How to become a Business Analyst without a degree

The IT industry is rapidly growing and working within the sector has many benefits including high salaries, job security, career progression, and much more, there has never been a better time to consider a career change. Often people think you need a degree in computer science or related fields in order to succeed in this field, however, you can still be successful without a degree.

Although a degree may be useful, it is not necessary, as you can gain all the relevant knowledge and skills through online courses. For example, The Learning People offer a range of courses to help you begin your Business Analyst career as well as courses where you can upskill to become a Data Analyst, you can find all the available courses here. In this article we break down their suggested courses and what they entail.

Business Analyst

A Business Analyst is someone who assesses the data within the company in order to create and implement business solutions that will help them achieve their goals. They often work with multiple teams including IT Support, Project Managers, and Senior Managers. They also work with external stakeholders.

As a Business Analyst, you work closely with IT and therefore it is important that you have an interest in technology. You will be a part of helping companies devise and integrate IT solutions to optimise processes. Often a Business Analyst role also takes on projects and therefore you should feel comfortable with your leadership and communication abilities.

Beginners course for Business Analytics

For those looking to start a career in Business Analytics, The Learning People suggest the BCS, Foundation Certificate in Business Analysis.

This course is designed by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, and is globally recognised in more than 200 countries. The course is ideal for those looking to take their first steps into Business Analytics and gain a greater understanding of what the role entails.

Business analysis can be broken into four tiers, this includes strategy planning, business model analysis, process design, and system analysis. In this course, you will learn all of these and more, including how to analyse and manage stakeholders, how to make a business case, define a solution, establish the requirements and how to deliver them, and the business solution as a whole.

You don’t need any previous experience or qualifications in order to do this course, therefore it is the perfect first step into beginning your Business Analyst career.

The average salary of an entry-level Business Analyst is £30,000

Upskilling as a Business Analyst

For those looking to progress their career in Business Analytics, The Learning People suggest the CBAP, Certified Business Analysis Professional course.

Once you have gained some real-life experience as a Business Analyst, and you understand the foundations, you can take this course which is designed to help you step into a more senior role.

As well as understanding frameworks, Business Analysts also require excellent critical and creative thinking skills, business acumen, a strong analytical mindset, and excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Within this course, you are able to learn personal skills and perspectives for effective business analysis, elicitation and collaboration, life cycle management, strategy analysis, and various business analytics techniques and tools.

After completing you will have gained the knowledge, competencies, and experience as a highly effective business analysis professional.

The average salary of a mid-level Business Analyst is £55,000

The average salary of a senior -level Business Analyst is £80,000

Progressing from a Business Analyst to a Data Analyst

For those looking to progress from a career in Business Analytics to a career in Data Analytics, The Learning People suggest the Skillsoft Business Analyst to Data Analyst course.

Whilst a Business Analyst uses data to make strategic company decisions, a Data Analyst focuses much more on gathering data and manipulating it to find useful company insights. Therefore, Data Analysts need to have more in-depth knowledge of various tools and technologies.

This course offers modules in data import and export, data visualisations, data validations, data cleaning, and data manipulations. You will also learn about business intelligence and insight tools including Tableau, Power BI, Google Charts, and Chart studio.

The average salary of a Data Analyst is £50,000

Business Analysis is great for those who enjoy making an impact in the work they do, working with different teams and different people, and facing new challenges every day. You would never stop learning as a Business Analyst, as it becomes a lifetime of learning that benefits you both personally and professionally. Within a company, you can work on various levels of projects, and your expertise is highly respected.

As a Business Analyst, you can also work in the majority of industries without having to do more qualifications, once you gain your qualifications you can succeed in your career path.