Career Overlap Transition record
RecordMove

Market research analyst to business analyst

A market research analyst already meets 26% of what the business analyst role asks for. The move turns on 17 required skills not yet in the profile.

Fig. 1 · Skill transfer ESCO v1.2.1 · directional
From market research analyst
26 % overlap
Distant match
To business analyst
10 You already bring
17 Still to learn
53 Skills in the target role2
Learning distance A rebuild

76.7/ 100

1 How much of what a business analyst is expected to do is already part of a market research analyst’s work. Directional: the figure for the reverse move differs, because moving into a speciality is not the same problem as moving out of one. 2 Every skill the business analyst role is recorded as needing, required and optional together. What these numbers mean.

Why

Why this move works

A business analyst role treats 9 of its required skills as things a market research analyst already does. You would walk in with these on day one.

  • analyse external factors of companies
  • analyse internal factors of companies
  • business analysis
  • conduct qualitative research
  • conduct quantitative research
  • digital data processing

What stands in the way is 17 required skills the profile does not yet cover. Table 3 groups them; Table 4 says which to take first.

Table 2

Table 2 · What you already bring

Of the 10 skills that carry over, these are the ones fewest other occupations ask for. A business analyst role needs them, and most people applying for one will not have them already. This is the part of a market research analyst background worth leading with.

Skill the target role also needs Area
  • already held marketing analytics business, administration and law
  • already held perform business analysis information skills
  • already held digital data processing working with computers
  • already held analyse external factors of companies information skills
  • already held business analysis business, administration and law
  • already held analyse internal factors of companies information skills

All 10 carried skills, including the 9 the business analyst role treats as required.

Table 3

Table 3 · What you may need to learn

The 43 missing skills fall into 10 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, numbered in the order worth working in. Areas carrying the most required skills come first, and inside each one the required skills sit above the optional ones. Nothing here is a verdict on you: it is a list of what this particular job asks for that your current one does not.

Skill to pick up Tier
01 communication, collaboration and creativity 4 required, 8 supplementary
  • still to learn advise on efficiency improvements required
  • still to learn align efforts towards business development required
  • still to learn build business relationships required
  • still to learn liaise with managers required
  • optional, not held interview people optional
  • optional, not held advise client on technical possibilities optional
  • optional, not held advise on communication strategies optional
  • optional, not held advise on financial matters optional
  • optional, not held advise on organisational culture optional
  • optional, not held advise on personnel management optional
  • optional, not held propose ICT solutions to business problems optional
  • optional, not held support implementation of quality management systems optional
02 business, administration and law 3 required, 11 supplementary
  • still to learn management consulting required
  • still to learn management systems standards required
  • still to learn risk management required
  • optional, not held organisational learning optional
  • optional, not held business process modelling optional
  • optional, not held investment banking optional
  • optional, not held organisational policies optional
  • optional, not held business intelligence optional
  • optional, not held business law optional
  • optional, not held business strategy concepts optional
  • optional, not held corporate law optional
  • optional, not held financial statements optional
  • optional, not held market entry strategies optional
  • optional, not held quality standards optional
03 information skills 3 required, 4 supplementary
  • still to learn analyse business plans required
  • still to learn analyse financial performance of a company required
  • still to learn interpret financial statements required
  • optional, not held advise on risk management optional
  • optional, not held keep updated on the political landscape optional
  • optional, not held report analysis results optional
  • optional, not held seek innovation in current practices optional
04 management skills 2 required, 2 supplementary
  • still to learn apply change management required
  • still to learn identify undetected organisational needs required
  • optional, not held define organisational standards optional
  • optional, not held shape organisational teams based on competencies optional
05 education 1 required
  • still to learn scientific research methodology required
06 generic programmes and qualifications 1 required
  • still to learn business communication required

4 further areas in the appendix

Table 4

Table 4 · Where to start

The 3 entries a business analyst role is least likely to hire without. The ordering is computed from the skill data, not from what pays.

Each entry opens a course search for that skill. Career Overlap earns nothing from these links.

