One significant CV challenge you might encounter as a business analyst is effectively showcasing your analytical skills and experience amidst a sea of competitors. Our guide offers tailored tips that will help you accentuate your unique qualifications and engage prospective employers with a compelling narrative of your professional journey.
Land the job of your dreams with our bespoke guide on how to:
- Design and format your professional business analyst CV;
- Curate your key contact information, skills, and achievements throughout your CV sections;
- Ensure your profile stays competitive by studying other industry-leading business analyst CVs;
- Create a great CV even if you happen to have less professional experience, or switching fields.
When writing your business analyst CV, you may need plenty of insights from hiring managers. We have prepared industry-leading advice in the form of our relevant CV guides.
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How to ensure your profile stands out with your business analyst CV format
It's sort of a Catch 22. You want your business analyst CV to stand out amongst a pile of candidate profiles, yet you don't want it to be too over the top that it's unreadable. Where is the perfect balance between your CV format simple, while using it to shift the focus to what matters most. That is - your expertise. When creating your business analyst CV:- list your experience in the reverse chronological order - starting with your latest roles;
- include a header with your professional contact information and - optionally - your photograph;
- organise vital and relevant CV sections - e.g. your experience, skills, summary/ objective, education - closer to the top;
- use no more than two pages to illustrate your professional expertise;
- format your information using plenty of white space and standard (2.54 cm) margins, with colours to accent key information.
Once you've completed your information, export your business analyst CV in PDF, as this format is more likely to stay intact when read by the Applicant Tracker System or the ATS. A few words of advice about the ATS - or the software used to assess your profile:
- Generic fonts, e.g. Arial and Times New Roman, are ATS-compliant, yet many candidates stick with these safe choices. Ensure your CV stands out by using a more modern, and simple, fonts like Lato, Exo 2, Volkhov;
- All serif and sans-serif fonts are ATS-friendly. Avoid the likes of fancy decorative or script typography, as this may render your information to be illegible;
- Both single- and double-column formatted CVs could be assessed by the ATS;
- Integrating simple infographics, icons, and charts across your CV won't hurt your chances during the ATS assessment.
PRO TIP
Use font size and style strategically to create a visual hierarchy, drawing the reader's eye to the most important information first (like your name and most recent job title).
The top sections on a business analyst CV
- Core Competencies capture a snapshot of your key BA skills.
- Professional Experience outlines your BA-related work history.
- Key Projects highlight your most impressive BA achievements.
- Educational Background demonstrates your formal training in BA.
- Certifications & Professional Development underscore your commitment to the BA field.
What recruiters value on your CV:
- Highlight your analytical skills by providing specific examples of complex data you have analysed and insights you've generated that have driven business decisions.
- Detail your experience with BA tools such as SQL, Python, R, Microsoft Excel, Tableau, or Power BI, showcasing how you've employed these tools in project contexts.
- Focus on your experience in requirements gathering, user story creation and how you've facilitated communication between stakeholders to ensure alignment on project goals.
- Emphasise your understanding of business processes, including any process improvement initiatives you've led or contributed to that resulted in increased efficiency or cost savings.
- Include any relevant BA certifications such as the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) certification or Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP) to validate your expertise to prospective employers.
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How to present your contact details and job keywords in your business analyst CV header
Located at the top of your business analyst CV, the header presents recruiters with your key personal information, headline, and professional photo. When creating your CV header, include your:
- Contact details - avoid listing your work email or telephone number and, also, email addresses that sound unprofessional (e.g. koolKittyCat$3@gmail.com is definitely a big no);
- Headline - it should be relevant, concise, and specific to the role you're applying for, integrating keywords and action verbs;
- Photo - instead of including a photograph from your family reunion, select one that shows you in a more professional light. It's also good to note that in some countries (e.g. the UK and US), it's best to avoid photos on your CV as they may serve as bias.
What do other industry professionals include in their CV header? Make sure to check out the next bit of your guide to see real-life examples:
Examples of good CV headlines for business analyst:
- Business Analyst | Data Analytics Expert | Prince2 Certified | 8+ Years' Experience
- Senior Business Process Analyst | Lean Six Sigma Black Belt | Risk Management Specialist
- Junior Business Intelligence Analyst | SQL Proficient | Master's in Business Analytics | 2 Years' Experience
- Strategic Business Analyst | MSc Management | Key Stakeholder Engagement | 5 Years' Experience
- Lead Business Systems Analyst | Agile & Scrum Certified | IT Project Management | 10+ Years' Experience
- Healthcare Business Analyst | Efficiency Improvement Consultant | HIPAA Knowledgeable | 7 Years' Experience
Choosing your opening statement: a business analyst CV summary or objective
At the top one third of your CV, you have the chance to make a more personable impression on recruiters by selecting between:
- Summary - or those three to five sentences that you use to show your greatest achievements. Use the CV summary if you happen to have plenty of relevant experience and wish to highlight your greatest successes;
- Objective - provides you with up to five sentences to state your professional aims and mission in the company you're applying for
CV summaries for a business analyst job:
- Accomplished Business Analyst with over 5 years' experience in financial services, adept at data analysis, business process improvement, and requirements gathering. Successfully led a project that achieved a 30% cost reduction within one year by streamlining operational processes.
