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Business Intelligence Analysts


About

Exploring this Job

Learn more about business intelligence by visiting the Web sites of professional associations such as the Association of International Risk Intelligence Professionals, https://www.airip.org, and TDWI (Transforming Data With Intelligence), https://tdwi.org. Search the Internet for articles on the business intelligence industry, such as those found on Entrepreneur's Web site, https://www.entrepreneur.com/topic/business-intelligence. Another great way to gain insights into the field is through an internship or part-time job with a business intelligence company. Find opportunities on employment Web sites such as Indeed.com and Monster.com. Your career services office can also help you locate business intelligence companies and job and internship openings.

The Job

Business intelligence analysts gather data from different sources and analyze it to help companies take steps to operate more efficiently and increase profits. They collect information from industry and field reports, public information, and purchased data reports. They study data from the past, review current business operations and conditions, and make predictions for the future.

Analysts' work involves analyzing market data or customer-related data and preparing reports that highlight industry and technology trends. They interpret data and explain in reports what companies can do with this information. They update information in computer databases and share information regularly with coworkers, supervisors, other staff members, and clients via written reports and e-mail, and by telephone and in person.

This type of work requires strong research and analytical skills, the ability to clearly communicate information in writing as well as verbally, and technology skills. Business intelligence analysts use various software programs to gather and study data, such as Apache Hadoop, IBM DB2, NetSuite ERP, C++, JavaScript, among many others.