Appendix

Appendix · The rest of the record

All 10 skills that carry over
Skill Type
  • already held analyse external factors of companies skill
  • already held analyse internal factors of companies skill
  • already held business analysis knowledge
  • already held conduct qualitative research skill
  • already held conduct quantitative research skill
  • already held digital data processing skill
  • already held make strategic business decisions skill
  • already held market research knowledge
  • already held perform business analysis skill
  • already held marketing analytics knowledge
The 4 learning areas not shown above
Skill to pick up Tier
07 information and communication technologies (icts) 1 required
  • still to learn data visualisation software required
08 natural sciences, mathematics and statistics 1 required
  • still to learn business analytics required
09 working with computers 1 required
  • still to learn use business simulation tools required
10 engineering, manufacturing and construction 1 supplementary
  • optional, not held sustainable manufacturing optional
26 supplementary skills, helpful but not required
Skill to pick up Tier
  • optional, not held organisational learning optional
  • optional, not held business process modelling optional
  • optional, not held interview people optional
  • optional, not held investment banking optional
  • optional, not held organisational policies optional
  • optional, not held advise client on technical possibilities optional
  • optional, not held advise on communication strategies optional
  • optional, not held advise on financial matters optional
  • optional, not held advise on organisational culture optional
  • optional, not held advise on personnel management optional
  • optional, not held advise on risk management optional
  • optional, not held business intelligence optional
  • optional, not held business law optional
  • optional, not held business strategy concepts optional
  • optional, not held corporate law optional
  • optional, not held define organisational standards optional
  • optional, not held financial statements optional
  • optional, not held keep updated on the political landscape optional
  • optional, not held market entry strategies optional
  • optional, not held propose ICT solutions to business problems optional
  • optional, not held quality standards optional
  • optional, not held report analysis results optional
  • optional, not held seek innovation in current practices optional
  • optional, not held shape organisational teams based on competencies optional
  • optional, not held support implementation of quality management systems optional
  • optional, not held sustainable manufacturing optional
62 held skills the business analyst role does not ask for
Skill Type
  • not needed by the target role LDAP knowledge
  • not needed by the target role LINQ knowledge
  • not needed by the target role MDX knowledge
  • not needed by the target role N1QL knowledge
  • not needed by the target role SPARQL knowledge
  • not needed by the target role XQuery knowledge
  • not needed by the target role advise on market strategies skill
  • not needed by the target role analyse big data skill
  • not needed by the target role analyse consumer buying trends skill
  • not needed by the target role analyse economic trends skill
  • not needed by the target role analyse market financial trends skill
  • not needed by the target role analyse supply chain trends skill
  • not needed by the target role apply knowledge of human behaviour skill
  • not needed by the target role apply statistical analysis techniques skill
  • not needed by the target role apply technical communication skills skill
  • not needed by the target role build predictive models skill
  • not needed by the target role collaborate in the development of marketing strategies skill
  • not needed by the target role conduct public surveys skill
  • not needed by the target role conduct research interview skill
  • not needed by the target role consumer goods industry knowledge
  • not needed by the target role customer insight knowledge
  • not needed by the target role customer segmentation knowledge
  • not needed by the target role customer service knowledge
  • not needed by the target role data quality assessment knowledge
  • not needed by the target role database knowledge
  • not needed by the target role deliver visual presentation of data skill
  • not needed by the target role demography knowledge
  • not needed by the target role design questionnaires skill
  • not needed by the target role document interviews skill
  • not needed by the target role document project progress skill
  • not needed by the target role draw conclusions from market research results skill
  • not needed by the target role establish data processes skill
  • not needed by the target role evaluate interview reports skill
  • not needed by the target role follow the news skill
  • not needed by the target role forecast economic trends skill
  • not needed by the target role gather data skill
  • not needed by the target role identify customer's needs skill
  • not needed by the target role identify market niches skill
  • not needed by the target role identify potential markets for companies skill
  • not needed by the target role information confidentiality knowledge

22 further entries not listed here

19 gaps that are knowledge rather than practice

Knowledge gaps usually close through study. Practical skill gaps usually need something you can point at.

Skill to pick up Tier
  • still to learn business analytics required
  • still to learn management consulting required
  • still to learn management systems standards required
  • still to learn business communication required
  • still to learn data visualisation software required
  • still to learn risk management required
  • still to learn scientific research methodology required
  • optional, not held organisational learning optional
  • optional, not held business process modelling optional
  • optional, not held investment banking optional
  • optional, not held organisational policies optional
  • optional, not held business intelligence optional
  • optional, not held business law optional
  • optional, not held business strategy concepts optional
  • optional, not held corporate law optional
  • optional, not held financial statements optional
  • optional, not held market entry strategies optional
  • optional, not held quality standards optional
  • optional, not held sustainable manufacturing optional
Index

Other moves recorded from market research analyst

Full index of moves from market research analyst

FAQ

Common questions about this move

Can a market research analyst become a business analyst?

Yes, and it is a career change move. A market research analyst already covers 26% of what a business analyst is expected to do: 10 skills carry over, 9 of which the business analyst role treats as required.

What skills does a market research analyst need to become a business analyst?

17 required skills are missing, plus 26 optional ones. They fall into 10 areas of the ESCO skill hierarchy, led by communication, collaboration and creativity. The single most important is business analytics.

How hard is the move from market research analyst to business analyst?

Its learning distance is 76.7 out of 100, which is the career change band. That accounts for both how much is missing and how specialised those skills are.

Note

How this record was compiled

Both occupations are taken from ESCO, which lists the skills and knowledge each occupation is expected to have and marks every one required or optional. Nothing here is a prediction about hiring, and nothing here knows that a particular employer wants a particular certificate. Treat Table 3 as a starting point for your own research rather than a syllabus. The full method states what these figures can and cannot tell you.