What do you do if you're unsure if a Business Analysis career is right for you after an internship?

Internship is great way to make pre-analysis of the career, job duties and career choices ahead. Internship gives you an opportunity to understand if the particular career path suits you or not. In order to understand that, first step would be taking some time to reflect on your experience. Most of the time, 3 months of internship would give the candidate enough information about what is waiting for them ahead. If your skills and expectations match the career choice you made, it's good time to give a try.

After completing your internship, take the time to reflect on your experiences. Think about the tasks you enjoyed, those that challenged you, and the aspects that didn't resonate with you. Business Analysis involves a blend of technical knowledge, problem-solving, and communication skills. If you found satisfaction in solving complex problems and translating them into actionable solutions, you might have a natural affinity for the field. Conversely, if the idea of diving into data, facilitating workshops, or creating requirement documents doesn't excite you, it might be worth considering other career paths.

After completing an internship, reflect on your experiences, evaluating what you enjoyed and found challenging. Seek feedback from mentors and colleagues, and research related career paths that align with your interests and skills. Consider job shadowing or conducting informational interviews in these areas to gain further insights. This approach will help you make a more informed decision about your career direction.

One of the most important elements of the Business Analysis career is to constantly work on your skills and expand them as much as you can. As a Business Analyst, it's common to work on the new domain and it's usually something that you need to learn. By expanding the domain knowledge and adding new skills would help you grow in the BA field. In my experience, one of the most important skills that should be improved is "learning to learn".

Absolutely, gaining diverse internship experiences can offer a much broader perspective on a career path like Business Analysis. Different industries and contexts can vary greatly in terms of the skills required, the challenges faced, and the overall dynamics of the role. By exploring various internships or project opportunities, you not only learn different aspects of the field but also discover where your strengths and interests align best. This can be crucial in determining whether a particular career path, such as Business Analysis, is the right fit for you in the long term.

From my perspective, networking, consulting peers or asking for advice from experienced people is often better than doing individual research. It helps you save time and make clear decisions.