How is your business analysis job search going? If you are finding it hard to get a business analyst job, then you need to review your business analysis job search carefully

Generally speaking, you need to review your business analysis skills, hands-on experience, cover letter, resume or interviewing skills for problems.

If you are not getting any phone calls or call backs or invitations for interviews, then your business analyst resume or cover letter is weak.

If you are getting business analyst interviews but not getting job offers, then your interviewing skills is weak.

The take away is that preparation is the key to success when it comes to getting a business analysis job. You must first improve your business analysis skills and your hands-on experience before you start sending out letters for business analyst interviews.

Business Analyst Resume or Cover Letter Issues

If you are sending out resumes for business analyst jobs and you are getting very little feedback or phone calls or job interviews, then you have to stop and do something different. Start by looking at your resume and cover letter and then endeavor to answer this question honestly: “do I have sufficient business analysis skills and experience for the jobs I am submitting to?“

The challenge facing business analysts job seekers is that the business analyst job market is highly competitive and there are no clearly defined or widely accepted standards of excellence. That means that anyone can send in a resume for a business analyst job. However that also means that other folks are sending in their resume with or without the requisite business analysis skills and experience.

That is why you have to follow a careful plan that gets you business analyst job interviews. I will share that plan with you in the rest of this article

How To Stand Out In The Business Analyst Job Market

Think about this. If you live in Washington, DC and you are looking for a business analyst job without a strong business analysis background, you may end up sending your resume to hundreds of employers in the Washington, DC area. The problem is that everyone else within Washington, DC who likes the idea of becoming a business analyst will also be sending their resume to the same employers!

Now most of these well-intentioned folks will be saying the same thing on their resume, which is typically one of these: “I can do the job, give me the job please, I need this job to pay my bills, I want to become a business analyst, I like the idea of becoming a business analyst“.

However, few of those same business analysts will be saying, “I am already a business analyst, I am capable at what I do, I have done excellent business analyst work for companies in the Eashington, DC area and I that is the reason why I am going to do excellent business analysis work for you too!”. That is the secret of successful job hunting!

The IT Manager is going to trash everyone whose resume is screaming “give me a business analysis job, please!” and only invite or interview those whose resume is saying: “I am a very capable, talented, skilled, experienced, trained, professional business analyst“. So, before you start sending your resume out, answer this question on your resume: “does my resume demonstrate strong, up to date and effective business analysis skills?” If your resume answers that question correctly, then you will be on your way to increasing your invitations for business analysis jobs or getting hired.

There are two ways to build up your business analysis resume to the level where it clearly demonstrates skill, capability and experience. One of these is by getting hands-on business analysis training. The other is by getting hands-on business analysis mentorship experience.

Business Analyst Mentorship Opportunity

The following is an e-mail that I received from a business analyst looking for a business analyst job in London. It’s been edited for brevity and it demonstrates the point I’m making in this article:

Hi Kingsley,

I’ve recently applied for around 15 Business Analysis jobs in London and have had absolutely no feedback at all.

I have an excellent CV (as many agencies have commented) …

So I decided that I would use the covering letter which accompanies my applications as a vehicle to showcase why I would be suitable for the Business Analysis role. A ‘killer’ covering letter, if you like.

Except that 15 applications later with no feedback at all (not even a ‘thanks but no thanks’), I’m finding myself not knowing what my next step should be…

Also I now doubt very much that my Cover letter is ‘killer’, I have attached this and was wondering if its possible for you to have a look and advise me on this…

Thanks in advance Kingsley for your time and help

How To Create a Winning Business Analyst Cover Letter Or Resume

The business analyst cover letter discussed here demonstrates the candidate’s strong interest in the business analysis job, which is good. However IT Managers, won’t interview or hire you because of your intentions or interest in becoming a business analyst. They will only interview or hire you when you demonstrate that you currently have the relevant business analysis skills needed to get the business analyst job done.

There is a big difference between proof and intention. IT Managers want to interview or hire business analysts that demonstrate or prove via their cover letter, resume and business analyst job interviews; the requisite business analysis skills needed to do the job and not business analysts who intend to learn on the job, train on the job or get mentored on the job after they are hired!

In other words, IT Managers do not care about your potential to become a good business analyst or your interest in the business analyst career or your past successes in other occupations. They only care about your current business analysis skills or experience … period!

If you are not getting business analyst interviews or phone calls, it is because your resume demonstrates fewer business analysis skills or hands-on experience than that of other job applicants. The only way to remedy that situation is to get more business analysis skills and hands-on experience!

The Plan For Getting Business Analyst Job Interviews

You need to solve the business analysis skills and hands-on experience problem before you can solve the problem of getting business analyst job interviews. In other words, you are putting the cart before the horse, by sending out your resumes or hoping that an IT Manager will hire you solely based on your interest in the job. Your business analyst resume must stand out from the piles of resumes on the Interviewer’s desk.

First, increase your business analysis skills significantly, then get a lot of hands-on experience and then finally send out your resume to hiring managers … in that order. If you follow this simple plan, your business analyst resume will stand-out because it wwill show sufficient prrof that you can get the job done.

So, my advise is “get way from selling your intentions of becoming a business analyst“, first become a business analyst through training and mentorship, then sell your ability to do the business analyst job well.

When you adopt this mindset, you will find yourself working on ways to “improve your business analysis skills and hands-on experience” which helps you apply to business analyst jobs from a position of strength.

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