- Dedicated Business Analyst with 7 years of expertise in the e-commerce sector, skilled in leveraging SQL and Python for data-driven decision-making. Spearheaded a customer behaviour analysis project, increasing sales by 25% through targeted marketing strategies.
- Former Sales Manager transitioning to Business Analysis, bringing a wealth of client-facing experience and persuasive communication skills. Committed to acquiring proficiency in data analytics tools and contributing to project success with a fresh perspective and customer-centric approach.
- Experienced Project Coordinator aiming to pivot into Business Analysis, with a solid foundation in cross-functional team leadership and process optimisation. Eager to apply project management skills towards effective business solutions and eager to master the latest analytical software.
- Aspiring Business Analyst, with a recent Masters in Business Administration, keen to utilise academic knowledge in data analysis, financial modelling, and strategic planning. Objective: To deliver impactful insights and foster continuous business improvements in a dynamic environment.
- Recent graduate in Information Technology passionate about translating data insights into actionable business strategies. Objective: To embrace the challenge of solving complex business problems using analytical methodologies and contribute to effective decision making processes.
Best practices for writing your business analyst CV experience section
If your profile matches the job requirements, the CV experience is the section which recruiters will spend the most time studying. Within your experience bullets, include not merely your career history, but, rather, your skills and outcomes from each individual role. Your best experience section should promote your profile by:
- including specific details and hard numbers as proof of your past success;
- listing your experience in the functional-based or hybrid format (by focusing on the skills), if you happen to have less professional, relevant expertise;
- showcasing your growth by organising your roles, starting with the latest and (hopefully) most senior one;
- staring off each experience bullet with a verb, following up with skills that match the job description, and the outcomes of your responsibility.
Add keywords from the job advert in your experience section, like the professional CV examples:
Best practices for your CV's work experience section
- Delivered accurate data analysis and actionable insights by querying databases and applying statistical techniques, leading to a 15% increase in operational efficiency within one year.
- Facilitated stakeholder workshops and JAD sessions to gather requirements, resulting in the successful delivery of a CRM system that increased customer satisfaction by 20%.
- Authored comprehensive business requirements documents (BRDs) and functional specifications that served as a cornerstone for system enhancements and new feature developments.
- Designed and implemented interactive dashboards using Tableau, which provided real-time KPI tracking and supported strategic decision-making across the sales department.
- Conducted SWOT analysis to inform the executive team on potential business strategies, ultimately leading to the expansion into two new market segments.
- Implemented Agile methodologies to accelerate the product development lifecycle, reducing time to market for key software releases by 30%.
- Managed end-to-end project life cycles, ensuring projects were delivered on time and within budget, which improved overall project success rates by 25%.
- Developed and maintained a prioritised backlog of user stories and acceptance criteria in close collaboration with product owners and the development team.
- Led a cross-functional team in a successful enterprise resource planning (ERP) system migration, ensuring minimal downtime and disruption to business operations.
Work Experience
Senior Business Analyst
Unilever
01/2019-12/2021
- Conducted in-depth business process analyses for a major FMCG client, leading to the identification and implementation of process improvements that increased operational efficiency by 25%.
- Facilitated the successful migration of business data to a new CRM system, ensuring seamless integration and minimal disruption to the sales team's day-to-day activities.
- Played a key role in designing and launching a new customer satisfaction tracking initiative, synthesising feedback data from over 10,000 customers to shape strategic decisions.
Work Experience
Business Analysis Specialist
HSBC
06/2014-05/2017
- Collaborated with IT and finance departments to develop a bespoke financial modelling tool, which improved budget forecasting accuracy by 30%.
- Led a cross-functional team in a market expansion strategy project, analyzing over 5 years of sales data to pinpoint high-potential regions for business growth.
- Implemented a company-wide training programme on data analytics tools, increasing data literacy amongst staff and empowering them to make data-driven decisions.
Work Experience
Lead Business Systems Analyst
Accenture
11/2021-Ongoing
- Driving business process optimisation through the use of advanced analytics, enabling the procurement team to realise a cost reduction of 10% annually.
- Pioneered the development of a predictive sales model using machine learning, which was instrumental in improving sales forecast accuracy by 20%.
- Systematised the reporting mechanisms across the EMEA region, facilitating more timely and accurate business performance reviews by senior management.
Work Experience
Business Process Analyst
GlaxoSmithKline
03/2009-10/2013
- Led a large-scale business transformation program that streamlined order-to-cash processes across the organization, significantly reducing cycle times by an average of 15 days.
- Spearheaded the due diligence and integration efforts for a strategic merger, engaging with stakeholders at all levels to ensure continuity of business operations.
- Oversaw the implementation of a new ERP system within the supply chain division, improving stock management accuracy and reducing inventory holding costs by 20%.
