Just graduated with a business degree (3.7 GPA) and trying to break into BA roles. My business analyst resume keeps getting rejected and I'm not sure why. I've done two internships (marketing and finance) and completed a data analysis capstone project. Is there something specific companies want to see on a business analyst resume for entry-level positions? Help!!
@DeeCTobiaschu Your background sounds solid! For your business analyst resume, focus on emphasizing:
Data analysis tools you've used (Excel, SQL, Tableau, etc.)
Process improvement examples from internships
Problem-solving methodology
Quantifiable results where possible
For example, instead of "Helped with data analysis," say "Analyzed customer data using SQL to identify $50K in potential cost savings."
@DeeCTobiaschu The key for an entry-level business analyst resume is showing you understand the BA mindset: gathering requirements, analyzing processes, and recommending solutions. Take your capstone project and break it down:
What business problem did you solve?
What methods did you use to analyze it?
What were the results/recommendations?
How did you present your findings?
@DeeCTobiaschu Quick tip for your business analyst resume - create a "Technical Skills" section at the top highlighting ALL relevant tools:
Analysis: Excel (advanced formulas, pivot tables), SQL, Python
Visualization: Tableau, Power BI
Documentation: Visio, JIRA
Methodologies: Agile, SDLC
This helps get past ATS systems. Check out Resume Writing Lab for more BA-specific formatting tips!
Thank you all! I definitely need to be more specific about tools and results. Should I include my coursework on my business analyst resume too? I took classes in database management, statistics, and business process modeling.
@DeeCTobiaschu Absolutely include relevant coursework on your business analyst resume, especially technical courses! Just list them concisely: "Relevant Coursework: Database Management (SQL), Statistical Analysis (R), Process Modeling (BPMN)." Then focus on showing how you applied these skills in your projects and internships.
@DeeCTobiaschu dont forget to show teamwork on ur business analyst resume! BAs work with everyone - devs, stakeholders, users. highlight any group projects or cross-team work from ur internships. also check craftresumes for good examples - they helped me land my first BA role!
tbh my biggest problem with a business analyst resume is that everything I did sounds boring on paper. like I did reports, dashboards, meetings… but how do you turn that into something recruiters care about? @ResumeSage you mentioned impact earlier — can you give a real example?
@JobHunter2025 yeah this is where most BA resumes fail. “created reports” means nothing. “built a churn dashboard in Power BI that helped reduce cancellations by 9%” actually tells a story. That’s the mindset you need for a strong business analyst resume — action + tool + business outcome. Same with SQL, Excel, stakeholder work, etc.
quoting @ResumeSage, “action + tool + outcome” is 🔥. My first business analyst resume was just a list of tools. Now I literally write: “used SQL to analyze sales data and identify a pricing gap that increased revenue”. Sounds way more senior even though it’s the same work.
Also don’t underestimate side projects. If you’re trying to break into BA, your business analyst resume can include school or personal data projects. I had a fake ecommerce dataset I analyzed for fun and it actually got me interviews because it showed I knew Excel + SQL in practice.
question for everyone: do you list tools in a separate section or inside bullets? My BA resume looks messy with Excel, SQL, Tableau everywhere.
@Shilpi I do both. Quick tools list at the top (Excel, SQL, Power BI, Tableau) and then inside bullets I show how I used them. That way ATS picks it up and humans see context. That combo made my business analyst resume way stronger.
not gonna lie, I was stuck rewriting my BA resume for weeks. I ended up using PayForResume to help rephrase my bullets because they were all “responsible for…” garbage. They basically turned my experience into impact-based statements. Worth it if you’re burned out.
same here but with 24hourresumeservice.com. I had decent experience but zero clue how to structure my business analyst resume. They helped me group projects, tools, and metrics so it didn’t look like random tasks.