Finding the Perfect Job for You--Exploring IT Career Options for

Business Analysts

Joanne Carswell

August 2018

About Joanne

•CBAP

•Six Sigma Green Belt

•Certified Scrum Product Owner (CSPO)

•Certified Agile Coach (ICP-ACC)

•Software Engineering Manager

•Over 15 years experience in SDLC

•Presented at IIBA BBC Conferences, Project World & World Congress for Business Analysts, & BA World, BPMI Conference

•Scheduled for BPMI Conference 2018 Washington, DC & New York, NY

About Joanne

•Loves to travel

•Dislikes yard work

•Participates in 5Ks

•Plays tennis

•Bike enthusiast

•Favorite hobby is 258 finds!

Joanne Contact Information

•Name: Joanne Carswell

•Email: jcarswell72@bellsouth.net

•Connect to me on LinkedIn

I look forward to hearing from you!

Agenda

•What’s Your Dream Job?

•Basic Career Questions

•Core Business Analyst Skills

•Career Options–Business Analyst

–Architect

–Project Manager

–Specialty Analyst

–Agile Options

–Developer

•Wrap Up….How To Make a Career Change

What’s Your Dream Job?

What’s Your Dream Job?

•Have you ever thought about this?

•Take a minute to jot down what you

think your dream job would be?–What would you do?

–Where would you do it?

–Who would you work with?

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY

Basic Career Questions for You!

Basic Career Questions

•Technical or Non-technical?

•Manager or individual

contributor?

•How much responsibility do

you want?

•How granular do you like

working in a project?

•What is the type of work you

enjoy the most?

Core Business Analyst Skills

Overview

•Analytical Thinking and Problem

Solving

•Behavioral Characteristics

•Business Knowledge

•Communication Skills

•Interaction Skills

•Tools and Technology* From BABOK v 3.0, Chapter 9

Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving•Creative Thinking

•Decision Making

•Learning

•Problem Solving

•Systems Thinking

•Conceptual Thinking

•Visual Thinking* From BABOK v 3.0, Chapter 9

Behavioral Characteristics

•Ethics

•Personal Accountability

•Trustworthiness

•Organization and Time

Management

•Adaptability

* From BABOK v 3.0, Chapter 9

Business Knowledge

•Business Acumen

•Industry Knowledge

•Organization

Knowledge

•Solution Knowledge

•Methodology

Knowledge

Communication Skills

•Verbal Communication

•Non-verbal Communication

•Written Communication

•Listening

* From BABOK v 3.0, Chapter 9

Interaction Skills

•Facilitation

•Leadership and Influencing

•Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

•Teamwork

•Teaching

* From BABOK v 3.0, Chapter 9

Tools and Technology

•Office Productivity

•Business Analysis

•Communication

* From BABOK v 3.0, Chapter 9

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA

Career Options for Business Analysts

Business Analysis Management

Data Analyst

Specialty Analyst

Architect

Project Manager

Agile Roles

Developer

How to Make a Career Change

What Limitations Are You Putting on Yourself?•Company

•Industry

•Area of the country

•Comfort zone

How To Make a Career Change

•Begin!

•Set goals for yourself

•Visualize

•Work for it!

•ARE YOU BRAVE ENOUGH?

•You can, you should, and if you’re

brave enough to start, you will.» Stephen King

References

•IIBA BABOK version 3, Chapter 9

•Online Pictures through Microsoft

PowerPoint with Creative Commons

licensing

•Older clipart through Microsoft (used

also in previous presentations)

•Fiverr mind map © 2018 J Carswell

Joanne Contact Information

•Name: Joanne Carswell

•Email: jcarswell72@bellsouth.net

•Connect to me on LinkedIn

I look forward to hearing from you!

Do you feel empowered?

Finding the Perfect Job for You--Exploring IT Career

Options for Business Analysts