A well-written, dynamic business analyst CV will turn recruiters’ heads. If you have what it takes to lead a company to success, the first step is writing this document. Luckily, making sure that your professional CV ticks all of the boxes isn't hard.
Talented business analysts boast endless strategies and 20/20 foresight. If that sounds like you, showcasing your expertise on your CV should be a cinch. Selling yourself to potential employers is all about showing you have what it takes to excel. Put simply, you need to let them know that you’re the whole package.
At Resume.io, we have all the resources you need including expert CV guides and CV examples for dozens of professions. Within this CV writing guide, along with an adaptable business analyst CV example, we will cover the following topics:
- What does a business analyst do?
- How to write an epic business analyst CV: expert tips
- Help on how to structure your professional CV
- The right format for your business analyst CV
- Design and layout tips for your business analyst application
What does a business analyst do?
Before we take a look at the business analyst CV example that goes with this writing guide, let’s delve into the job role. Business analysts are the guiding force of any enterprise. You’ll use your strategic mind and business know-how to make sure that the company reaches — or even surpasses — its future goals.
Think you have what it takes to become a successful business analyst? Understanding the demands of the position is key. Here are the responsibilities you can expect:
- Work alongside stakeholders to create business plans and strategies
- Identify strategic opportunities and business development options
- Use the latest data modelling practices to predict future trends
- Collaborate with the managerial department on new approaches
- Produce reports and other written documentation to support your strategies.
Needless to say, the business analyst role differs from company to company. However, to excel, you will need to be ahead of the game.
Let’s talk about money. When you first start out as a business analyst, you can expect to make between £21,000 and £31,000 per year. Gain five years of experience and your salary expectations swell to between £35,000 and £65,000. As an experienced professional you can get up to £80,000 or even £100,00 per year, particularly in the finance sector
Thinking of going self-employed? You could make more cash. Experienced business analysts can expect to charge around £350 and £500 per day when they work for themselves.
How to write a CV for a business analyst
Ready to get started and write your CV? You can look at the business analyst CV sample that accompanies this writing guide for inspiration. We'll be referring to it one section at a time, a bit later on. Keep in mind that your CV document needs to contain the following elements:
- CV header
- CV summary (or profile)
- Employment history section
- CV skills section
- Education section
Ahead of getting started, pick out some keywords for your business analyst CV. Peppering your application with the right terms is a smart move. More than 98% of Fortune 500 companies now use applicant tracking systems (ATS). The software searches CVs for keywords, filtering out applications that don’t contain them. Check the job posting for specific words and use them throughout your CV for the best results.
Business analysts are powerhouses. These professionals know all there is to know about the company they are leading. Show off your research skills when writing your CV. Take the time to investigate the hiring organisation and understand its future aims. That way, you can ensure that your skill set and expertise align with the company vision.
For more quick inspiration, check out some of the other occupation-specific CV examples in our collection, including our project manager CV sample, data analyst CV sample, accountant CV example, product manager CV example, executive CV sample, and consulting CV sample.
Choosing the best CV format for a business analyst
In most cases, any CV should use the reverse chronological order format. Your employment history would appear ahead of skills and education, starting with your current or most recent position and qualifications and working backwards to earliest.
If you don’t have much in the way of work experience yet, bolster your CV additional information about skills, and any training. You could even place your education section above a section called "experience" rather than employment history. On the other hand, if you have a lot of business analyst experience working as an independent consultant, you might want to emphasize specific skills or even projects and clients, rather than employee positions. The functional CV format and hybrid format can sometimes be suitable for self-employed job seekers.
Keep the CV format as straightforward as possible. Hiring managers are busy professionals who spend seconds looking at each application. The easier the information is to read, the better your chance of landing that all-important interview.
Resume header
Practically speaking, the header makes your name and contact information stand out. This ties look of the CV with your identity, so if it’s impressive enough to be shortlisted for an interview, the hiring manager will find it easy to retrieve and your email and phone number are readily at hand.
CV summary example: introduce yourself
The CV summary — also called a personal profile — is a short ‘about you’ section. Think of it as an elevator pitch for you as a professional. It is usually three or four or five lines long and includes everything a potential employer needs to know about your experience.
You should use strong adjectives such as ‘self-motivated,’ ‘driven,’ and ‘dynamic’ to get your message across. Action verbs add energy by portraying you as a "doer" who gets things done. Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn here. You will be up against leading business analysts. Be bold and make an impression.
Below is the summary from our business analyst CV example.
