What is the career progression of a Business Analyst?

Career Coaching
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1

I like to think of the BA career route as a train map with several stops, stations, and transfers along the way, rather than a straight line. I have four distinct beginning locations in mind:

  1. A conventional business analyst is one who works in a traditional environment and is associated with the business side.
  2. Business analyst in an agile environment
  3. Technology group-aligned business systems analyst
  4. Project management

Traditional business analysts can go from BA to senior business analyst, architect, senior business architect, and so on. In an agile context, you might progress from business analyst to product owner, then manage a team, and finally, become a PMO director. You can go to the vice president, senior vice president, and CIO from there.

A Business Systems Analyst may advance to the position of a senior analyst, then technology architect, and finally enterprise architect. You can advance from Project Manager to Senior Project Manager and so on.

One road isn’t always preferable to the other. You can choose from a number of various possibilities.

2

You usually start as a junior business analyst, then move up to roles like senior business analyst. From there, you might advance to a lead analyst position, overseeing more complex projects. Career progression can lead to managerial roles, such as business analysis manager or director, where you manage teams and strategic initiatives. Some even transition into executive roles, like COO or CFO, leveraging their extensive experience in business processes and strategy.