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suhani
Student
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What are the most important skills I should build in college if I want to work in business analytics or operations management after graduation? #Spring25
I’m excited to get expert advice on how to succeed in business analytics and operations management. Looking for insights on how to stand out to employers and prepare for the future! #Spring25
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Doc Frick
Career Coach and Mentor
1872
Answers
California, CA
Updated
Doc’s Answer
TECHNICAL BUSINESS ANALYTICS SKILLS
In a business landscape quickly becoming governed by big data, great analytics professionals are fulfilling the demand for technical expertise by wearing the hats of both developer and analyst. Mastering Business Analytics is key to success in any organization. Business analytics involves analyzing data to make smart decisions, improve processes, and drive growth. Whether you’re experienced or just starting out, developing these skills can set you apart in the competitive job market. Here are the top five essential business analytics skills that have been crucial for me. These skills help in understanding and using data effectively and applying it to real-world business situations. Below are some of the top skills I recommend for business analytics professionals:
SQL — SQL is the coding language of databases and one of the most important tools in an analytics professional’s toolkit. Professionals write SQL queries to extract and analyze data from the transactions database and develop visualizations to present to stakeholders.
STATISTICAL LANGUAGES — The two most common programming languages in analytics are R, for statistical analysis, and Python, for general programming. Knowledge in either of these languages can be beneficial when analyzing big data sets, but is not vital.
STATISTICAL SOFTWARE — While the ability to program is helpful for a career in analytics, being able to write code isn’t necessarily required to work as an analytics professional. Apart from the above languages, statistical software such as SPSS, SAS, Sage, Mathematica, and even Excel can be used when managing and analyzing data.
In a business landscape quickly becoming governed by big data, great analytics professionals are fulfilling the demand for technical expertise by wearing the hats of both developer and analyst. Mastering Business Analytics is key to success in any organization. Business analytics involves analyzing data to make smart decisions, improve processes, and drive growth. Whether you’re experienced or just starting out, developing these skills can set you apart in the competitive job market. Here are the top five essential business analytics skills that have been crucial for me. These skills help in understanding and using data effectively and applying it to real-world business situations. Below are some of the top skills I recommend for business analytics professionals:
SQL — SQL is the coding language of databases and one of the most important tools in an analytics professional’s toolkit. Professionals write SQL queries to extract and analyze data from the transactions database and develop visualizations to present to stakeholders.
STATISTICAL LANGUAGES — The two most common programming languages in analytics are R, for statistical analysis, and Python, for general programming. Knowledge in either of these languages can be beneficial when analyzing big data sets, but is not vital.
STATISTICAL SOFTWARE — While the ability to program is helpful for a career in analytics, being able to write code isn’t necessarily required to work as an analytics professional. Apart from the above languages, statistical software such as SPSS, SAS, Sage, Mathematica, and even Excel can be used when managing and analyzing data.
ogundiji samson
Engineer
6
Answers
Lagos, Nigeria
Updated
ogundiji’s Answer
Aspiring Business Analytics and Operations Management pro! It's smart to focus on building a strong skillset in college to stand out for those opportunities and beyond. These two fields are increasingly intertwined, so developing skills that bridge both will make you highly valuable.
Here are the most important skills to cultivate:
Data Literacy & Analytical Skills: This is foundational for both.
What: Understanding statistics, data interpretation, quantitative analysis, and critical thinking. You need to not just crunch numbers but understand what they mean in a business context.
Why: Business Analytics is data. Operations Management relies heavily on data for forecasting, process optimization, quality control, and resource allocation.
How to Build: Take stats courses, business analytics courses, economics courses with quantitative components. Practice interpreting data sets.
Proficiency with Relevant Tools: Learn the languages and software of the industry.
What: Excel (advanced functions, pivot tables), SQL (for database querying), and ideally some exposure to data visualization tools (Tableau, Power BI) and/or statistical software/languages (R, Python).
Why: These are the tools used daily to extract, analyze, visualize, and report on data in both analytics and operations.
How to Build: Seek out courses, online tutorials (DataCamp, Coursera, Udemy), and work on projects that require using these tools. Get an internship where you'll use them.
Process Analysis & Improvement: Core to Operations Management, but valuable for analytics too.
What: Understanding how processes work, how to map them, identify bottlenecks, measure efficiency, and propose improvements. Concepts like Lean, Six Sigma, or basic process mapping are relevant.
Why: Operations is all about making processes efficient and effective. Analytics is often used to measure and inform these process improvements.
How to Build: Take operations management courses. Look for projects (academic or extracurricular) where you can analyze and suggest improvements to a real-world process.
Business Acumen & Context: Understanding the "why" behind the data and operations.
What: Knowledge of how businesses function, key performance indicators (KPIs), market dynamics, and industry-specific challenges.
Why: You can have great technical skills, but without understanding the business context, your analysis or operational plans won't be relevant or impactful.
How to Build: Take core business courses (finance, marketing, strategy). Read business news. Understand the business models of companies you're interested in.
