Write Better Requirements

Why Do We Need Better Requirements?

The following article is a frank, open and surprising discourse on why we need better requirements.

According to Standish or Gartner reports and other case studies, nearly “two-thirds of all IT projects fail” because of poor requirements and other causes.

Why Do Projects Fail?

Consider that a project fails when it overruns the budgeted allocation of resources, time or money or fails to deliver the intended business requirements or value.

Some teams are so deep into this, that throwing more money, people or extending the shipping date is their default solution to scope creep, budget overruns or project failure!

But project failure doesn’t have to become the norm for you.

With this in mind, the following post on “Why We Need Better Requirements” is designed to help business analysts, project managers, web managers or technical leads make a case for preventing project failure by gathering better business requirements.

1. The True Cost of Fixing Bad Mistakes

   Gathering better requirements helps avoid fixing issues further down in the project when mistakes are guaranteed to be more expensive.

   Consider a product feature that is not developed to the customer’s specifications because of incomplete requirements documentation.

   The incomplete requirement is left to an open or wide interpretation from each member of the development team.

   Depending on when the improperly coded requirements are discovered; (development, software testing or production), the cost of fixing these defects is guaranteed to be much higher than the cost of gathering, validating or documenting the complete or correct requirements at the project’s inception!

2. The Opportunity Cost of Missing Requirements

   Discovering requirements late results in delays to the project or in shipping products that don’t meet or fall below the customer’s expectations!

   This results in missed market opportunities, unhappy customers or an improper allocation of resources, time or money.

   Why because, it costs more money to retool your product at later stages of the product development cycle than at inception.

   And regardless of what you do, you will be late to market or reduce your customers positive experiences of your product.

3. The Cost of Working Incorrect Requirements

   Perhaps, you’ve worked on a project where requirements are dispensed as favors because the Requirements Analyst lacks the authority or training to validate requirements properly.

   This is the practice where requirements are imposed on the project team without meeting the business case or scope.

   The cost of such a practice is that the project resources (people, money, time, infrastructure) are high-jacked to satisfy a few egos to the detriment of the organization’s strategic objectives, goals, missions or success!

Making The Case For Good Business Requirements

Note that when it comes to executing projects successfully you will always have the constraints of time, money or resources (people).

And regardless of who you work for, your project cannot be handled as if your organization has an infinite supply of these inputs.

So gathering incorrect, poor or wrong requirements will result in the improper allocation of resources and at the same time increase the risk of project failure.

Armed with this, don’t be a doormat, make a proper case to your management, stakeholders or project advisory team on the need or strategic importance of gathering better business requirements.

Action Plan: How To Gather Better Requirements

I’ve shown you why gathering better requirements matters and explained how you can make a case for sound requirement management practices at your organization.

Here is how you can help your organization adopt a better requirements management practice.

• Empower your Requirements Analyst

  Hire a capable requirements analyst for your project and then empower the resource to do their job.

  Adding a Requirements or Business Analyst to your team without empowering the resource is a practice in self-deception at best.

  So don’t start down that part, if your organization is not ready to rally behind their Requirements Lead.

• Lead, Follow or Get Out of the Way!

  Your Requirements or Business Analyst is there to help your project or organization succeed, so don’t make that resource into the enemy!

  Educate your stakeholders, management team or customers on the benefits of following a sound, documented requirements management plan.

  Find a champion who can lead that effort … then follow your chosen leader or get out of the way!

  The Requirements analyst’s job is not to dispense requirements as favors but to be a custodian of the organization or customer’s strategic vision, aspirations or expectations.

By understanding, communicating, leading or championing better requirements practices, you reduce the risk of project failure and help your organization achieve a better Return On Investment (ROI).

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Careers for Network / Support Engineers

I would like to start this post by introducing [Ask IT Career Coach], a Career Advice Column that offers help, answers or solutions for your most challenging career situations.

This question was submitted by a reader from Johannesburg, South Africa: “What will be a best career move as a Desktop Engineer?”

The Best Career Move For Desktop or Technical Support Engineers

1. Which Career Are You Best Suited For?

   There is no one singular career that works for every desktop engineer, so your first job is to discover the career you are best suited for.

