ATS Keywords & CV Guide for Business Analyst
Business analysts bridge the gap between business needs and technical solutions. They gather requirements, analyse processes, and translate stakeholder needs into specifications for engineering and product teams. When you apply for Business Analyst roles, applicant tracking systems scan your CV for the skills, tools, and responsibility phrasing below. Use them in context within your experience bullets, not just in a skills list.
Top skills recruiters scan for
These are the skills that appear most frequently in Business Analyst job descriptions. The importance score reflects how heavily each skill is weighted in the occupation's O*NET profile. Include the top 5 in your CV where you can prove them with real outcomes.
Scroll the table sideways to see all columns.
| Skill | Importance | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Requirements Gathering |
92
|
technical |
| Documentation |
90
|
technical |
| Communication |
90
|
soft |
| Stakeholder Management |
88
|
soft |
| Process Modeling |
85
|
technical |
| Critical Thinking |
85
|
soft |
| Problem Solving |
82
|
soft |
| Data Analysis |
80
|
technical |
| Agile/Scrum |
75
|
technical |
| SQL (basic) |
70
|
technical |
Tools & software to name explicitly
Recruiters and ATS systems search for specific tool names. List the ones you have real experience with in your skills section, and prove them in your bullets. Tools marked as hot are currently in high demand in job postings.
- Jira
- Confluence
- Microsoft Visio
- LucidchartHot
- Excel (Advanced)
- SQLHot
- Power BIHot
- Tableau
- Balsamiq
- Notion
Responsibility phrasing for your bullets
These are the core tasks a Business Analyst is expected to perform. Use them as starting points for your CV bullets, but rewrite each one with your specific outcomes, scope, and context. Do not copy them verbatim.
- Gather and document business requirements from stakeholders
- Map current-state and future-state processes using flowcharts and diagrams
- Translate business needs into user stories and acceptance criteria
- Analyse data to identify process improvements and cost savings
- Facilitate workshops and meetings to align stakeholders on requirements
- Work with engineering teams to clarify requirements during development
- Conduct gap analysis between current capabilities and desired outcomes
- Create functional specifications and business cases for new initiatives
Other titles this role is posted under
Job postings for this role may use any of these titles. Search for all of them to find more relevant opportunities, and use the matching title in your CV's professional summary when applying.
- IT Business Analyst
- Systems Analyst
- Functional Analyst
- Process Analyst
- Requirements Analyst
- Agile Business Analyst
- Data Business Analyst
Tailor your CV for Business Analyst roles
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Includes information from O*NET 29.x by the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license.