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THE MASTER STRATEGY FOR BUSINESS ANALYST BEGINNERS
GET YOUR FIRST BA JOB BY FOLLOWING 3 STRATEGIC STEPS.
Introduction
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
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Introduction
Strategy without tactics is the slowest route to victory. Tactics without strategy are the noise before defeat.
- Sun Tzu If you are reading this book it is because you want to get your first job as a business analyst by following a clear path without any complications. Maybe you are in the last year of your IT studies or you have already finished but you do not know how to enter into the working world. Perhaps you are already working in a different sector and you want to make the transition to a BA role, but you do not know what would be the best strategy to do so without having to take a reduction in salary. You could also be tired of finding bits & pieces of information that only confuses you and you are looking for a guide that explains how to do it. If this describes your situation, you are reading the right book.
IN THIS BOOK YOU WILL FIND THE SOLUTIONS TO ALL THESE PROBLEMS AND LEARN HOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE POTENTIAL YOU HAVE.
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Introduction
How was this book born? Let me tell you how I got my first business analyst job with the strategy that I am going to show you. 9 years ago I discovered the role of the business analyst in the company where I was working. I had studied IT in university but no subject had discussed this role in any depth. It was striking that despite being an IT role, it did not require having to program and that also its main required skill is being a good communicator. So, I started searching the internet for information, downloading books, talking to people but no one was telling me how to get a business analyst job. I had many unanswered questions: What does a business analyst do every day? What are the tools I have to learn? How can I get my first BA job without experience? It was then when I devised a strategy and after 3 months I went from working in the customer service area to being a business analyst in one of the largest telecommunications companies in Argentina. This changed my life, I started to earn considerably more than before and the best part, I discovered my true passion. Throughout the 9 years as a business analyst, I have learned that my job is not only about designing software solutions but also about building relationships that would help me grow as a person and develop my empathy. So, I discovered that I could help others not only through my technical knowledge but by showing them the best strategy to land their first job as a business analyst. And that is how this book was born, as a way to help those who are starting and do not know how to do it.
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Introduction In this free book, I will show you my strategic action plan which is made up of 3 fundamental steps.
Recognition
Knowledge
Take action
These are the 3 stages you must work through in order to become a business analyst and start working in the area. It is not simple, it requires effort, dedication, cunning but above all courage. You will learn a unique strategy to get your first job as a business analyst. This book will guide you step by step to achieve your goal of becoming a Business Analyst.
What are you going to see in this book? The best way to learn a new technique is to follow a methodology. The methodology offers us a series of steps to follow in order to achieve a given objective. In this book, we will use the three steps mentioned above to put a strategy into practice that will allow you to achieve your goal of becoming a Business Analyst:
1. Recognition: The first thing you have to make sure of is that you know what it means to become a BA. It means that you:
a. Understand what the BA role entails. b. Identify your abilities for the role.
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2. Knowledge: Through recognition, you will not only discover what companies
expect from a BA, but you must also ensure that you have everything they are looking for. To achieve this you must:
a. Investigate what companies are looking for. b. Learn the knowledge that a BA should have for the role. c. Put what you've learned into practice.
3. Take action. When you have completed steps 1 and 2 you will be ready to take action. In this step you should:
a. Apply for jobs. b. Prepare for an interview.
In the following chapters you will see each of the steps mentioned in greater detail. I want this to be your reference manual to get a BA job, without having any experience, in a short amount of time and in a methodical way.
I WANT THIS TO BE YOUR REFERENCE MANUAL TO GET A BA JOB WITHOUT HAVING ANY EXPERIENCE IN A SHORT TIME AND A METHODICAL WAY. This is an action book, so in each of the steps, you will have practical activities to complete. In each chapter you will find this symbol:
When you see it you will know that you have reached the action tasks where you can put into practice everything you have learned.
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Chapter 1
Recognition is the first step to delve into the strategy that I’m going to show you. It is about understanding exactly what the business analyst’s tasks are and discovering the skills you have that will enable you to demonstrate to the job recruiters that you are the best candidate for the role. 1. Understand what the BA role entails. You must ensure that you know exactly what business analysis is, what a business analyst does and what their responsibilities are. This will give you a broader view of the knowledge you must acquire and most importantly, you will realise if business analysis is actually the career you want to pursue. 2. Identify your abilities for the role. Apart from having the knowledge that is required to execute the BA’s tasks, to be a business analyst you also need some specific skills that will help you to perform these tasks with greater ease. A way of finding out what the previously mentioned knowledge and skills are, is by carrying out research of the capabilities that business analysts are expected to have. By doing this you will not only get a list of the capabilities that a business analyst must have, but also the ones that you will need to acquire. To have all these required capabilities will help you to execute the BA role in an easier manner and it will also give you a greater advantage over other applicants in any selection process.
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Chapter 1
Activity
1) Learn what business analysis is and what the BA tasks and responsibilities
are. The following articles will give you an overview of the subject:
- What does a Business Analyst do? - What is business analysis according to the BABOK Guide?