   You may move to another related career and become a: network engineer, information security specialist, server administrator, network administrator or you may transition to a career that has nothing to do with desktops, servers, hardware or networking!

2. How Do You Choose The Best Career?

   You can choose the next career move based on what your friends or colleagues recommend for you or based on what is the best-paying job in your field or based on which careers are currently in-demand or in-fashion.

   • However some of the folks recommending specific careers do so because that is all they have ever know or because they do not know about other alternative career options!

   • Choosing the next career move based on how much you are paid is not advisable because it leads to career instability and poor performance.

     Sooner or later, you will discover that you are not really passionate about the career and you will be unable to advance because of that!

   • Moving into a career because it’s in-fashion or popular is short-sighted because it results in you doing work that you’re not suited for.

     For example, becoming a pre-sales support engineer may be popular in your circle but still be a dumb career move for you because the constant traveling, socializing or presenting demands wears on you!

3. Do You Know What You Love?

   Have you considered moving to a career that you love? If you find yourself unable to take that route, it’s because you have not taking the time to identify what you love doing!

   • Identify what you are good at

     Evaluate the feedback you get from colleagues or co-workers and use that to figure out what you are good at.

   • Identify your hobbies

     Evaluate your productive hobbies or part -time activities and use that to figure out what you like.

   • Analyze your Strengths and Weaknesses: Don’t just pick a career that you like or avoid careers that you dislike, take a balanced inventory of your likes and dislikes … Read this post to find out how!

What Is The Best Way To Figure Out Your Next Career Move?

Neo, you may download a FREE Report on “How To Make A Career Change”.

This free REPORT provides you with more information on how to choose the next career move!

Technical Support / Helpdesk Career Advice Column

In this post, I answered the question of which career is the best move after working as a Desktop Engineer.

If you have any question about this, be sure to post it as a comment on this page and I would answer it for you.

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in demand database jobs

This post answers a question submitted to [Ask IT Career Coach], a Career Advice Column that offers practical answers, help or solutions for your most challenging career situations.

What Are The Entry Level Requirements For Database Professional Jobs?

A reader from Rockville, Maryland wants to become a database professional and is concerned about age-based preferences, discrimination, educational qualifications and entry level hiring requirements for database professional jobs!

What is your opinion regarding online it degrees? More specifically, Master’s degrees in database technology?

Eons of time ago, I took a bunch of Y2K programming courses in college (Assembler, COBOL, PL/1 and the like) and almost became a computer programmer.

As life has it, I pursued a different career. Now towards the twilight of a profession that is in decline, I reconsider working in IT again.

My degrees are in Psychology, not computer science, but I am considering an online master’s degree in database technology as an efficient way into a field with growth prospects.

My principal concern is regarding employers: 1) with multiple non-computer degrees in Psychology combined with a Master’s degree in an IT field be seen as competitive against computer science graduates?

2) Is there a preference for younger, college graduates in entry level jobs rather than 2nd career baby boomers?

What Are Employers Looking For In Entry-Level Database Jobs?

Educational Requirements for Entry-Level Database Jobs

The question is: “how do non-IT degrees compare to computer science degrees“?

My answer is that the primary concern of employers is not your number of IT degrees or non IT degrees but your practical ability to work with databases.

In other words, you are asking the wrong question because getting more database degrees does not satisfy employers. What satisfies hiring managers is practical database development or management skills.

Practical database development or management is not the core focus of computer science or information technology colleges. Because these institutions focus on teaching the abstract science or passing on the theoretical knowledge.

However employers are not hiring for theoretical knowledge because that is mostly relevant in the academic world!

What employers are hiring for is extensive hands-on practical skills and experience in modern database management software including MySQL, Oracle, SQL Server or Microsoft Access.

Age-based Requirements for Entry Level Database Jobs

Your age can only stop you from getting hired if you are incompetent at what you do!

If you are just average, you will get a job regardless of your age. If you have excellent skills or hands-on experience, you will be able to market yourself at a high billing rate regardless of your age!

