How to become a Business Analyst

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

HOW TO BECOME A BUSINESS ANALYSTLaura Brandenburg

How I started my business analyst career

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

QA Engineer

BA Mindset

Application Expertise

Business Systems Analyst

Opportunity

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

Let’s Ask Our Panel

How did you become a business analyst?

“There is no one path to becoming a Business Analyst.”

-Kathleen Barret, IIBA CEO

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

Why it’s so difficult to start a career as a business analyst

Experience

required

Confusing

“required skills”

Differing career

directions

No one straight-forward

path

5 Steps: Finding Your Path to BA

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

1. Build Your BA Knowledge

2. Identify Your BA

Experiences

3. Identify Your Leverage

Points

4. Build a Development

Plan

5. Focus Your Opportunity

Search

Build and Nourish Your Professional Network

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

-Lao Tzu

The most important step you’ll take is the first one

Step 1: Build Your BA Knowledge

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

Learn Business Analysis

Understand Business Analyst Roles

You’re ready to discover

YOUR inner BA

WARNING: Don’t get stuck here!!

Business Analysis Is…(50,000 foot view)

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

…the set of tasks and techniques used to work as a liaison among stakeholders in order to understand the structure, policies, and operations of an organization, and to recommend solutions to enable the organization to achieve its goals.

-BABOK® Guide

>>We help organizations change

Business Analysis Is…(10,000 foot view)

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

Source: BABOK® Guide

A Business Analyst Is… (this is messy)

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

A professional who performs business analysis activities.

Source: Business Analysis Competency Model v 2.0

Generalist Hybrid Specialist

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

Let’s Ask Our Panel

What was your first BA role?

What type of BA role do youhold today?

Step 2: Identify Your BA Experiences

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

…you probably have more experience than you think

~$923 / year of paid BA experience

Dig Deep to Find Relevant Business Analyst Experiences

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

Patterns of Successful Business Analysis

Creating documentation

Solving problems

Navigating Change

~Evaluate ALL your roles~Informal “counts”

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

Transform Past Experiences Into Marketable Qualifications

Prior experience

New formal knowledge

of BA

Marketable BA Qualifications

IIBA Resources Can Help

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

BABOK® Guide

Read it!

Note your experiences

Competency Model

Flesh out KAs and Activities

Complete a self-

assessment

CCBA TM/CBAP®

Study Groups

Learn about peer

experiences

Broaden your perspective of

BA

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

Step 3: Identify Leverage Points to Ease Your Transition

Application / Tool Knowledge

Industry / Domain Experience

Soft Skills

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

Let’s Ask Our Panel

What were your key successcriteria?

Did expertise play a rolein your transition to BA?

Step 4: Build Your Professional Development Plan

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

• Already a BA?

• Partially a BA?

• What does BA mean to you?

Where are you at?

• Leverage Books 24x7

• Study Groups

• Formal training

Plug Knowledge

Gaps • Fill pain points

• Small projects

• VolunteerPlug Experience

Gaps

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

Let’s Ask Our Panel

What BA training did you receive and when?

How to Build an Experience

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

1. Identify a Pain Point

2. Identify one BA Activity

3. Ask for the opportunity

(or do it)

4. Make a difference

5. Update your resume

Work, Volunteer, or Home

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

You can balance the scales

Become a BA

Challenges

Your Action Steps

Build your plan

Leverage your strengths

Learn business analysis

Mine your experiences

Differing career

directions

No one straight-

forward path

Confusing “required

skills”

Experience required

Step 5: Focus your search for the best possible chance of success

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

Your BA Opportunity

Your BA Knowledg

e

Your BA Experien

cesYour

Leverage Points

>>Don’t overlook opportunities within your organization>>Don’t get distracted by hybrids and specializations

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

Let’s Ask Our Panel

How did you find your most recent BA job?

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

What Will Your First Step Be?

1. Build Your BA Knowledge

2. Identify Your BA

Experiences

3. Identify Your Leverage

Points

4. Build a Development

Plan

5. Focus Your Opportunity

Search

Build and Nourish Your Network

(Write it down, sharewith your neighbor.)

Copyright © 2011 Laura Brandenburg

Learn more

Learn what it really takes to become a BA (free email course)

Launch Your Business Analysis Career (full-fledged course for support building your roadmap)

Email me at info@bridging-the-gap.com