Work Experience
Principal Business Intelligence Analyst
Tesco PLC
08/2017-07/2020
- Automated and improved monthly reporting activities for the marketing department through the development of advanced Excel macros, saving upwards of 40 man-hours per month.
- Analysed customer behavioural data to identify key areas for enhancing the digital customer journey, which helped to increase online conversion rates by 15%.
- Managed the successful rollout of a new inventory management tool that provided real-time insights into stock levels, reducing stockouts by 30%.
Work Experience
Business Performance Analyst
Vodafone
02/2015-01/2018
- Initiated a project to consolidate disparate data sources into a unified data warehouse, enhancing reporting capabilities and supporting a data-driven culture within the company.
- Delivered comprehensive market analysis reports that influenced the launch strategy for three new product lines, which collectively achieved a market share increase of 5% within the first year.
- Re-engineered customer support workflows, cutting down average resolution times by 35% and improving customer satisfaction scores significantly.
Work Experience
Business Analysis Consultant
Deloitte
05/2013-04/2016
- Performed extensive competitor analysis and presented findings that shaped the competitive strategy, resulting in a 10% growth in market share over two years.
- Optimized supply chain logistics by introducing Lean methodologies, which enhanced on-time delivery rates from 85% to 97% within 18 months.
- Championed the adoption of BI tools across the company, elevating the analytical capabilities of various departments and supporting a 15% reduction in operational expenses.
Work Experience
Corporate Business Analyst
Barclays
09/2020-Ongoing
- Orchestrating the rollout of a new enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, which is projected to reduce manual data entry tasks by up to 50%.
- Developed and implemented a robust KPI framework track progress across multiple business lines, enhancing the executive team's decision-making process.
- Designed and executed a user acceptance testing (UAT) protocol for the introduction of a new online payment portal, which reduced transaction processing times by 25%.
Writing your CV without professional experience for your first job or when switching industries
There comes a day, when applying for a job, you happen to have no relevant experience, whatsoever. Yet, you're keen on putting your name in the hat. What should you do? Candidates who part-time experience , internships, and volunteer work.
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PRO TIP
If applicable, briefly mention a situation where things didn’t go as planned and what you learned from it, demonstrating your ability to learn and adapt.
Mix and match hard and soft skills across your business analyst CV
Your skill set play an equally valid role as your experience to your application. That is because recruiters are looking for both:
- hard skills or your aptitude in applying particular technologies
- soft skills or your ability to work in a team using your personal skills, e.g. leadership, time management, etc.
Are you wondering how you should include both hard and soft skills across your business analyst CV? Use the:
- skills section to list between ten and twelve technologies that are part of the job requirement (and that you're capable to use);
- strengths and achievements section to detail how you've used particular hard and soft skills that led to great results for you at work;
- summary or objective to spotlight up to three skills that are crucial for the role and how they've helped you optimise your work processes.
One final note - when writing about the skills you have, make sure to match them exactly as they are written in the job ad. Take this precautionary measure to ensure your CV passes the Applicant Tracker System (ATS) assessment.
Top skills for your business analyst CV:
HARD SKILLS
Data Analysis
Business Intelligence
SQL
Requirements Gathering
Process Modelling
Statistical Analysis
ERP Systems Expertise
Data Visualisation
Project Management
Advanced Excel
SOFT SKILLS
Analytical Thinking
Problem-Solving
Communicative
Detail-Oriented
Decision-Making
Collaboration
Adaptability
Time Management
Stakeholder Management
Critical Thinking
PRO TIP
Order your skills based on the relevance to the role you're applying for, ensuring the most pertinent skills catch the employer's attention first.
Your university degree and certificates: an integral part of your business analyst CV
Let's take you back to your uni days and decide what information will be relevant for your business analyst CV. Once more, when discussing your higher education, select only information that is pertinent to the job (e.g. degrees and projects in the same industry, etc.). Ultimately, you should:
- List only your higher education degrees, alongside start and graduation dates, and the university name;
- Include that you obtained a first degree for diplomas that are relevant to the role, and you believe will impress recruiters;
- Showcase relevant coursework, projects, or publications, if you happen to have less experience or will need to fill in gaps in your professional history.
PRO TIP
Focus on describing skills in the context of the outcomes they’ve helped you achieve, linking them directly to tangible results or successes in your career.
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Key takeaways
Here are five things you need to remember about writing your business analyst CV for success:
- Sort your experience based on the reverse chronological order, starting with your most recent career items, to showcase how you've grown your career;
- Include within your CV header your relevant contact details, a headline that could spotlight your unique value, and a photo - if you're applying for roles outside the UK or US;
- Decide to use the CV summary, if you happen to have more professional experience, and an objective, if you want to showcase your career goals;
- Within the experience section, write your bullets using action verbs, skills, and success, instead of just merely listing your on-the-job responsibilities;
- Prove your technical skills, using your education and certificates, and your soft skills, with your achievements and strengths sections.
