Skills that analytical thinkers innately possess or have developed over time help to find solutions to common problems and simplify decision making within teams. Understanding problems and analysing dilemmas before arriving at a viable solution is a critical skill in many positions at every level.
When speaking to your recruiter before applying for jobs, identify your analytical strengths and highlight them during the application process, although your analytical skills can be used to most fields, there are some roles in particular that allow you to utilise that skill set – as well as aiding the development of new ones as you grow in your career.
Ideal careers for individuals who possess these analytical skills include:
Business/Data Analysts
Analytical people work best in environments that allow for a critical examination of an issue and devise a solution to a problem. The role of business analyst will often utilise these attributes making it a perfect career choice for a critical thinker. In this role, critical thinkers can use their technical and organisational skills to identify and create a strategy to address any issues faced by a company. This is vital for revamping and reworking existing business processes to make them more efficient.
Logistics Manager
Supply Chain Management or Logistics allows analytical thinkers to adapt their skill set for the distribution of goods on a large scale. It requires the ability to work with copious amounts of data to ensure that the supply chain works effectively. Analytical thinkers succeed in this role as it requires great attention to detail, the ability to absorb and recall large volumes of information all while problem-solving. As a logistics manager, AT’s will be able to plan projects and consistently supply new strategies within the process.
Project Management
Project Management, at its basic level, is all about analytical thinking, particularly when it comes to assessing the relative importance of incoming work. Project managers need to be able to apply their analytical skills quickly and precisely keeps work flowing; they operate throughout a wide variety of industries, making it perfect for job growth and flexibility.
Operations Managers
Analytical thinkers are natural organisers; they are efficient detail-oriented; this makes them perfect for managing departments and integral to any business. Whether it is as operations managers (business ops), systems managers (product and people ops), and financial managers (money ops), analytical thinkers can use their skill set to both manage and facilitate progress.
For anyone entering the job market, developing your analytic skills can improve your work, help you achieve company goals and eventually support your personal career goals. However, for those that are innately gifted in this area – there is an array of challenging career choices ready to be discovered.
