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Build your roadmap to business analysis with these five steps
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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 [email protected]