call attention to his or her experience, while also underlining a desire to contribute to the company’s success.

It is a good idea to round out your career objective with something like this, as the hiring manager will see that you are a team player that places the collective above individual success.

Your career objective section should be no longer than four sentences, and should outline your experience, relevant skills, the position you are applying for, and your education and relevant certifications.

3. Quantify Your Achievements in Your Professional Experience Section

After your career objective grabs the attention of the hiring manager, he or she will proceed to the real meat of your resume: the professional experience section.

Ultimately, this is the most important part of your resume as a candidate for a mid-level business analyst position, as it shows the hiring manager what you have done, what successes you have had, and what you are capable of.

In this way, it is important to be specific and try to quantify your experience and achievements through bullet points under past and present employment listings. Take a look at this bullet point:

– Perform in-depth analyses on market trends and practices

While this is a fine bullet point and undoubtedly one of the many responsibilities of a business analyst, it lacks specifics and does not really give the hiring manager a clear picture of the applicant’s abilities. As per the sample resume above, a somewhat vague bullet point can be made more specific by quantifying the experience:

– Perform in-depth analyses on market trends and practices which led to the implementation of new marketing strategies and a 4.7% increase in revenue

Now, the hiring manager has an idea of the size of the company the applicant works for, the workload he or she is able to successfully manage, and the fact that the applicant is probably a goal-oriented person.

Quantifying your professional experience also lets the hiring manager know that you are meticulous and pay attention to details.

It’s not always easy to do, but quantifying your professional experience will give you an edge over many other applicants. Try to quantify at least three of your bullet points for each employment experience. If you are having trouble, try taking a step back and see if you can pull any numbers from what you’ve done in past or present roles.

To get quantifiable information from your work experience, it’s often easier to first ask yourself some questions such as:

• Did any of my actions lead or contribute to increases in revenue, productivity, sales, efficiency, savings, conversions, retention rates, etc.? If so, how much?
• Did any of my actions lead or contribute to decreases in costs, expenses, waste, etc.? If so, how much?
• How many accounts/clients were under your analysis? How much were they worth to the company?
• Did you generate reports, presentations, or briefings for colleagues or superiors? If so, how many?
• How many strategies or business models did you implement or contribute to?
• Did you meet any goals that were set for you or your team?

Although it’s not always obvious, it’s usually possible to do, and will really make your resume stand out to a hiring manager.

4. Match Your Skills to the Position

Any business analyst role is going to require a combination of hard and soft skills that most other people don’t have or haven’t developed. As such, it is important to note these in the skills section of your resume.

Hard skills are teachable abilities that can usually be quantified. These include any proficiencies in software, hardware, apps, languages, data analysis, etc. Hard skills are those that will make you qualified to perform the role that you are applying for.

Soft skills are interpersonal skills that make you someone who is easy to work with. These are things like organizational skills, punctuality, adaptability, good communication skills, etc. While they are not of great importance to hiring managers as they look at your resume, including them may give you a leg up on other applicants.

Job postings always provide skill requirements for potential applicants. These usually include a combination of hard and soft skills. If you have any of these skills, you should put them in your skills section. With hard skills, be specific. Don’t say that you have good computer skills. Cite the specific skills that you have, e.g. “Proficient with MySQL and Microsoft Excel”.

Some skills that business analysts could include:

• Database software such as MySQL, NoSQL, Microsoft Access, IBM DB2, and Apache Hadoop
• Analytical software like SAS, StataCorp Stata, and Minitab
• Familiarity with various operating systems such as Windows, Linux, UNIX, and Mac OS
• Microsoft Office skills; particularly Powerpoint and Excel
• Business intelligence software such as Tableau, QlikView, and IBM Cognos
• Any foreign language skills
• Analytical reasoning and critical thinking

Use keywords that are used in the job posting. Seeing these keywords on your resume will spark a little light of recognition in the head of the hiring manager, and may ultimately give you a better shot at an interview.

If you’re still having trouble writing your business analyst resume, give our free resume builder a try.