Communication & Storytelling: Translating complex findings into clear, actionable insights.
What: Ability to explain technical concepts or data-driven recommendations to non-technical stakeholders, both verbally and in writing. Creating clear presentations and visualizations.
Why: In both roles, you need to influence decisions. This requires effectively communicating your findings or plans to managers and teams. Data analysis isn't useful if you can't explain what it means.
How to Build: Participate actively in class, practice presentations, write clear reports. Join clubs where you need to communicate ideas.
To Stand Out & Prepare for the Future:
Hands-on Projects: Apply your skills. Work on real-world problems through case competitions, club projects, or personal projects. This gives you concrete examples to discuss in interviews.
Internships: Internships are crucial. They provide practical experience, allow you to apply your skills, explore different industries/roles, and build your network. Aim for internships in analytics, operations, supply chain, or consulting.
Certifications: Consider relevant certifications (e.g., Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate, Six Sigma Yellow/Green Belt) to demonstrate initiative and validated skills.
Network: Connect with professionals in these fields through career fairs, LinkedIn, and informational interviews. Learn about their career paths and what skills they find most important.
Stay Curious: The tools and techniques in business analytics evolve rapidly. Be committed to continuous learning.
By focusing on these skills, gaining practical experience, and understanding the business context, you'll be well-prepared to launch a successful career in business analytics or operations management after graduation. Good luck
Here are the most important skills to cultivate:
Data Literacy & Analytical Skills: This is foundational for both.
What: Understanding statistics, data interpretation, quantitative analysis, and critical thinking. You need to not just crunch numbers but understand what they mean in a business context.
Why: Business Analytics is data. Operations Management relies heavily on data for forecasting, process optimization, quality control, and resource allocation.
How to Build: Take stats courses, business analytics courses, economics courses with quantitative components. Practice interpreting data sets.
Proficiency with Relevant Tools: Learn the languages and software of the industry.
What: Excel (advanced functions, pivot tables), SQL (for database querying), and ideally some exposure to data visualization tools (Tableau, Power BI) and/or statistical software/languages (R, Python).
Why: These are the tools used daily to extract, analyze, visualize, and report on data in both analytics and operations.
How to Build: Seek out courses, online tutorials (DataCamp, Coursera, Udemy), and work on projects that require using these tools. Get an internship where you'll use them.
Process Analysis & Improvement: Core to Operations Management, but valuable for analytics too.
What: Understanding how processes work, how to map them, identify bottlenecks, measure efficiency, and propose improvements. Concepts like Lean, Six Sigma, or basic process mapping are relevant.
Why: Operations is all about making processes efficient and effective. Analytics is often used to measure and inform these process improvements.
How to Build: Take operations management courses. Look for projects (academic or extracurricular) where you can analyze and suggest improvements to a real-world process.
Business Acumen & Context: Understanding the "why" behind the data and operations.
What: Knowledge of how businesses function, key performance indicators (KPIs), market dynamics, and industry-specific challenges.
Why: You can have great technical skills, but without understanding the business context, your analysis or operational plans won't be relevant or impactful.
How to Build: Take core business courses (finance, marketing, strategy). Read business news. Understand the business models of companies you're interested in.
Communication & Storytelling: Translating complex findings into clear, actionable insights.
What: Ability to explain technical concepts or data-driven recommendations to non-technical stakeholders, both verbally and in writing. Creating clear presentations and visualizations.
Why: In both roles, you need to influence decisions. This requires effectively communicating your findings or plans to managers and teams. Data analysis isn't useful if you can't explain what it means.
How to Build: Participate actively in class, practice presentations, write clear reports. Join clubs where you need to communicate ideas.
To Stand Out & Prepare for the Future:
Hands-on Projects: Apply your skills. Work on real-world problems through case competitions, club projects, or personal projects. This gives you concrete examples to discuss in interviews.
Internships: Internships are crucial. They provide practical experience, allow you to apply your skills, explore different industries/roles, and build your network. Aim for internships in analytics, operations, supply chain, or consulting.
Certifications: Consider relevant certifications (e.g., Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate, Six Sigma Yellow/Green Belt) to demonstrate initiative and validated skills.
Network: Connect with professionals in these fields through career fairs, LinkedIn, and informational interviews. Learn about their career paths and what skills they find most important.
Stay Curious: The tools and techniques in business analytics evolve rapidly. Be committed to continuous learning.
By focusing on these skills, gaining practical experience, and understanding the business context, you'll be well-prepared to launch a successful career in business analytics or operations management after graduation. Good luck
Sandeep Velaga
Senior software engineering
15
Answers
Princeton, Texas
Updated
Sandeep’s Answer
To work in business analytics or operations management after graduation, here are some key skills you should focus on:
1. Data Analytics
2. Statistics
3. SQL expertise
4. BI tools
I would also suggest pursing internship to get hands-on experience..
Good Luck!!
1. Data Analytics
2. Statistics
3. SQL expertise
4. BI tools
I would also suggest pursing internship to get hands-on experience..
Good Luck!!