Today, making sales no longer means reaching out into the dark for leads and hoping that they find their way to your business. Instead, sales are about making actionable, data-driven decisions that lead to genuine opportunities to boost revenue.
And, we’re in the Information Age. Data is everywhere, and if your sales and marketing teams can use this to their advantage, your business is set to gain a huge amount. Data is the lifeblood of today’s businesses, but how do you make sense of it all and turn it into information that can be used to increase sales, produce happier customers, and come up with products and services that sell?
It’s data scientists, business analysts, and business intelligence analysts who make sense of all the data. They condense it into metrics that can be easily understood or mined in order to gain valuable insights into potential future trends. And, the demand for professionals skilled at this is on the rise. Making data-driven decisions means that those in the leadership of business are making less of a risk when it comes to the future of the company or losing an investment.
However, the high demand for business analytics professionals is just one of the main reasons to consider a career in this growing, lucrative field. Here are just some great reasons to consider a career in business intelligence and analytics.
Get into the IT Field
If you want to work in the increasingly lucrative and highly respected field of IT, but computer science isn’t really your kind of thing, business analytics gives you a foot in the door. Since business analytics uses many of the same tools as data science, you can work in IT without the need to gain a degree in computer science, learn programming or machine learning.
Additionally, another benefit of getting an advanced degree in this field is that business analysts do not typically have to work as hard as other IT professionals to ensure that they remain current in the highly-charged tech field. While you’ll have to stay up to date with the latest data analysis software, you don’t have to worry about staying on top of ever-updating IT security standards or various programming languages, for example.
Technology Drives the Demand
Data may have always ruled the world in one way or another; however, these days, we are generating much more of it as a result of the technology that we have available to use right now. Today, we are able to collect huge amounts of information on individual buyer preferences and marketing demographics like never before. As the devices that we all use on a daily basis become increasingly smarter, they are collecting and sharing more information than ever. As a result, this has led to a larger demand for business analysts, which is only expected to increase further as our use of intelligent devices and level of automation grows.
Demand Is Everywhere
Businesses all around the world are making use of the data overload that they have access to today, so if you are looking for a career that allows you to work from anywhere in the world that you please, this could be the right option for you. No matter where you go, there are always going to be businesses looking for professionals to interpret the huge amounts of data that they are gathering. Once you are qualified, you will be able to find work everywhere you go, in a wide range of different industries. Click here to learn more about an advanced degree program in business intelligence analytics, a field that will provide you with a tool to find work anywhere in the world that you want to go. A master’s program in this field will provide you with knowledge and skills in a wide range of different areas including descriptive and performance analytics, decision models, management consulting, and software for analytics.
Career Freedom
As if the high demand for professionals in your field, ability to take your work to wherever in the world you please and the option to work in the thriving IT field were not enough, another excellent advantage of studying business intelligence analytics is that you can easily change careers at any point. There are various fields where data is an important factor, and as a trained business analyst, you will be qualified and equipped to work in the majority of them in a wide variety of positions from entry-level to management.
In addition, if you are looking for a career change right now and you have a background in IT, math, economics, or accounting, studying for a degree in business analysis could be an ideal way to get your plan in action.
You Can Make a Difference
When most people consider career options in which they make a difference, they often go to caring roles; however, you can make a difference in your career as a business analyst, too. Data analysis may provide you with the opportunity to identify and address trends, many of which may be in important areas that impact other people. The conclusions that you come to can then be used to drive decisions regarding potential solutions that are likely going to be more successful.
Data-driven action plans can have a huge impact on the individual lives of the people who were previously affected by certain trends.
It’s Interesting Work
The world of data is ever-changing with data being gathered on a constant basis, so the good news for data analysts is that they get to face new challenges every day. For example, one day, they might be looking at online shopping trends for the business while the next, they could be examining employee attendance data to determine which factors appear to be contributing the most to issues such as poor attendance or lateness.
Since the role of a business analyst requires analyzing a ton of information, it can be a very mentally stimulating type of work, which is ideal for people who enjoy questioning things and coming up with ideas and solutions.
Excellent Rates of Pay
Since this combination of both business and analytical skills is so highly sought-after, you can expect an excellent wage as a business analyst, even at the entry-level. On average, business analysts can enjoy an average salary that is around 50% higher compared to that for other IT professionals.
Business Success
If you have an entrepreneurial mindset and a goal of starting your own business in the future or even running a business alongside working full-time, a strong background in business analytics will give you the edge over your competition. You will be able to use these skills to your advantage when starting out in business and researching your target market, and as you grow your startup and need to make increasing decisions regarding its future, offerings, employees, business model changes, and more.
How to Get into Business Analysis?
If the idea of working as a business analyst or business intelligence analyst is one that appeals to you, the first place to start is by getting an undergraduate degree in a relevant field. Generally, advanced programs for business intelligence analysis will prefer candidates to have a bachelor’s education in a subject such as mathematics, engineering, IT, computer science, economics, or statistics. Once you have graduated, you may find it useful to find work experience through internships, as many positions in the world of business analysis require some work experience, and this will be able to help you figure out what you enjoy working with the most and what you are good at in a real-life setting.
It’s more than feasible to simply continue your career from here and work your way up the ladder, but if you are hungry to learn more, professional certifications and advanced degree studies are the next steps forward. Microsoft provides one of the best professional certifications for business analysts, and these can be useful in helping you not only advance your career in the industry but also build credibility as a business analyst and stand out in the job market. An advanced degree program will usually require you to have an undergraduate degree in a related subject at least, but some are willing to forgo this in place of a certain amount of professional work experience.
Business analytics is a career involved in the interpretation of big data that is growing more and more in demand. Today, we are all generating endless amounts of data through our smart devices, online shopping trends, social media use and more – and businesses are taking as much advantage of this information as they can to discover what’s important about their customers and put together a plan for marketing to them. But it’s not all about business – data is also used in many industries for good, such as in the health and social care sector. As a business analyst, you will be in a unique position to take your pick of a different range of industries and career paths.