Most Important Skills for a Budget Analyst at the State of California
According to Justin, a Budget Analyst at the Public Budgeting Agency for the State of California, the three most vital skills for success in the role are communication, Excel proficiency, and time management, where communication is a "dynamic skill" that involves both internal teamwork and the ability to clearly articulate decisions to others, while time management is critical for prioritizing "competing priorities" and meeting deadlines effectively. Excel proficiency is an implicit, vital skill, and includes "little tricks" such as knowing how to implement a formula or copy and paste data without error.
Communication Skills, Technical Proficiency (Excel), Time Management, Prioritization, Decision-Making
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Justin Hurst
Budget Analyst
Public Budgeting Agency for the State of California
UC Davis
Sac State - Master's of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA)
Biology & Related Sciences, International Relations & Affairs
Education, Government & Public Sector
Finance
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School
Video Highlights
1. Communication is crucial, encompassing both teamwork and the ability to articulate decisions clearly.
2. Strong Excel skills are essential for navigating and manipulating large spreadsheets efficiently.
3. Effective time management is vital for prioritizing tasks and managing competing demands from various stakeholders.
Transcript
What skills are most important for a job like yours?
If I had to name three of the most important skills, they would probably be communication, your harder, Excel-based skills, and then time management. Communication is crucial, both in terms of working with your team.
For example, it's knowing how to say, "I need this from you," or being comfortable asking questions if you don't know something. There's also the element of communication where you need to articulate decisions you've made and answer questions effectively.
So, I think in that way, communication is a dynamic skill for this job. As for the harder, Excel-based skills, I think that speaks for itself. To effectively work in these giant spreadsheets, you need to know how to navigate them.
This includes knowing little tricks like how to quickly do a formula or how to select and copy data without making a mistake. Lastly, time management. I really think that feeds into everything with this role.
When you're dealing with so many competing priorities and different people needing things from you at different times, it's important to be able to perceive which is most urgent. You also need to know when you'll need other people to get you information and then act accordingly. Mastering this sort of career requires being able to do all of that.