Career

The role of a business analyst is employer specific, while some might require only IT knowledge, others might require finance or accounting background and a few might want specific marketing skills. Academics from a specific field is not that crucial, as far as you have a Bachelor or an equivalent degree. Although in recent times employers swing towards candidates with a degree in MBA, or a Master of Science in Information Management (MSIM), or a Master of Science in Business Analytics (MS-BA). You can also boost your portfolio with certifications, especially if you intend to take up this role with a few years of work experience. Depending upon when in your career you plan to enter this field, it is important to take stock of your transferable skills. Basically, the role of a business analyst requires a combination of Soft skills, Technical skills, and Transferable skills. Analytical skills, critical thinking, problem solving skills, research skills, communications skills, understanding of IT skills, which would mean some systems knowledge above using Microsoft office efficiently could help a great deal. People interested in a career change or initiating their career as a business analyst should acquire additional qualifications through relevant certifications that can leverage their existing skills. For a role of a business analyst is much sought after these days, and as forecasted the demand will only continue to grow.

Yes you can. You need to do business analyst certification to kick start career as business analyst. There are various institutes that offer full-time courses on business analysis, and if you are looking for specific job oriented programs, then opt for business analyst course from Imarticus Learning. Career Path:
1. Business Analyst or B.A. Purely concentrating on being a business analyst can help you in many ways. Once you are thorough in being a B.A. You can easily change or switch industries to find the one you are comfortable with or that suits you and start working at all levels of the company once you have enough experience.
2. Business Analysis Manager: For someone who likes to manage people and teams, being a business analysis manager is a good place to start. You will be assigned a team to manage, and you will have the role of a leader which you can ascend in career growth.
3. Project Manager: Being a project manager makes you someone who has a diverse set of skills. These skills are completely different from being a business analyst. If you are someone who is looking for a change of skills, this position is worth checking out. This is a route that business analysts traditionally aim for because of the very satisfying and highly rewarding career path.
4. Relationship Manager: If you are a good speaker, listener, and influencer, this is the job for you. In this post, you are expected to make great connections with stakeholders, listen to them, understand them, and answer their questions about various things, according to the ever-changing business environment.
5. Business Analysis Competency Manager: This career option deals with the theoretical and developmental aspects of business analysis. Here, you do not get any practical and hands-on experience. The role of a B.A. Competency manager is to improve the business, analyze proficiency, and also track development within the company.
6. Business Architect: Another career option for a Business Analyst is to become a business architect. In this role, you get to work closely with the company, along with a combination of informal requirements. This role is best suited for senior analysts who have an understanding of the enterprise and has the ability to observe the company from a general point of view.
7. Subject Matter Expert: Here, you have the role of being proficient in a particular domain, industry, or subject matter.

The scope of being a business analyst is endless in India. Top tier companies like Accenture, Wipro, Infosys, IBM, and TCS are using business analytics tools to generate intelligent business solutions for making a larger profit. There are various private universities and colleges that offer full-time courses on business analysis, and if you are looking for specific job oriented programs, then there are many certification courses that are available in the market. Salary of Business Analyst: The normal analyst salary in a larger company is between 53,000 to 69,000$. You also earn commissions that are equal to the payout according to the 2017 Robert Half Accounting and Finance Salary Guide.

A person coming out of any discipline or academics can pursue the CFA programme. Applications to the programme are usually from students and undergraduates to an early professional who intent to get a boost to their career. Although it is important to note that just getting a certification will not guarantee the same. Passing all the three exams of CFA in itself is a very daunting job when compared to the efforts and commitment of the time required as against other management programs like the MBA. In fact, there are many MBA pass outs and CAs who join CFA to get into core investment banking jobs. CFA gives a great technical grounding and offers broad-based scopes suitable for investment banking, research analyst, equity research and portfolio management. The CFA course focuses on ethics, portfolio management, accounting, corporate finance, fixed income and equity investments, so basically if one does not have a very specific choice but needs to build their career in the field of finance then they should opt for the CFA certification as it is broad-based, opening many career opportunities. Passing a CFA Exam shows that the person pursuing the same has the ability to show commitment, tenacity, comes across as a professional with resilience, and rigour. In addition to the learnings from the course, the charter holders are also considered internationally mobile as well due to their association with the global professional network.