There are a number of qualities you need to be a successful business analyst, and if you have them you can expect to be in high demand from companies in just about all sectors of commerce. In recent decades, as our major corporations became more and more globalised, the greater the need for skilled, experienced business analysts has become.

To be a success in such a role, you’ll clearly need to understand the needs of the company, the future strategies that will be formed and the lessons learned from the past. You’ll also need to be an excellent communicator, because the business analyst will often serve as a conduit for change between departments. You’re likely to be in regular contact with a diverse cross-section of colleagues, often those located in other parts of the world.

Transfer your business analyst skills to other sectors

One of the many advantages to being a business analyst is the ability to transfer your skills to other companies, a key factor in the rise in demand for skilled professionals throughout Singapore and beyond. You’ll find business analysts in a great many industry sectors, including:

• Finance
• Retail
• Energy
• Technology
• Food
• Logistics
• Aerospace
• Construction
• Transport
• Insurance
• Investments

…and many more. If you are currently a business analyst in a major banking corporation, there’s no reason at all why you wouldn’t be equally successful working for a global retail giant instead. Organisations in all sectors are regularly on the lookout for talented business analysts to help them plan and implement strategic and operational improvements.

The right qualifications for the right role

The qualifications you need for such a role can include specific training in business analysis, as well as degrees in any of a wide variety of disciplines, including business, computing, economics and mathematics. If you have recently completed university and have such a qualification, you might find yourself drawn to this field if you haven’t fully determined your career path in business.

To make a success of this role, you’ll need to have a number of important qualities. As well as an ability to communicate well with others, you should be very computer-literate and be adept at problem solving. Good analytical skills will be a must, and a methodical approach to working will be more than useful. And as the business world becomes ever more global, you will often be liaising between departments based thousands of miles away from each other.

Employers in Singapore and across South-East Asia have been keen to attract business analysts from all over the world in recent years, and much of this is driven by a rise in outsourcing. With departments moving wholesale away from the in-house model, there’s a great need for some individuals to act as a bridge that connects everything together.

Sometimes the devil is in the business details

One of the most important aspects of business analysis is the need to make expanding corporations more efficient than ever before. Efficiency can cover anything from reducing costs and streamlining processes to improving communications and cutting back on waste. As a skilled and experienced business analyst, you may find yourself looking for crucial nuggets of improvement that can make a huge difference to the ultimate bottom line.

If you are interested in taking an exciting new step on your career path with a move to Singapore, Michael Page can make that dream a reality. We have access to business analyst vacancies with some of the most famous names in global trade, so forward your CV to us and we’ll see if it dovetails with the needs of those who are hiring. And to make sure you hear about vacancies ahead of the pack, set up a business analyst job alert today.