Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Business Analysts
Shawn suggests that entry-level candidates should consider call center technician or business analyst roles at larger companies, or junior-level systems/business analyst positions at smaller organizations like EXCION Corporation, where "aptitude and attitude" are valued over existing skills. According to Shawn, the key is the "desire to learn" the soft skills required for client interaction, documentation, and facilitation.
Entry-Level, Business Analysis, Systems Analysis, Problem-Solving, Software
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Shawn Eckert
President
EXCION Corporation dba Suite Answers That Work
Arizona State University (ASU) - W. P. Carey
Keller Graduate School Masters in Business Administration (MBA) - Finance & Masters Certificate Project Management (MCPM)
Accounting
Consulting & Related Professional Services, Technology
Consulting
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Call center technician or business analyst positions at larger companies are good entry points, focusing on problem-solving in the background.
2. Smaller organizations like EXCION Corporation hire junior level systems or business analysts directly out of school.
3. Aptitude and attitude are more important than specific skills, emphasizing the desire to learn soft skills like meeting facilitation, client interaction, and documentation.
Transcript
What entry-level positions are there in this field that an undergrad or grad student might consider?
There are many positions for larger companies serving as a call center technician or a business analyst at a call center. You can work on problems that aren't truly client-facing but solve them in the background.
In an organization my size, a smaller organization, we hire what I would consider a junior-level systems analyst or business analyst right out of school to start learning the software. It really boils down more to their aptitude and attitude than their actual skills.
It's about the desire to learn and wanting to learn all of the things you don't know, such as the soft skills it requires to facilitate a meeting, work with a client, create documentation, and so forth.