Besides, focusing on your age is a sure way to waste your time or energy because there is nothing that you can do about your age!

However, there is a lot that you can do about your skills or your level of competence and that should always be your primary focus!

Just so you know, the Information Technology (IT) Industry is a talent driven, performance hungry, skills intensive field.

In other words, your only concern should be to keep your skills relevant, sharp or marketable.

Just do these things and you will always be employable in the database or technology world!

Database Professionals Career Advice Column

In this post, I answered the question of what employers are looking for in entry-level database professional jobs.

If you have any question about this, be sure to post it as a comment on this page and I would answer it for you.

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Prepare for Life after College

How do you prove that you have learned or mastered business analysis or computer programming or project management or any other Information technology career?

Do you demonstrate your competency with a college degree or by gaining hands-on experience or acquiring a certification?

In some professions like medicine or law, there is a rigorous licensing, certification and training process without which you cannot practice practice the profession or get a job.

But in Information Technology (IT), you can become a software tester, business analyst, computer programmer, IT Manager or project manager without any supporting certification, college/post-graduate degree or license.

However, unlike so many other professions, you cannot get a job or succeed in an information technology career without a fair amount of hands-on experience or professional expertise.

As a matter of fact, the IT Industry is notorious for being performance or results driven. This explains why many managers fail to attach extra weight to educational qualifications and the like.

When was the last time your firm hired a web designer based on the web designer’s educational qualifications or hired a project manager with an MBA and zero work experience over a project manager with 10 years of hands-on experience and no MBA degree?

The superiority of hands-on experience over college education or certifications becomes self-evident when computer science or information technology college graduates find it hard to get jobs because they lack practical, hands-on experience or skills!

With that in mind, here is a question submitted by a college student on “how to deal with college”.

… the toughest challenges facing my career includes methodologies that our lecturers employ in teaching IT related topics; being not practical rather too theoretical, lack of competence criteria, difficulties in job seeking.

Become A Practical Learner

Find a way to build, create or perform the real-world tasks that correspond to the courses you’re taking in college.

If you are learning web design or computer programming, join an open-source project an contribute your code or start one of your own.

If you’re learning technical writing, volunteer to work on a commercial or open-source project where your skills and contribution will be used to create real-world solutions.

That will help you create a portfolio of projects that will open doors for you!

Find the real-world practical tasks that correspond to whatever theoretical skills you are learning from college and get a heads-up on your competition that way!

Take a Lot of Knowledge-Based Tests

Take tests or certifications not to get a job but to sharpen your skills, advance your knowledge or deepen your understanding of the industry.

Do not depend on tests or certifications to get a job because hiring managers realize that certifications by themselves are not necessarily a true test of ability.

Practice tests or certifications are better used for sharpening your skills or improving your comprehension or retention of a subject.

Discover and Follow your Passion

Don’t worry about making money after college. Rather use your time in college to find what you love or what you’re good at.

After college, get a job you’re passionate about at any cost … even if you are under-paid compared to your colleagues.

Don’t go into a career because it is popular or because it pays well.

Rather, follow your dreams, passions or strengths and the money will follow you after a while because you will excel and command the top pay in your industry .. if you are passionate about your job!

1. Click here to read: Use Practice Tests For Boosting your Skills.

2. Click here to read: How To Start A New Career.

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How To Start A Business Analyst Career

Identifying your transferable skills is the first step towards successfully transitioning, changing or starting a new business analysis career.

Though this article is written for those starting a business analysis career after having worked as a computer programmer, the principles presented here are helpful to anyone interested in starting any new career.

The first step in starting a new career is building self-confidence by recognizing that the career you are transitioning to has some relationship or similarity to the jobs you have performed in the past.

It is important to take this first step of identifying your transferable skills because it instills self-confidence, reduces anxiety and helps you bridge the gap to a new career.

We like what we are familiar with and we feel more tense, anxious or uncertain about unfamiliar or new environments because we are not sure that we can cope or succeed in them.

So, taking this first step of identifying your transferable skills will do wonders for your self-confidence and career success.

Identify Your Transferable Skills

Did you realize that the skills you develop as a computer programmer go beyond purely coding skills?

