“Am I Cut Out for This?”

5 FAQs Every New BA Asks (and My Real Answers)

Let’s just say it: the beginning of your Business Analyst journey can feel… a little like walking into a room where everyone else seems to know the clues except you.

If you’ve ever Googled “do I need to be technical to be a BA?” at 2 a.m. while questioning your life choices, you are not alone.

So today, I’m answering 5 of the most common questions every new (or doubting) BA asks with the kind of honest insight I wish someone had given me back when I was deep in the “am I a fraud?” spiral. Plot twist, I still go there sometimes.

1. “Do I need to have a business or tech degree to be a good BA?”

Short answer: Nope.
Real answer: Some of the best BAs I know started in customer service, admin, or completely unrelated fields. I started out in customer service. What matters is that you’re curious, analytical, and you give a damn about making things better. Degrees might open a door, but skills keep you in the room.

The best business analysts don’t talk in jargon—they make the complex simple. That’s a people skill.

2. “I hate speaking up in meetings. Does that mean I’ll fail at this?”

Short answer: Nope again.
Real answer: You don’t have to be loud to be heard. Some of the most respected BAs are thoughtful listeners who ask brilliant follow-up questions, quietly build trust, and document things so clearly that stakeholders cry tears of relief.

Confidence in meetings builds over time. Start small:

Ask one clarifying question.
Summarize what you heard.
Offer to take notes and share next steps.

You’ll be surprised how powerful it is to be the calm, prepared one in the chaos.

3. “How do I know if I’m doing this right?”

Short answer: You probably won’t, for a while.
Real answer: Welcome to the club. Every BA has a phase (or five) where we wonder if we’re helping or just asking annoying questions. But here’s what you need to know:

Are you clarifying confusion?
Are you getting people to agree on stuff?
Are you connecting the dots between “what we want” and “how we’ll get there”?

If yes? You’re the BA,

4. “Shouldn’t I already know how to use all the tools?”

Short answer: Not unless you’re a robot.
Real answer: Every company uses a slightly different stack. You will always be learning new tools. Focus on the core concepts (process flows, requirements gathering, stakeholder management), and learn tools as needed.

Also: Google is your best friend. Bookmark stuff. Watch YouTube tutorials. Ask colleagues. No shame in being a continous learner.

Learn one diagramming tool well (like Lucidchart, Miro, or Visio), and one note-taking/requirements tool (like Confluence, Notion, or Word). The rest will follow.

5. “Am I cut out for this?”

Short answer: If you’re still reading this? Probably yes.
Real answer: The fact that you’re asking this question means you care. And that already makes you better than the folks coasting through their job on autopilot.

Being a good BA isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being:

Curious
Clear
Communicative
Willing to learn on the fly

If that sounds like you, then yes, you’re absolutely cut out for this.

Final Thoughts

If no one has told you this yet: the BA journey is long, non-linear, and 100% figure-out-able. You will get more confident. You will also fall back from time to time. But you fly higer and higer soon and you’ll look back at your newbie-self and think, “Damn, I came a long way.”

Stay curious,

Jessica

The BA Chronicles