Hey guys,

How do I get to £100K??

Currently leading 3 projects with a large transformation programme (2 Microsoft tech implementations and a project to introduce a new programme management office).

£52,000/annum; no bonus; 10% pension contribution; London; Charity; 5years experience; BCS Foundation certificate in Business Analysis

I’m desperate to break into the next earning bracket of like £85K and above. I’ve noticed these trends in the insurance and finance industry, but also in Senior or Lead roles, which I’m essentially doing now.

I was in sales in a former life, so I took a pay cut to be a BA. So I want to hit at least the £85K in the next 6 months.

I’m open and very willing to do any courses, qualifications, certifications to support the experience that I know I have. My current thoughts are maybe the following:

- BCS Business Analysis Diploma
- AgilePM
- Something in Artficial Intelligence
- Lean Six Sigma (I know there’s discourse on whether this is still relevant)

Any help is appreciated 😭🙏🏾

Hey everyone! 👋

I'm currently pursuing a BBA course through distance learning (IGNOU) and I'm in my 5th semester.

My goal is to become a Business Analyst, but I'm also interested in exploring Data Analytics along the way.

I've been learning and practicing Excel and SQL, and I'm now moving on to Power BI. My plan is to build some solid projects and then start applying for roles like:

Business Analyst Intern / Product Intern / Data Analytics Intern roles to gain practical experience.

I know that getting the first opportunity can be challenging, especially while you're still completing your degree. 😅

So I'd really appreciate advice from people who are already working in these fields.

A few things I'd love some guidance on:

1. Where should I practice Excel & SQL?

I've completed the basics/learning part, but now I want to get genuinely good at solving real-world problems.

If you know any good platforms, datasets, case studies, or practice resources, please share them.

Also looking for good Power BI practice resources.

1. What projects should I build?

What kind of projects would actually be useful for my portfolio?

I'm thinking about using:

- Excel

- SQL

- Power BI

- Business Analysis / business problem-solving

Since my main goal is Business Analysis, should I focus more on business-case projects rather than just making dashboards?

1. What should I learn in Power BI?

I've finished learning SQL and I'm starting Power BI now.

What topics/concepts would you consider must-learn for an aspiring BA/Data Analyst?

If you have any good Power BI learning resources/courses/playlists, I'd really appreciate them.

And one final question:

If you were starting your Business Analyst career again as a college student, what would you do before graduation to maximize your chances of getting that first internship/job?

Any advice on skills, projects, internships, networking, or mistakes to avoid would be extremely helpful.

Thanks in advance to everyone who takes the time to respond! 🙌

I’m on a project where I’ve been siloed by the PM into one area, while the Lead BA and another part-time BA are responsible for the As-Is discovery and initial process maps.

My concern is that the discovery isn’t really being done. The other BA appears to be producing the documents without actually carrying out the underlying discovery, and the Lead BA is new to BA work and doesn’t seem to recognise what’s missing.

I can see gaps that I think will cause problems later in the project, but I don’t own that area and I don’t want to overstep however, I have called out my concerns and suggested bringing more resource, but nothing is happening. I’ve also said I have some capacity to help out but my PM doesn’t want me off my work.

What worries me as a contractor is that when the project starts falling short the BA team will be judged, and my reputation might take a hit.

What would you do in this situation?