As a computer programmer, you perform a number of tasks or roles at different points in your career which will assist you in starting a new business analysis career.

Start by making an inventory of your current skills and then identify those that will assist you in bridging the gap between your computer programming and business analyst career.

Some of these transferable skills may include:

• Networking
• Requirements gathering
• Requirements documentation
• Technical writing
• Oral and written communication
• Leadership
• Critical thinking and analytical skills

Here are additional pointers to the role of transferable skills in starting a new business analysis career.

Transition your Leadership Skills

The typical software developer is a heads-down coder who focuses on specific tasks and does not think in terms of the big picture or pay attention to it (not a big picture thinker).

However, if you have been a technical or team lead, then you are comfortable with thinking and working on the big picture and at the same time, managing all the smaller details that accompany developing software such as:

1. Estimating, planning or assigning tasks with project managers
2. Gathering or validating requirements for the developers with business analysts
3. Planning iterations, releases or builds with release managers
4. Hiring new team members with IT Management
5. Validating high-level business cases, user stories, vision and scope documents with the business team (directors, senior management, power users, customers and business analysts).

In this leadership and big-picture role, you would have learned how to delegate tasks, solve human problems as opposed to purely coding issues and worked with all sorts of professionals: customers, IT / project managers, business team etc.

This ability to work with, relate or communicate with different types of corporate users is a skill that you will transfer to your new business analysis career.

Transition your Technical Writing Skills

Technical writing is a skill that is frequently practiced or exercised by senior software developers and technical or team leads.

This is because from time to time you are asked to write software manuals, create help files or document the internal workings of software systems with Use Cases or UML.

Even in companies where there is a full-time technical writer, you may be asked to assist with documenting the procedures, business processes, architecture or business requirements because the technical writers cannot keep up with the volume of work!

So, you have probably practiced or exercised written communication skills which are transferable to your new career in business analysis!

Transition your Software Requirements Gathering Skills

Many developers have had to gather, analyze, validate and document software requirements at some time in their careers because their team lacked enough dedicated business analysis resources.

In this role, you would have had to identify the critical stakeholders or customers, elicit and analyze their requirements, document and validate the requirements with your software development or management team.

In this role you would also have practiced critical thinking and analytical skills, developed or managed professional relationships and exercised vital oral communication and networking skills.

Here is the main takeaway from this post for you

1. Take an inventory of your skills
2. Identify your transferable skills
3. Bridge the gap to your business analyst career using your transferable skills

This post discusses how to start a new business analyst career. Follow the steps outline in this post to instill self-confidence in your abilities or bridge the gap between your current occupation and your desired career in business analysis.

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Get Into IT Management

This may be preceded by a time of dis-satisfaction with the status quo either because:

• You are beginning to feel that you have hit a glass ceiling
• You are thinking that you would do a better job than some managers you’ve worked for
• Or someone is presenting you with an opportunity to move into management.

Personally, I never gave it much thought because I was hired into a Business Process and Technology Management Job a few years out of college.

That aside, if you are seriously considering a career in management, then this post was written for you.

Career Advice Column: How Do I Get Into Management

Here is a question from a reader on how to get into management.

If you have a question or challenge, be sure to ask for our help using [Ask IT Career Coach] and I will answer it for you.

What is the first step i should take to work in IT Management.

I deal with server related tasks on a daily basis but want to learn more.

I know taking classes is the best way but what should i do to start.

Ive looked into some different sites but would like some guidance if at all possible.

I want to further my career and i really enjoy this kind of stuff.

I work in Advertising now and i love solving computer related issues that others have no idea about.

Is Management The Right Career Move For You?

It is understandable that you feel the way you do about your current job.

However, my question to you is: “Are You Ready For Management?“

The main challenge that you are facing is a desire to learn or do more.

But moving into management is not necessarily the logical next step.

How about you changing roles or jobs for a position that allows you to do more of what you like, which is: solving computer related issues?

I say this because your question suggests that you are really looking for more technical challenges and not necessarily for management type challenges.

