What is a Business Analyst?

You know when people say, “Somebody should look into that”? The Business Analyst (BA) is the person that looks into that! Business Analysis is a great career in the IT sector, with plenty of development opportunities to become professionally recognised in the profession. They help to define and bring shape to business problems and the requirements for the solutions to solve them, all whilst keeping a close eye on the needs of the business.

What do BAs do in the DVLA?

“We use BAs in all our digital projects, working closely with software engineers to put in place award-winning services for our customers. BAs also have an important role in talking to our stakeholders. They make sure we understand the outcomes stakeholders want to achieve and advise how we can provide it in the most efficient way.” – Gary Young, Head of Product Development

“I get to work in a lot of different areas of the business, finding out what they do and looking for ways to improve processes. BAs are also involved in systems development, eliciting requirements from the business and writing user stories for the developers.” – Dylan Thomas, DVLA Business Analyst

That sounds interesting, what experience would I need?

As a BA, it’s not about what you’ve done, but who you are. It’s more about the type of person you are and how you use your skills to your advantage. Are you:

Click to expand each skill and find out more.

  • Good at communication?

    Good verbal and written skills are a must, especially if you need to communicate with different areas. A good communicator can also adapt and tailor their communication depending on the audience, so it’s easy to understand.

  • A curious person?

    Do you spend a lot of time asking questions? Are you analytical? You need the kind of mind that always wants to know the ‘why’ and ‘how’ behind the ‘what’.

  • Flexible?

    If you can think on your feet and change something quickly, then this is the job for you.

  • Able to break down complex problems into simpler chunks?

    In this case, it would be explaining business concepts to a technical audience and technical concepts to a business audience. If this is the one you’re nervous about, don’t worry – we can train you!

What opportunities are there to progress?

At DVLA, you can begin your journey as a Junior Business Analyst, knowing that there are great opportunities to progress along the path from Junior, Associate, Senior and Lead Business Analyst. You will be provided with the necessary training, qualifications and experiences needed to excel in your profession.

How can I become a Business Analyst?

Our Business Analyst Development Programme is part of the Centre of Digital Excellence, which was set up in 2018, aimed at recruiting and developing talent in a number of digital areas, allowing us to progress with our digital transformation. A primary ingredient in the development programme are real-world experiences that allow students to practise and experiment with new tools and techniques.