A business analyst improves a business through data-driven recommendations. They could be the intermediary between the business and IT. A business analyst could also collect, process, and analyze data to identify patterns and support decisions. The latter responsibilities are very similar to those of a data analyst. The main focus of a data analyst is to gather information from various sources and interpret patterns and trends. A data analyst’s discoveries are reported and used to drive decision-making in different aspects of a company’s workings.
Business analyst and data analyst roles are very similar, and companies will often use these role titles interchangeably, even if the responsibilities vary. This means that if you interview for one of these roles, you need to ask more questions about the specifics of the role’s responsibilities in order to understand what is expected.
Follow this link to view the video: A Day in the Life of a Business Analyst
Think of any analyst as a collection of skills, and their title should be applied to reflect the skills that particular analyst has or needs to use the most to do the job at their particular company. Examine the table below to compare the necessary skills for each role.
Although the skills between the two roles seem very similar, the major distinction between the two roles is the amount they use each skill. For example, in most businesses, a data analyst will use SQL as a main tool of their role, whereas a business analyst may only use SQL when necessary for a specific project. This is why many use a business analyst role as a transitory role before becoming a data analyst. They’re very similar.
Follow this link to watch a video on the top 5 business analyst skills required in the role.
