3 Must-Have Skills to Advance Your Business Operations Career in 2022

How can you improve your career path in the business operations field?
 
Let us count the ways. OK job candidates, sorry about the bad Shakespearian play on words. But there are endless articles, blog posts, white papers, etc., on career improvement.
 
Don’t worry; we’re not going there!
At mCubed, we work with great companies and skilled hiring teams looking for talented business operations and analyst candidates.
 
And that’s what we’re going to focus on in this post.
 
We’re going to discuss three critical skills that every business operations, or business analyst, professional needs to possess:
  • Exceptional Problem-Solving Skills
  • Exceptional Understanding And Utilization Of Software Tools
  • Exceptional Presentation Skills
We’ll also recommend some actions to take to get started on the path.
 
Before we get started, though, we wanted to share some interesting advice from the business pundits at The Harvard Business Review:
 
A great deal of career advice, while given with the best of intentions, is often not based on verified evidence and is anecdotal, hackneyed, contradictory, or outdated. So the next time you hear or give career advice, consider that not all advice is equally valid. Our recommendation for your career journey is to pack your own parachute (control your own destiny), enjoy the “boundaryless” (consider all opportunities) scenery on the trip, don’t be too picky about the destination, and don’t be too eager to jump at the next stop.
 
That’s sound advice for sure. So let’s get started on your career journey.
 
Every business operations professional needs exceptional problem-solving skills related to finance.
 
Business operations pros and analysts spend most of their time solving operational optimization problems related to finance and productivity. That takes critical thinking, software tools, and an understanding of finance and accounting.
 
Always be upskilling. As a business analyst, you should understand how to get the information you need to do your job out of a set of financials and financial work products—including spreadsheets, apps like quick books, etc.
 
If you’re not comfortable with the financial data side of business operations, it might be time to take a class. Your certification will help you in future job searches.
 
BAs need to possess an exceptional understanding of the utilization of software tools.
 
As We point out in a previous post, “Good BA’s use business analytics tools and software like Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, Access, and MS SQL. Google and Tableau are additional tools that a tech-savvy BA might utilize.”
 
You can’t go wrong mastering these tools. Take an online class if you’re not familiar with these apps or if you’re feeling a bit rusty. Classes will also help you sharpen your problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
 
Exceptional presentation skills are also a must.
 
The experts at Forbes recommend seven great visual presentation tools. But you’re off to a great start if you can master Google slides and Powerpoint. Remember, your hard work won’t pay off unless you coalesce all of your findings into a cogent, relatable, concise presentation. So keep honing your presentation skills.
 
Are you a candidate looking for a business operations or business analyst job?
 
At mCubed Staffing, we help clients just like you find that perfect job every day! We just might have a great employer looking for a great candidate like you right now. And they might just be willing to pay for some of your certifications and classes to help you upskill.
Let’s find out.
 
Call us today at (248) 817-2243, or get in touch online. Our expert recruiters are waiting for your call.