2) Learn what the skills that a BA must have are, then make a list of all the ones you have and another one with your motivations to become a BA. The following articles will help you with this task:
- The 3 key skills that every business analyst must have - Tips to improve 3 key Business Analyst skills.
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Chapter 2 When the recognition stage has been completed, and you are sure that you really want to become a business analyst, your next step is to investigate what companies are looking for and learn it. 1. Investigate what companies are looking for. Think of this task as market analysis in which you will try to analyse your ideal client. What you need to know and understand is what your ideal client is looking for. Your mission will be to understand what the market expects from a BA beginner. The way of achieving this is by carrying out your own research.
YOUR MISSION WILL BE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE MARKET EXPECTS FROM A BA BEGINNER. 2. Learn the BA knowledge that a BA should have for the role.
To start your career as a BA you only need the basic knowledge, the rest will be learned through practice. For starters, you should know how to perform the Business Analyst’s tasks. 3. Put what you've learned into practice. To get a job without experience, you should be able to demonstrate to the recruiter that you have experience putting your knowledge into practice. This can be shown by mentioning the projects you have participated in that may have been carried out in your previous role, university, college or in any voluntary activity.
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Chapter 2
Activity
1) Search on job boards like Linkedin for junior business analyst positions. Make a list of the technical requirements and skills they highlight in the job description. Use the list you made to identify what knowledge and skills you need to work on.
2) Check the list of knowledge a BA must have in this link: All the knowledge that a BA must-have.
3) Download the methodology to learn how to execute the business analysis tasks and how to create your own BA Plan by clicking here.
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Chapter 3 We have arrived at the moment to take action. It is time to apply for jobs. This is the most challenging part of the process, but don’t worry, below are a few tricks to help you overcome it. 1. Apply to job offers. When applying to offers, it is important to have a good CV, this will allow you to move on to the next stage: the interview. The early job interviews, even if unsuccessful, will help you to improve for the following ones. You must use your empathy to read the interviewer's impressions of your responses. Try to look confident and do not be afraid of not knowing everything, remember that if they are looking to fill a junior position, they only expect you to know the basics. And most importantly, if you don't get the job in your first interview don't be discouraged, this is a challenge and you can beat it. 2. Prepare for an interview. Find out what the common questions for a business analyst beginners are. This will give you a basis for preparing yourself for the interview. At the time of the interview, it is important that you know exactly what your motivations to work as a BA are. This is what recruiters most care about when it comes to junior positions. Another important thing, if you have already worked in another role, remember to highlight in your CV the tasks completed/skills utilised that can reinforce the qualities that resemble those necessary for the role of business analyst, such as oral and written communication.
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Chapter 3 Activity
1) Find out what the most common questions are for a junior business analyst interview. Do not limit the search to a single web page, check for sample answers in different resources.
2) Make a list of the motivations that made you choose a career in BA.
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Chapter 4 Steps to follow:
- Get the list of knowledge you must learn. - Create your own list of skills that you have and those that you still need to
work on. - Learn the basic knowledge required and find a way to put it into practice. - Prepare for the interview focusing on your motivations. - Apply to junior business analyst positions by creating a good CV. - Make sure you make a good impression in the interview with a confident
attitude. - Get your first job as a business analyst!
This will be just the beginning of your career, the time this will take will depend on you, it took me 3 months to achieve it, I hope you can match or improve on that time. After landing your first job as a BA, it will be up to you to progress professionally in order to become the best business analyst in the market. To achieve this, my advice is that you continue to focus on your motivations, they will be the fuel that will enable you to keep improving with passion. Being consistent when applying this strategy is the key to success. If I have made it, you can too.
BEING CONSISTENT WHEN APPLYING THIS STRATEGY IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS. IF I HAVE MADE IT, YOU CAN TOO. I hope the time you have spent reading this book has been a good investment. On my part, I have tried my best to show you, quickly and in a practical way, my best strategy to get your first job as a business analyst.
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Chapter 4 I have worked tirelessly on this book so that it is 100% applicable to you right at the exact moment you now find yourself. If you would like to implement the methodology directly with me, I can offer you the possibility to do it now. My main goal is to accompany you step by step while you implement this methodology, that will allow you to make the most out of your potential and to get your first job as a Business Analyst.
JOIN AND GET YOUR FIRST JOB AS A BUSINESS ANALYST. I will be with you every step of the way until you fulfil your dream.
What are the benefits?
- You will learn everything you need to know. The BA knowledge, tools,
methodologies and practices. - You will put all your technical knowledge into practice. - You will develop your skills as a BA. - You will learn to execute the BA task. - You will know what the BA market is expecting from you. - You will get a new special downloadable BA CV format with comments and
examples for you to create your own. - You will get technical manuals to download. - I will tell you all my secrets to successfully face your first job interview.
FOLLOW THE LINK TO LEARN MORE: I want to learn more...
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