How to become a business analyst with no experience?

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The Agile BA certification scheme is a recent addition to the list of business analyst certification. Agile BA is based on the AgileBA Handbook, published by the Agile Business Consortium.

Based on DSDM principles, this certification provides clarity and insight into business analysis for those working on agile projects, in agile environments. The focus on agile business analysis helps candidates align their practices with increasingly prevalent agile frameworks.

While Agile tends to focus on project management, AgileBA takes agile concepts such as workshops, prioritization, timeboxes, modelling, prototyping and business cases, and frames them in relation to the business analyst role.

PMI Professional in Business Analysis (PMI-PBA)^®

PMI-PBA^® is a popular certification in the US and covers the most essential business analysis techniques.

While PMI-PBA^® training has no prerequisites, to be eligible for the certification exam, candidates must possess several years of relevant work experience. As such, many business analysts return to formal education later in their career to attain this qualification.

The next steps

Now that you have a rough understanding of what makes a good BA candidate, we can plan the next steps towards your first business analyst role.

1. Involve yourself in projects today!

There’s always something going on in the business world. If you’re currently employed, ask your manager if there are any projects you can join in a support role.

This will give you a good chance to learn the ropes first-hand, even if you have nothing to contribute at first, immersing yourself in a project environment will give you an understanding of roles and tasks carried out by developers in your industry.

If you’re not employed, you’ll have to take matters into your own hand. Seek out non-profit organizations and volunteer. You’ll likely not be paid, but you will have the opportunity to work alongside knowledgeable and passionate individuals who will be more than happy to have you along for the ride.

2. Improve your technical skills

As we mentioned, tools like Microsoft Visio are a BAs tools of choice. Pick out a selection of commonly used tools (a quick google search might give you a better idea, or you could possibly ask BAs in your business for advice) and get training!

You’ll find that almost every popular tool has an associate training course, most of which are free.

When you’re done, make sure to update your CV, highlighting your newfound technical skills.

3. Always find better ways of working

Getting in the right mind-set is half the challenge of being a BA.

Don’t sit there repeating the same tasks day after day. At work, or at home, always look for more efficient ways of going about your day.

The faster you get your tasks done, the more time you’ll have to involve yourself in projects at work.

The faster you gain project experience, the sooner you’ll land your first BA role!

4. Apply for BA roles

If you’ve followed the above steps and acquired your professional certifications, it’s time to start applying for roles.

Consider having your CV designed by a professional. It’s the first contact you’ll have with an employer, make sure you make a good first impression!

If you make it past this first hurdle, you’ll need to prepare yourself to ace the interview. Read below for our guide to BA interviews.

Interview preparation

Here are just a few questions you might be asked when being interviewed for a BA role. Understand these and you’ll not only get a good understanding of what knowledge is typically required by a BA, but if you’re stumped, that’s a good sign there are some areas of your own understanding that need improvement!

These questions may seem a little intimidating, but if you successfully acquire a BA qualification by attending a business analyst course, you’ll be more than ready!

Q1. What tools would you use a business analyst to do your job well?

This is a common question designed to test your basic technical skills and familiarity with standard BA software tools. Tailor your answer to highlight your own unique experience and skills.

Sample answer: “I use tools like the Microsoft Publishing suite Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Visio. I also understand SQL which is helpful when I need to analyse data that would overwhelm Excel.”

Q2. How would you handle a difficult stakeholder?

Another common question to test your ability to communicate and negotiate compromise. Contextual questions like this also measure your problem-solving skills.
When answering, always include an example you’ve faced at work. You can also use frameworks such as STAR interview responses to structure your answers:

• Situation: Briefly explain the problem you were dealing with.
• Task: Explain your role.
• Action: Explain what you did to resolve the problem.
• Result: Explain how your actions resulted in a positive result.

Sample answer: “I once had a client that felt they had received the incorrect data. My role was to collect said data. I decided to bring the problem to the attention of my superiors. After further discussion, we established a weekly workshop with our business consultants to help our client interpret said data over the remainder of the project.”

Q3. Explain your understanding of SQL queries

SQL is the standard language of relational databases. Though a BA doesn’t need to have advanced technical skills, some skills are seen as mandatory (depending on the business or industry).
You may be asked to explain the elements of SQL statements during an interview. Use the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and providing an example of how you have used SQL to aid you in previous tasks.

Sample answer: “SQL statements include the DDL (Data Definition Language), the DML (Data Manipulation Language), the DCL (Data Control Language), and the TCL (Transactional Control Language) used to control access to, insert, delete and modify data. I have used SQL to track client purchases, helping my business make important decisions about future products.”

Q4. What are the pros and cons of analytical reporting?

As a BA, you need to understand the benefits and limitations of analytical reporting.
Use this question to demonstrate your critical thinking and analytical skills, showing how you use data to create recommendations.

Sample answer: “The most important aspect of analytical reporting is the ability to solve problems and make decisions based on empirical information. Data itself cannot solve problems, but it can equip you to make the right business decisions when analysed. Even if certain decisions do not produce the desired results, data allows you to learn from mistakes and continue improving. Analytical reporting provides tangible information with which to create a strategy.”

Q5. Name two useful diagrams you might use as a BA and how they affect your work.

This is a fairly basic question asked to ensure you are familiar with standard BA documentation. Again, use the STAR response framework to structure your answer for bonus points!

Sample answer: “I prefer to use Activity Diagrams and Use Case Diagrams. Activity Diagrams help visualize the activities that take place across different departments. I use these to show who interacts with any given system and what they achieve through this. Use Case Diagrams are useful when I need to display the functional requirements of a given system, this allows me to make informed decisions when designing development priorities.”