How to write a Business Analyst Cover Letter with Example

A Business Analyst enables organisational change by bridging the gap between IT and the business. It is the role of the Business Analyst to define business requirements and recommend solutions that deliver value. Alternative role titles include Business Systems Analyst, Technical Business Analyst, Process Analyst, Product Manager, Product Owner, Enterprise Analyst, Business Architect, Business Intelligence Analyst and Data Scientist.

Content of Business Analyst Cover Letter

A Business Analyst Cover Letter should be targeted specifically to the role and company you are applying to.  

The goal is to demonstrate in your cover letter that you have experience performing the key tasks and can meet each capability requirement listed in the job advertisement. By taking this approach, you already have the content of your cover letter planned. 

For example, this job ad for a Senior Business Analyst for IQ Group:

The body of your cover letter will highlight your previous relevant experience and success in demonstrating the skills and competencies listed in the ad:

Senior Business Analyst for IQ Group

Successful candidates must demonstrate the following skills: 

• Business requirements analysis and documentation
• Business process mapping & process re-engineering
• Agile project delivery experience including working in sprint teams and stand-ups, preparation of user stories and acceptance criteria, participation in sprint reviews and retrospectives
• Successful delivery within complex Banking and Insurance related projects – eg: across compliance/legislative change, platforms/systems, transitions and migrations, product change and process design
• Experience in the Financial Services Industry is highly regarded

 Your Capability:

• Proven experience engaging with stakeholders at all levels
• Workshop facilitation with project stakeholders
• Ability to assist project team members during the delivery lifecycle
• Excellent interpersonal skills – facilitation/engagement/communication skills
• Ability to prioritise tasks according to key deliverables
• Proficiency in MS Word, Excel and Visio
• Analytical approach to problem investigation
• Demonstrated ability to adapt methodology/approach in accordance with project needs
• Upholding and demonstrating the compliance standards.

Note: Not all job advertisements are well written. Some will set out the requirements of the role clearly, others will give you a broad shopping list of skills and experience.  Use the job advertisement to guide you to the required content but always apply your good judgement!

The opening of your cover letter will include an attention-grabbing introduction and give some insight into your interest in the role. The conclusion of your cover letter will summarise your strengths and include a call to action. (Call to action (CTA) is a marketing term. It is a piece of content that encourages the reader to complete a task. A cover letter example would be encouraging a call to arrange an interview.)

In Summary Your Business Analyst Cover Letter will inlcude:

Introduction: An attention-grabbing introduction and a demonstration of your interest
Body: Set out evidence of your suitability for the role guided by the requirements listed in the job ad or position description
Ending: Close with a summary and CTA

Writing your Business Analyst Cover Letter

As with your resume, the most persuasive content will be examples of your previous success. You don’t want to make vague and unsubstantiated claims.  Instead of simply stating “I have exceptional stakeholder engagement skills”, you should provide an example or other evidence to back up this claim.

For your Business Analyst cover letter, you could select a handful of successful client engagements or projects you have worked on and dedicate a paragraph within your cover letter to each.  You can use the STAR method to structure your paragraph. So, give some background on the project (situation), your role (tasks), what key contributions you made (actions), and the outcomes (results). Throughout you should make sure you include a demonstration of the soft, or employability skills, listed in the job advertisement.

Alternatively, you may dedicate each paragraph to a capability listed within the job advertisement and present your best evidence to support you hold these skills and attributes. So, using the above ad, you might allocate a paragraph to highlight your ‘Proven experience engaging with stakeholders at all levels’. Again, you should use examples from your past experience or other evidence to back up your claims.

Deciding on the best structure will depend on your unique strengths. Also, your weaknesses. You want to choose an approach that isn’t going to draw attention to a gap in your skill set. Also, while paragraphs have been suggested above, bulleted lists are acceptable in your cover letter.

In summary

Content: needs to be shaped by the job advertisement or job position
Structure & Execution: should be based on how best to showcase your unique strengths and experience

Sample Business Analyst Cover Letter

Text Version of Sample Business Analyst Cover Letter

Ms Harriet Smith
Hiring Manager
XYZ Group

Dear Ms Smith

A Business Analyst with over eight years of experience delivering complex projects within the financial services industry, I bring to XYZ Group the required Agile project delivery experience alongside specialist knowledge in compliance and legislative change. My technical knowledge is complemented by my stakeholder engagement strengths; my facilitation skills have underpinned my project delivery success by ensuring the effective navigation of complex business problems. I recognise this as a great opportunity to work on XYZ Group’s well-regarded finance software solutions, and I know I will be able to make a significant impact in the area of compliance and legislative change.

My current role is Business Analyst for ABC Solutions. In this role, I oversee banking and insurance-related projects. In this position, I have developed my specialist knowledge in compliance and gained vast exposure across platforms, systems, transitions and migrations, product change and process design. With experience across the full scope of the Business Analyst role, I am positioned to make an immediate impact and contribute to XYZ Group positively.

An example of my success was heading applications management and development for 123 Client’s critical business applications, including managing the implementation of multiple solutions for accounting software. On occasion, this has required adapting methodology and approach per project needs. Over the years, I have built strong relationships with 123 Client stakeholders. As a result, I am frequently requested to deliver onsite training. This attests to the strength of communication and interpersonal skills.

My years of experience combined with my tertiary qualifications and continued professional development ensure I hold the required skills and knowledge to meet and exceed expectations in this role. I offer

• 8+ years of experience in business requirements analysis and documentation and developing business process mapping and process engineering
• Agile project delivery experience including working in sprint teams and stand-ups, preparation of user stories and acceptance criteria, participation in sprint reviews and retrospectives
• Communication and interpersonal strengths to develop and manage business relationships and provide complex technical advice to achieve business outcomes

Please refer to my attached resume for a full record of my experience and achievements. I can be contacted on 000 000 000 to discuss my suitability for the role further.

Thank you for your consideration, I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours sincerely

Sally Easton