Transitions
February 27, 2012 6 Comments
TRANSITIONS
Webster’s definition of the word transition is, “n. change from one state to another”. I’ve worked a variety of IT positions within the past 20 years. Ten years in the Navy as a Radioman, the following ten, in a variety of helpdesk/communication technician positions.
One very important lesson I’ve learned in the IT field is that you need to stay “relevent”. Keeping up to date on the latest technologies is a “must have” in order to thrive and advance within this field.
I’ve stayed stagnant, becoming complacent with the small promotional advances I made. Comfortable in the fact that my minor pay increases still allowed me the means to support my family.
Although I’ve gone through many transitions within my personal life (marriage, divorce, parenting), my professional life merely “coasted” along.
Today, I decided to break out of my “humdrum” professional existence and not only make myself “relevent”, but find a niche within the IT community that embraces both my analytical and communication skills.
The field of study that appeals to me is that of the BUSINESS ANALYST. The business analyst is defined as one who can analyze the organization and design of businesses, government departments, and non-profit organizations; BAs also assess business models and their integration with technology. According to Wikipedia, there are four tiers of a business analysts:
- Planning Strategically – The analysis of the organization’s strategic business needs
- Operating/Business Model Analysis – The definition and analysis of the organization’s policies and market business approaches
- Process Definition and Design – The business process modeling (often developed through process modeling and design)
- IT/Technical Business Analysis – The interpretation of business rules and requirements for technical systems (generally IT)
So, I pose the question, how does one gain the educational background and hands on experience to become a successful Business Analysts? My intent with this blog is to chronicle the steps that I’ve taken,share the knowledge that I’ve gained, and upload tidbits that I’ve picked up along the way to somehow aid and answer the question.
Welcome to the “macmamachronicles”. – MD
I have worked as a business analyst and as a project manager working with business analysts (BAs). In the division of labor for project or process improvement, there are roles assigned to each of the 5 Ws. In efficient projects, program managers/project owners usually provides the ‘What’ with IT/developers providing the ‘How’. The business analyst is responsible for the translation between business outcome terminology used by program manager’s ‘what’ and the technical lingo employed by the developers when detailing the ‘how’. The best BAs are strategic and forward thinking in identifying and proposing corrections for the root problem rather than temporary fixes that may serve only today’s needs. The ability to go from big picture to detail and out to big picture again is highly desired skill. You can train yourself if you ask, for every problem, why 5 five times.This is a well-known Lean and 6 sigma technique that drives down from quick fix to root cause correction.
Thanks Queenie for the valuable feedback. Receiving input from one who has worked in the industry is a plus. Look forward to future comments from you.
Great post, you have pointed out some great points , I likewise conceive this s a very fantastic website.
Thanks Melonie for the feedback…..appreciate you stopping by!
The Key Skills For Business Analysts
The following skills are highly desired and very essential to becoming a successful BA.
Please make sure you develop these skills well, if you are serious about marketing yourself as a BA.
Knowledge of requirement gathering and analysis methodologies like UML, Process Mapping techniques like Flowcharting, IDEF
Excellent process mapping skills
Excellent communication skills
Written communication
Interpersonal skills
Verbal communication skills
Analytical skills — a candidate should have excellent Analytical skills to conduct requirement analysis and impact analysis.
Logical thinking
Decision making skills
Information Technology skills
Knowledge of software applications and architectures
Knowledge of RDBMS concepts
Familiarity with Software Development Life Cycle
Project Management methodologies
Knowledge of PLC / SQL / Online & MS Tools
Besides having the above mentioned skills, it is important that you posses great amount of knowledge in the specific domain of the project you are working on.
Acquiring as much knowledge as possible in various domains will enhance your chances of getting a job.
The Key Qualifications of Business Analysts
Let me tell you this that there is no specific degree designed for a business analysis as of today.
A degree in business related field or IT related field with relevant experience will be just good enough for you to get a job.
In addition, these days, institute such as International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA) offers the certification “Certified Business Analyst Professional (CBAP) for Business Analysts with several years of working experience.
Coming to the specifics of your question, you must first decide if Business Analysis is the right option.
Do a self assessment and decide if you:
Want to spend the rest of your career programming/developing Web sites/java applications/debugging code or move on to something different like business analysis
Like talking to people and socializing with them
Possess the ability to organize information in a concise and structured manner
Have the ability to understand a company’s big picture
Have a fascination towards business, business process, systems; and making money
After having done this self assessment, if you think this field is for you, you may proceed with it.
Develop your skills accordingly and take up some certification courses that will familiarize you with the basics and demands of the field.
My advice to you is that since you have 2 years experience in the current organization and are familiar with business requirements, processes and systems within the organization, please try to grow within that organization (If there is a requirement for a business analyst).
Get involved in gathering business requirements and showcase you are fit for the post.
Once you have gathered enough experience and expertise, you can move on to a formal business analyst job
Thank you for the in depth feedback! Much appreciated!