Business Analyst CV Examples & Guide for 2024

One problem with being a business analyst in the middle of a job search is that it’s a role that can look wildly different from company to company, let alone industry to industry. Unless you’re staying within a very well-defined niche, you’re likely to be met with recruiters who aren’t at all sure what you do.

The world of business analysis can be complex and jargon-filled. Your task then becomes to logically organise and persuasively present complex, technical data to a varied audience. Luckily, this is at its core what a BA does. This guide is here to help you bring your skills to bear on something that might be standing in the way of your success – your business analyst CV.

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Business analyst CV example

What is a business analyst CV?

A business analyst CV is a brief document that highlights your key qualifications and skills for the business analyst job. It should show you are familiar with how organizations work and that you've successfully improved them in the past.  

Usually, it's one page long, formatted into proper sections, and is sent alongside a business analyst cover letter. 

Now, here's how to write your business analyst CV, with expert business analyst CV examples included:

1. Write a personal statement for your business analyst CV

The first thing in your CV, after your personal details, should be your personal statement. Also known as a personal profile, your personal statement is a direct answer to the questions on every recruiter’s mind: who is this person and what can they bring to my company?

Answering those questions is a perfect way to write your personal statement. There’s just one more question you should add to round out the statement. All up, you should aim to answer the following in about 50-150 words—3-4 sentences in total:

1. Who are you?
2. What skills, experience, and attributes can you bring to the company?
3. What are your goals, how would this job fit in with your professional aims?

You should write a new personal statement for every job application. Use your personal statement to show that you’re a perfect match for the job on offer.

This section goes first, but it’s best to write it last. It’ll be much easier once you have a master list of skills and a full employment history in front of you (that's why it's also known as a CV summary). It’s important to have it in the back your mind from the beginning, though.

One last thing to look out for: when choosing relevant skills for your business analysis CV personal statement, use the same keywords as those in the job advert. Many companies will use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) to sort CVs by relevance and recruiters will also be scanning for relevant keywords.

Business analyst CV example: personal statement

A strong CV summary will convince the recruiter you’re the perfect candidate. Save time and choose a ready-made personal statement written by career experts and adjust it to your needs in the LiveCareer CV builder.

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2. Rework your business analyst work experience section

Tackle this section first. Writing your work history won’t be the easiest part of writing your business analyst CV, but it will bring you the greatest ROI. Don’t omit this section, even if you’re writing an entry-level business analyst CV. If you have no work experience at all, then consider writing a student or graduate CV instead.

Stick to a chronological CV format. Start with your most recent experience and work your way back from there. This is by far the most common format, it’s what recruiters and hiring managers are used to seeing. It’s also what ATSs are designed to parse most easily.

Although Curriculum Vitae stands for 'course of life', include only relevant work experience. Don’t just list your duties. Give concrete examples of your competencies. Quantify your achievements and impacts as much as possible. Don’t try to put a spin on things, let the facts speak for themselves. Aim for up to six bullet points.

Start each bullet point with a CV action word, like assessed, ensured, achieved, or negotiated. Consider using the SAR (Situation, Action, Result) framework. It’ll make the process much easier. Try to use accomplishment statements rather than responsibility statements.

Business analyst CV example: work experience

3. Don’t overlook the education section in your business analyst CV

This is the easiest section, but attention to detail is no less important here than elsewhere. Once again, use a chronological format, work from most to least recent. Follow the business analyst CV template to keep the layout clear.

If you have BCS/ISEB certification (or equivalent) or the BCS International Diploma in Business Analysis, then you can include it here or in an additional section.

There’s usually no need to mention secondary school once you’ve got your university degree. If you’re writing an entry-level or junior business analyst CV, then you may consider adding your A-levels and GCSEs. Still at university? Then include your expected graduation date.

For university degrees, include the university name, the name of your degree, and the years attended. If you are going to include your high school education, then include the name of the school, its location, and the years you attended.

List all three A-level subjects but just include the number of GCSEs you completed without listing them individually. It’s often a good idea to mention Mathematics and English in your GCSEs, though, as many employers will be on the lookout for these as a minimum.

If you’re a recent graduate or school-leaver and don’t have much experience, then place this section ahead of your work experience section. You can also list some extras here such as extracurricular activities.

Business analyst CV example: education section

4. Add a skills section to your business analyst CV

Being a business analyst requires a complex set of skills. Not all of these skills will be obvious or even readily understandable by the first person who picks up your CV. Analysis, monitoring, prediction, these things are suggested by the job title, but there’s so much more to it than that.

