5 Tips for Landing a Job in Business Analytics
If you're the sort of person who finds joy in pouring through financial reports or just love the idea of making people and companies go to work around the world, you may have been training for a job in business analytics. These five blurbs of advice will help you create a game plan to work toward landing the job of your dreams.
1. Start with Treating Business Analytics like Any Other Field
Whether you're trying to land a role on the latest reality show set in a trendy downtown loft with limited privacy, or are trying to just get your toe in the door in a multinational financial institution's most prestigious department, a job is a job is a job. Much of the advice you've received throughout the years is liable to come in handy when hunting for the next step on your journey, and some of the advice below will feel redundant with what you already know. It's always good to refresh on your job-hunting strategy, but charge into every day with the confidence that you are qualified for a business analytics position and will find one with enough perseverance.
2. Read Up on Your Intended Employers
There is nothing worse than a poor pairing between a company and an employee for both sides of the equation. Before you begin fighting your way in the door, investigate the company's history, news reports, holdings, market performance, products, and anything else that you can get yours hands on. You'll have a better idea of what they'll expect from you, info that will dazzle them in the interview, and you can decide whether you want to link your future with the company.
3. Landing the Interview, Part 1: Resumes
Most of your job interviews will come on the back of sticking your application into a pile of other candidates and hoping to pass the first screening to have a shot at making a real impression. There is a veritable market built around teaching people how to perfectly format everything from the alignment of the subsection headers to understanding the psychological impact of their font selection.
While all of the focus can seem a bit preposterous, it's worth taking the time to pour through at least a few resume crafting guides and use the information to edit yours. Afterwards, try to get feedback from friends, family members, peers, teachers, and so forth to work out any small kinks.
4. Landing the Interview, Part 2: Networking
A well-crafted application is a vital tool in any job hunter's arsenal, but it has nowhere near the impact of improving your business networking. Sites like LinkedIn have surged into popularity for their ability to connect people in related fields with one another, and you should try to step into the game whether you're a social media butterfly or a reclusive offline savant.
The goal of business networking is not quite the same as social networking's quest for companionship and entertainment. You don't have to worry about sending emojis and exuberant greetings every time you see one of your possible interviewers online, but you can try to interact with them in some of the public settings on topics related to the job. Effectively, this gives you a chance to start up an interview before they even realize they're considering you for the job.
The network can have a more indirect impact, as well. If your potential employer notices you have a presence on a site like LinkedIn, they may end up browsing through your public posts for an idea of your interactions and perusing your contact list for additional references. Any mutual acquaintances have a high likelihood of receiving a call from the interviewer, so treat every single word you type into the social site as part of an extended interview that can empower you with additional compliments from your positive communications or crush your hopes when the person you argued with on a forum thread two years ago is the mentor of your reviewers.
5. Update Your Skillset
Whether you're face to face with the CEO or waiting impatiently for a call to an interview, adding skill sets relevant to your intended field will always help you out. For business analytics, the underlying knowledge you have can be bolstered through supplemental business and information technology degree programs available at schools like ECPI University. Call today to learn more about the Master of Business Administration degree—it could help you compete with the oncoming rush of new graduates who want a business analyst position as much as you do. It could be the Best Decision You Ever Make!
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