Your Path to Your First Business Analyst Job

A hands-on one-week plan to help you become job-ready as a business analyst. Focus on core skills, tools, and a showcase project to impress recruiters.

Weekly Hours: 10
Estimated Weeks: 1

Phases

Learn Business Analysis Basics

Get familiar with what business analysts do. Learn basic concepts and daily tasks. Understand how analysts solve problems in companies.

0.2 weeks

Understand the business analyst role
Learn key analysis steps (gathering, writing, sharing needs)
Read about daily business analyst work
List basic terms and tools

Explaining what a business analyst does (example: making process flow charts)
Communication (writing short summaries of goals)
Asking good questions (listing five sample questions for interviews)

Beginner guide to business analysis
Business analysis basics videos
Sample job descriptions
Common interview questions

Write a one-page summary of the business analyst role
List 10 business analysis terms with explanations
Complete basic business analysis online test (screenshot of result)

Learn Data and Requirements Skills

Practice working with data and writing business needs. Learn to collect basic information and organize it clearly.

0.2 weeks

Find, read, and summarize business data
Write sample business needs
Create simple process diagrams
Practice tools for analysis

Summarizing data in tables (example: Excel sales data)
Drawing simple process maps (example: user journey in Draw.io)
Writing clear requirements (example: list needs in Google Docs)
Interviewing others (example: ask classmates about a process)

Intro to Excel or Google Sheets
Guide to clear requirements writing
Free flowchart tools
Practice data sets

Make and share one process flowchart (PNG image)
Write a one-page business needs summary (Google Docs)
Present basic data findings (table/slide)

Master Key Analyst Tools

Get hands-on with tools used by business analysts. Try out spreadsheets, diagrams, and forms for gathering feedback.

0.2 weeks

Use spreadsheet tools for analysis
Build forms to collect information
Draw diagrams for business processes
Write realistic test cases

Using Excel formulas (example: sum sales by date)
Making Google Forms surveys (example: collect feedback on a product)
Drawing diagrams (example: workflow in Lucidchart)
Writing test cases (example: check each step in a process)

Excel tutorials
Google Forms beginner's guide
Diagram tools how-to
Testing checklists

Share a live Google Form and sample responses
Submit one tested Excel file (with formulas)
Upload a process diagram (PDF or PNG)

Showcase Project: Small Business Analysis

Apply your skills by picking a real or imaginary small business. Analyze a key process, collect data, and make simple improvements.

0.2 weeks

Pick a small business or process (e.g. bakery order system)
Gather sample requirements
Analyze data and map the process
Suggest improvements and test the results

Project analysis (example: find steps in bakery's order flow)
Interview skills (example: ask about common problems)
Reporting (example: make a short slide deck)
Testing improvements (example: before/after process comparison)

Business process examples
Slides templates
Sample project guide
Peer feedback groups

Deliver a process analysis write-up (2-3 pages, DOC or PDF)
Include at least one diagram and table
Show test results and before/after changes
Upload project files to cloud folder (link ready for job application)

Apply and Prepare for Jobs

Prepare your resume, get ready for interviews, and start applying for roles. Share your project with potential employers.

0.2 weeks

Write a business analyst resume
Practice common interview questions
Share project link in applications
Send at least 2 job applications

Resume writing (example: bullet points for your school and project)
Mock interviews (example: friends ask you 5 common questions)
Online applications (example: fill forms on job websites)

Resume builder templates
Interview question lists
Job search websites
Feedback from friends

Finish and review a one-page resume (PDF)
Complete 1 mock interview session (feedback summary)
Apply to at least 2 business analyst jobs
Link to your showcase project included in applications

Weekly Plan

Week	Focus	Why	Tasks	Deliverables
1	Build a showcase business analysis project from start to finish	A real project proves your skills to employers	Pick a small business or process to analyze (e.g. bakery order system), Interview peers or research user needs (Google Forms or simple survey), Map current process (Draw.io or Lucidchart diagrams), Summarize data in a spreadsheet (Excel or Google Sheets), Write project summary and improvement ideas (Google Docs)	Showcase project with doc, diagram, table, slides in one folder, Shareable project link for job applications

Daily Plan

Monday

Read about the business analyst role
Pick a project (small business/process)

Tuesday

Gather sample data (Google Forms/survey)
Sketch the current process (Draw.io, paper, or online tool)

Wednesday

Summarize findings in a table (Excel/Google Sheets)
List business needs and main problems

Thursday

Suggest process improvements
Write a one-page summary (Google Docs)

Friday

Test improvements (before/after step comparison)
Make a short slide deck (Google Slides)
Upload all project files to a folder and get shareable link