People working in business intelligence (BI) and analytics use data to deliver insights and make informed decisions about company performance. They also help determine what changes are needed to increase profitability and productivity.
By collecting data about how a company has performed in the past, business intelligence professionals can create analytical models that predict future performance and help managers decide whether a policy or procedure change is worthwhile.
With a job in business intelligence and analytics, you can help organizations create strategies to achieve their goals. Here are some reasons to consider a career in business intelligence.
1. There’s an Excellent Employment Outlook
Businesses are collecting more data every day, but they need skilled business intelligence analysts to interpret and use it effectively. Companies in every industry need people familiar with business intelligence, from healthcare to finance to entertainment. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for business intelligence and analytics management professionals is expected to increase by 14% by 2030. The median pay in 2020 was $87,660 annually.
2. You Can Choose From a Variety of Jobs
Business intelligence and analytics professionals can work in almost any industry, and switching between them can be easy. For example, healthcare analytics uses data and online tools to help hospitals run more efficiently and improve patient outcomes.
Working for a data analytics firm can give you a chance to learn more about how different businesses and industries operate. You can choose a more specialized job at a large company or a position at a small business where you can take care of a wider range of tasks. This role allows you to interact with a host of different stakeholders, as well as complete programming and computer science tasks. You may spend some of your time presenting your team’s findings to clients and executives and helping team members coordinate tasks.
Many positions are related to business intelligence. For example, business intelligence engineers and developers help improve data-based processes and tools, whereas business intelligence project managers coordinate teams to build and deploy apps, data warehouses, portals, and other BI tools. Other BI job titles can include:
- SQL Server business intelligence developer
- BI semantic model developer
- Big data analyst or manager
- Marketing analyst
- Data analytics architect
- Business intelligence and analytics consultant
- Business Consultant
- Business intelligence manager
3. No Background in Computer Science is Required
While courses in computer science and technology can be helpful, business intelligence and analysis professionals can benefit by studying a variety of subjects. If you want to work for a health care or pharmaceutical company, you can study biology or chemistry. Marketing analysts can benefit from courses in communication. Most employers prefer candidates with a bachelor’s degree in any subject.
To make yourself more appealing to potential employers and improve your business intelligence skills, consider pursuing a master’s of business administration, with an emphasis on business intelligence and analytics management. You can learn more about business analytics tools and strategies and how to use advanced software to create business intelligence models.
Should I Become a Business Intelligence Analyst?
Does business intelligence seem like a career worth your time and investment? With data analytics becoming more and more a driver for how businesses operate today, it will take highly-skilled professionals like you to process and interpret that data and then provide visual representations and insights into customer trends.
