These days, getting new leads and making sales no longer means reaching out for leads and hoping that they will be able to find their way to your business. Sales today is all about making data-driven, actionable decisions that lead to genuine opportunities to improve sales and revenue. We are currently living in the Information Age, with data everywhere you look and businesses across the world using this to their advantage. Businesses that can use data to their advantage are set to benefit, as data can be analyzed and turned into critical information that companies can then use to make better marketing decisions, build better relationships with their customers, and increase sales and revenue. 

Professionals including business intelligence analysts, business analysts, and data scientists make sense of all this data collected by today’s businesses. They analyze it to condense it into metrics that can be mined and easily understood to gain valuable insights into the business, its customers, target audience, and even potential future trends. The demand for professionals with the necessary skills to achieve this is on the rise as an increasing number of businesses turn to data analysis to drive their business decisions and achieve more business success. After all, more data-driven decisions mean fewer risks when it comes to losing investments or even the future of the business overall. 

Along with the growing demand for professionals in this field, there are several reasons to consider a career in the field of business analytics. Some of the best reasons to consider a career in business analytics and intelligence include:

Work in the Growing IT Field

If you want to work in the field of IT, which is becoming more and more well-respected and lucrative, business analytics can get you in even if computer science isn’t your thing. Since business analytics and computer science do share quite a lot of the same tools, it’s possible to work in IT without the need to get a degree in computer science, master machine learning, or learn a programming language. 

Another benefit of getting into IT with a business analytics degree online from Saint Bonaventure University is that business analysts do not have the same workload as many other IT professionals in front of them when it comes to making sure that their knowledge and skills stay up to date in the field. While it’s important for business analysis professionals to stay up to date with the latest data analysis programs and tools, you won’t need to stay updated with various programming languages or constantly changing IT security standards. And, the combination of business and analytical skills is not only highly sought-after but also highly paid. Entry-level business analysts can expect to get started in this role with a generous salary, and business analysts are paid around 50% more than other IT professionals on average. 

Demand is Growing

Companies all around the world are making use of the huge amounts of data that they have access to these days. Because of this, data analysis is a career option that is in very high demand. If you are looking for a career that is going to make it easy for you to find work no matter where you go, then this could be the right option for you. Regardless of where you are in the world, you will always find companies that are on the lookout for professionals who are able to interpret the huge amounts of data that the company collects. Once you have the right qualifications, you will have the knowledge and skills that you need to work within a wide range of different areas including performance analysis, descriptive analysis, software for analytics, management consulting, decision models, and more. 

The Field is Growing with Technology

While data might have always driven decisions around the world in one way or another, it’s impossible to deny that we are generating massive amounts of it these days due to the technology that we have available to us. These days, companies have more access to collecting huge amounts of information on their customers including learning more about things that might have been impossible to collect much data on in the past such as individual customer behaviors and preferences. Along with this, we now have access to technology that can help us learn much more than ever before about marketing demographics. As the technology devices we use on an everyday basis become smarter, they are collecting and sharing more and more information, which is in turn leading to the growing demand for business analysts. 

Enjoy Career Freedom

With the high and growing demand for professionals in your field, working in business analytics is a great choice for people who want a little bit more career freedom than most. Working in business analytics gives you the chance to work pretty much anywhere. There are certainly lots of employment opportunities to consider along with the chance to freelance or start your own business in the field of business analytics. With more and more industries relying more heavily on data than ever before, trained business analysts do not have to search too hard before finding a job, no matter where in the world they are. This makes it easy to switch between jobs, find work after relocating, and generally enjoy more freedom with your career. 

The Work is Interesting

Data collection around the world is always changing. Data is being gathered on a constant basis today. For data analysts, the good news is that this gives them a chance to face new challenges daily, making this work interesting and bringing with it the chance to learn new things. You never know what new information you are going to uncover from interesting customer shopping trends to patterns among employees that can be used to improve employee attendance. The data analyst role requires analyzing lots of information regularly, which makes it very interesting and mentally stimulating. 