You’ll be tailoring this section to each job offer. Begin with a master list of skills from which you’ll be able to draw for each application. Include hard (technical) and soft skills. It can be hard at first but don’t worry—it snowballs once you get going.

Bring up the job advert to which you’re responding. Check what skills they list there. Compare your list with theirs. Identify the matches and choose 5-10 of them for your business analyst CV. Try to keep a good balance between hard, soft, and IT skills—they’re all important.

Now, don’t just make a list of skills. Anyone can come up with a list of vaguely-defined but impressive-sounding BA skills. Stand out by adding one sentence to each skill that shows how you demonstrate that skill in action. Once again, be concrete and be specific. 

Business analyst CV example: skills section

5. Consider including additional sections to your business analyst CV

You have all the basics covered: work experience, education, skills. You’ll soon have your personal statement sorted. The problem is that everyone has those sections. Yours will be better than most, and that’ll help, but you don’t want to pass up an opportunity to stand out wherever you can.

Add extra sections to your CV to really personalise your application. The other sections will capture 90% of who you are as an employee. Fill out the other 10% for a fuller picture. You could mention additional qualifications, achievements, awards, even hobbies (avoid listing references on your CV, it's old fashioned). Just keep it relevant to your job.

Do you have any IIBA certificates? What about PMI or BCS qualifications? An extra section that showcases just these additional certifications is a great way to grab a recruiter’s attention. Treat them similarly to university degrees: include the name of the qualification/certificate, the year/s attended, and the name of the awarding body.

Business analyst CV example: additional sections

6. Craft a cover letter to go with your business analyst CV

As a business analyst you appreciate the significance of proper documentation better than most. A cover letter remains one of those formalities that you shouldn’t forego lightly. Include a cover letter with your business analyst CV unless you’ve been specifically asked not to.

It’s no secret that formal cover letters (actual letters) are going the way of the hand-drawn Gantt chart, but just over half of employers still prefer candidates to include a cover letter. You have everything to gain by including a cover letter and nothing to lose.

Start by using the right cover letter format. Once you have the formalities out of the way, grab your reader’s attention with a strong opening—lead with an impressive professional achievement. Showcase your skills and experience as a BA. Close your cover letter with a call to action: an opportunity to discuss your candidature further.

7. Keep your business analyst CV clean

Business analysts are very familiar with the importance of presentation. By now, you’ve put considerable effort into presenting the information in your business analyst CV as clearly as possible. Look after that investment of time and energy by seeing to aesthetics and optics.

Stick to some basic CV layout rules:

• Make your personal details clear and easy to find—leave them in the header.
• Organise your BA CV into sections by using clear subheadings.
• Use a professional-looking CV font and be sure to use white space to your advantage.
• Send your CV as a PDF file unless specifically asked for another file type.
• What about CV length? One page should be enough for junior BAs, while those with more than 5 years of experience under their belt can go for two pages.
• If you're planning to use a free CV template found online, make sure it is ATS-friendly. Basic CV templates usually are. View best CV templates, including modern CV templates, to find one that best matches your needs and preferences.

Proofread—check for spelling and grammar mistakes and make sure both your CV and cover letter are clear and easy to read. Ask someone else to read and check through them as well. Make use of any of the apps, web apps, or programmes out there that can help you with spelling and grammar. It’s incredibly important that you have everything word-perfect.

One last CV tip: you should definitely avoid using ‘Please find attached my CV.’ when sending in your job application. 'I’ve included my CV below." sounds more like the XXI century.

Congratulations, now you know what a CV should look like. You’ve dramatically improved your chances for success!

You don’t have to be a CV writing expert. In the LiveCareer CV builder you’ll find ready-made content for every industry and position, which you can then add with a single click.

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Has this guide been helpful to you? Do you have any questions on how to write a BA CV? Please leave me a comment below if you do! These are interesting and challenging times to be a business analyst—I hope this article helps you get the job you’ve always wanted.

How we review the content at LiveCareer

Our editorial team has reviewed this article for compliance with Livecareer’s editorial guidelines. It’s to ensure that our expert advice and recommendations are consistent across all our career guides and align with current CV and cover letter writing standards and trends. We’re trusted by over 10 million job seekers, supporting them on their way to finding their dream job. Each article is preceded by research and scrutiny to ensure our content responds to current market trends and demand.