Passionate and dynamic business analyst with 10+ years of experience in analyzing complex data and business processes to drive strategic decisions. Proficient in data modeling, requirements gathering and process improvement. Proactively followed marketing trends with a view to innovative data-driven business solutions from different perspectives.
Employment history sample: tell your story
If you’re aiming high in the business world, experience is everything. As stated earlier, use the reverse chronological order format for the employment history section. Simply start with the job, employer, and location, and employment dates. Below that, you create bullet points highlighting specific duties and accomplishments.
Wherever possible, focus on outcomes that were beneficial to your employer or clients, using metrics to quantify. Hiring managers are looking for business analysts who get results. Include relevant statistics, timeframes, and numbers whenever possible. This quick trick will set you ahead of the crowd.
When listing the position specifics, ditch the ‘I’ part of the sentence. Your CV real estate is valuable. Getting straight to the point will make all the difference. Go right in there with strong sentences showing the value you can bring to the company.
You can use the business analyst employment history sample below as a guide, adapting the wording to your own situation.
Senior Business Analyst at Sky Builders, Edinburgh
January 2017 - December 2023
- Effectively led the IT business analysis teams within the region and provided exceptional support to the lead product manager.
- Successfully analyzed the company's 12 month sales results to provide helpful monthly sales projections.
- Organised and facilitated workshops and interviews with stakeholders to determine business priorities consistent with project goals.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to collect and document business requirements, resulting in a 18% reduction in project delivery time within two years.
- Conducted user acceptance testing and provided actionable feedback, reducing software defects by 22% before deployment.
- Developed data models and performed analysis to support new target marketing strategies, resulting in a 16% revenue increase over 3 years.
Business Analyst at Cybertools, Livingston
August 2013 - December 2016
- Conducted market research to identify business opportunities, contributing to the development of two new product lines.
- Worked closely with product owners, UX/UI designers and developers to ensure development work was aligned with priorities.
- Assisted with planning and set expectations for delivery of new features and functionalities.
CV skills example: showcasing your talents
Hiring managers are looking for forward-thinking business analysts. You need to have a natural flair for business and a keen strategic mind. It’s all about balance. Be sure to include both hard skills and soft skills on your business analyst CV skills list
If you have trouble deciding which skills to include or exclude — you have to be selective because there is only so much space to list them — always give top priority to those that are stipulated as job requirements. Go back to the posted job ad to double-check.
Otherwise, try to include kills that may be unusual to set yourself apart. Ideally, you should try to convey some of your skills in the summary or employment history section by demonstrating them in action. When highlighting your accomplishments, indicate which skills enabled you to achieve the positive results. Then there is no need to mention them again on your skills list.
Check out the skills section from our business analyst CV example below.
- Business Analysis
- Strategic Planning
- Leadership
- Data Analysis
- Problem Solving
- Customer Service
Business analyst CV education example
Again, reverse chronological order applies to your education section also. Start with your highest level of education — perhaps an undergraduate degree or master’s degree and work backward from there. Below that, you can list any other training you’ve had on the job or undertaken to enhance your qualifications, notably certifications. If you belong to any professional organisations with continued learning opportunities, mention them too.
You can add in some extra detail here. For example, if you completed an internship as part of your business analyst training, you will want to highlight that. Go ahead and shout about it. You can add this type of training right below your main education section.
The education section from our business analyst CV example illustrates below.
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh
September 2008 - May 2012
Business Intern at Eckard Communications, Edinburgh
October 2010 - May 2011
- Worked to explore and define solutions for complex problems that supported decision-making within the business.
CV layout and design: first impressions
Simplicity is the aim of the game. When you’re writing your business analyst CV, you may be tempted to overload it with details. Don’t make that mistake. Keep things lean and only include information that is relevant to the job role at hand.
Go back and glance at our CV sample again to get an idea of how this works. For a clean look, leave some white space by allowing wide enough margins and line and paragraph spacing. Of course, make sure the fonts you choose are crisp and easy to read. Save yourself time and effort by using one of our field-tested CV templates, together with the builder tool, to get the job done efficiently with visually professional results.
Key takeaways for a business analyst CV
- Business analysts are the driving force for companies. Your CV needs to showcase your education, expertise, and USP.
- Use clear, formal language wherever possible. Your CV should be an accurate reflection of you as a professional.
- Make sure you tailor your business analyst CV to the employer. Do some research before you work on it.
- Check out our adaptable business analyst CV sample to get started creating your own.