Make A Difference

While business analysis might not be the first career that you think of when it comes to making a difference, the truth is that this career gives you the chance to change things and make an impact on the world. Data analysis and business analysis give you the chance to identify and address trends, many of which may be in important areas that have an impact on real people around the world. In this career, you are analyzing data to come to conclusions about potential situations that ultimately affect others. 

Business Option

If you are entrepreneurially minded and the main goal for your career is to start your own business, a strong background and experience in business analytics will help you get the edge over your competition. Once you have training and experience in business analytics, you can use these skills to your advantage when it comes to starting your own business. You will need business analytics for a range of important areas like researching and getting to know your target market, growing your business, and making the most impactful decisions in terms of its future, employees, business model, products, services, and more. 

What’s the Difference Between Business Analytics and Data Science?

Business analysts and data scientists will often work together towards the main goal of turning raw data into useful and actionable information. Both of these professionals fill different roles despite working to achieve similar things. Companies around the world are facing an increasing need for both data analysts and data scientists to make sure that they are in a position where they are able to fully utilize the data that they gather and is available to them. Business analysts are more likely to focus on interpreting data that has been collected and make sense of past trends to uncover the facts, while in comparison, data scientists tend to work on extrapolating past data in order to make more accurate predictions for the future of the business. 

Demand for Business Analysts Vs Data Scientists

Both business intelligence professionals and data scientists are currently in very high demand from a wide range of industries around the world. No matter which of the two roles appeals to you the most, you will be able to find several excellent opportunities and career prospects around the world as an increasing number of companies are in need of professionals that are knowledgeable, experienced, and highly educated in this field. People with the required skill-set to make sense of the ever-growing amounts of data that businesses are collecting on a regular basis are likely going to be needed more and more. And there’s already a shortage of data professionals around the world with businesses not showing any signs of slowing down in terms of the data numbers that they are collecting. A career in either data science or business analytics gives you the chance to take advantage of this shortage of data professionals, making it easier for you to find work and boosting your salary options with the demand higher than ever. 

How Much Do Business Analysts and Data Scientists Earn?

How much you can expect your salary to be while working as either a data scientist or a business analyst is probably the main question that you have when it comes to planning for your future career. The good news is that in big data, salaries are quite generous. For data scientists, the average salary is currently a hugely generous $80k annually, with the chance to earn even more as you increase your experience while working in this position. On the other hand, business analysts can earn even more over time, and with a lower entry into a career as a business analyst compared to data science, it’s usually easier to get into and gives you the chance to get started with building up the experience that you need to boost your earnings as soon as possible. You can get into working as a business analyst with a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a relevant subject such as data analytics, business analytics, or data science, while data science positions often require you to earn a doctoral degree. 

Steps to Get into Your Big Data Career

Whether you are interested in a career as a data scientist or a business analyst, there are several steps that you will need to take to get into this line of work. 

• Undergraduate Study: If you are heading to college and want to get a future career in big data, there are several relevant majors that you may consider. Ideally, you want a degree that is designed to provide you with the best foundation for working in this field, such as data analytics, data science, engineering, information technology, economics, computer science, or business analytics. 
• Work Experience: An advanced degree may not always be necessary to get into some roles, but employers will usually expect you to be able to demonstrate that you have gained some work experience in a similar role. While this can make it trickier when you are just starting in your career, internships and other work placement opportunities can help you build the experience you need to start working in this field. 
• Advanced Degree: Depending on the role that you are interested in, an advanced degree in business analytics or data science may be required or preferred. There are various master’s and even doctoral degree programs that you can take, which are designed to help you improve your knowledge and become an expert in this field. 
• Professional Certifications: Finally, getting a professional certification is generally an important step for people working in big data. You can get a range of professional certifications from various organizations that are designed to allow you to demonstrate your knowledge and skills in the field, which will not only improve your expertise but also help you stand out as a potential employee. 

With data being gathered in larger amounts and becoming more and more valuable, a career in business analytics or data science is a wise choice.