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Must-Have Skills to Become a Business Analyst
This post ranks essential tools for Business Analysts by practical importance, from Excel to Looker Studio.
It helps newcomers prioritize their learning path based on real-world usage.
Must-Have Skills to Become a Business Analyst
If you’re planning to become a Business Analyst (BA), the journey starts with understanding what skills really matter in the real world.
Being a BA isn’t just about working with data — it’s about making sense of it, aligning it with business goals, and helping decision-makers act with clarity.
To simplify your learning roadmap, I’ve broken this down into three categories: Technical Skills, Soft/Communication Skills, and Analytical Thinking & Business Acumen. Let’s dive in. 👇
📊 1. Technical Skills
| Skill Area | Why It’s Important | Tools/Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Excel | Quick analysis, pivot tables, formulas | Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP, Charts |
| SQL | Fetching raw data from databases | SELECT, JOIN, WHERE, GROUP BY |
| BI Tools | Visualizing insights, executive dashboards | Power BI, Tableau, Looker Studio |
| Documentation | Record findings, user stories, BRDs | Confluence, Word, Google Docs |
| Analytics Basics | Understand trends, patterns | Mean, Median, Variance, Correlation |
👉 Tip: Don’t just “know” tools — apply them in small projects or case studies.
💬 2. Communication & Stakeholder Skills
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
| Requirement Gathering | Understanding the real business need through meetings |
| Stakeholder Handling | Managing expectations and presenting insights effectively |
| Storytelling with Data | Presenting numbers in a way that drives decisions |
| Presentation Skills | Clear visuals, confident speaking, answering queries |
| Team Collaboration | Working with cross-functional teams (Tech, Product, Ops) |
💡 Real BA magic happens when you connect tech and business.
🧠 3. Analytical Thinking & Business Acumen
| Skill | Description |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | Asking “Why?” behind every metric |
| Root Cause Analysis | Noticing the gap between what’s happening and why |
| Business Understanding | Knowing how departments function and where value lies |
| Decision Support | Helping leadership make smart, timely calls |
| Prioritization | Knowing what’s urgent vs what’s important |
🛠 Tools I Use Regularly as a BA
| Purpose | Tools/Platforms |
|---|---|
| Communication | Slack, MS Teams |
| Task Management | Jira, Trello, Notion |
| Reporting & Dashboards | Power BI, Google Data Studio, Excel |
| Data Collaboration | Google Sheets, Airtable |
| Productivity & Ideation | ChatGPT, Lucidchart, Miro |
🚀 Career Tip from My Journey
When I moved from sales at upGrad to my current analyst role at Swiggy, I didn’t know everything — but I built my skill stack one layer at a time.
I focused on Excel and SQL first, documented everything I learned, and started working on side projects to sharpen my logic. That momentum helped me transition into real-world analytics quickly.
🙌 Let’s Recap: Top Skills You Need
| Core Area | Skill Highlights |
|---|---|
| Technical | Excel, SQL, Power BI, Data Cleaning |
| Communication | Presentations, Stakeholder Handling, Storytelling |
| Analytical Thinking | Root Cause Analysis, Prioritization, Business Insight |
🎯
If you’re someone exploring the BA path, take 2 skills from each category this month and build mini-projects or case studies around them. Document what you learn — it’s the fastest way to grow.
📌 Next Up (Day 8): My Daily Workflow as a Remote Analyst
Would you like this content converted into a downloadable cheat sheet or an infographic for LinkedIn?
🔖#BusinessAnalyst, #SkillsForBA, #BAJourney, #CareerSwitch, #AnalyticsWithSakshamPulak, #SakshamPulak, #RealWorldBA, #SkillStack, #DataDrivenDecisions
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