Basic Skill Requirements For Management Type Jobs

Becoming a manager requires a set of skills which are unlike those required to succeed in a technical job.

As a manager, you get your satisfaction out of helping others or your team to succeed.

As a technical professional, your success depends more on how much of a star player you are.

So, if you job satisfaction comes more from solving technical problems as opposed to leading, motivating or getting things done through others, management may not be for you.

The Mindset Of A Manager

You do not have to be a manager to succeed in your career.

There are many technical professionals (business analysts, computer programmers, etc.) who are not managers and yet they are satisfied with their job because they excel at it!

Here is a reality check for you. What do you answer to these questions?

• Do you like leading, motivating, coaching or inspiring your colleagues at work? Have you made a habit of that?

• Do you mind taking a back seat and letting others succeed?

• Do you spend time thinking of how your team will succeed instead of how you alone will succeed?

• Do you care more about people or about technology?

• If you were to spend the majority of your time solving people problems instead of computer problems, how would you feel?

• Do you spend time planning before you execute projects or does planning take a lower priority in your day?

• Do you take responsibility for outcomes? Do you take on problems or issues beyond your immediate assignment or do you typically assume that it’s someone else’s responsibility?

If you can say yes to these questions, you have the mindset of a manager otherwise you may not be quite ready to make the leap into management.

How To Break Into IT Management

If you want to break into management, get the mindset of a manager and learn the art & discipline of project management.

If you can learn project management and develop the mindset of a manager, you will become qualified for a management job!

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How To Lead or Manage Projects

Statistics show that the majority of software development (web, IT, desktop, mobile…) projects are doomed to fail from inception.

The challenges facing technical leads, project managers, software development, IT managers or project sponsors are often under-estimated leading to less than successful projects.

While some software teams may argue or live in-denial of the risk facing their projects, the facts are that more than 60% of software projects fail!

The effects of poorly managed software projects are also obvious. They include:

High turn-over rate
Buggy or defect ridden software
Unhappy customers
Cost or budget overruns
Late time to market or overly long shipping cycles
Burnout, firing or layoffs
Demoralized workers
Loss of productivity
Loss of revenue
Loss of market positioning

This series is designed to help “software or web development teams” increase their chances of success by shedding light on the hidden art of software project management.

Why Software / Web Development Projects Fail

You may be thinking: “if software projects fail so often, “why is it that no-one is talking about it”? The shocking answer is that software project failure is now the norm. But we really don’t have to accept that!

Let’s start by examining why software or web projects fail …

• Failure to manage scope, time or budget changes

  Customers, stakeholders or project sponsors change the scope or add to the requirements without increasing the time-line or resource allocation.

• Incomplete or poor business requirements

  The team does not eliciting the help of a business analyst in gathering or documenting the business requirements for the project.

• Inadequate software testing

  The software testing or quality assurance is an after-thought because the only thing that matters to the software team is writing code.

  Leaving the software testing to the end of the development cycle or not putting as much thought or planning into it as into the actual coding signifies that you will get buggy code.

• Leadership failing to delegate or empower

  Not empowering the technical lead, project manager, business analyst or quality assurance lead to do their jobs but second guessing them or over-riding their decisions.

• Weak Communication

  Have you ever worked on a project where the developers or business analysts were frequently kept in the dark because they didn’t need to know?

  Keeping the web or software development team in the dark is unfortunately a mark of an insecure or authoritative leadership team.

  The software development team need to be in kept in the loop through consistent and timely communication.

  The same goes with the stakeholders or the project sponsors. They need to be approachable or available especially to the project manager.

• Inadequate Budgeting

  Budgeting mistakes happen more frequently than they need to be..

  The budget may be insufficient because it was approved without having a good understanding of the project or product scope.

  The budget may also be insufficient because customers are asking for a product with more features than they can afford to pay.

  Regardless of the reason, starting a project plan with an in-adequate staffing budget is a recipe for disaster.

By starting a frank discussion on how to get software projects done successfully, I hope to improve quality of life for software development teams facing daunting challenges or death matches.

Are you living in denial or are you up for an open, frank, no-holds barred discussion on why so many projects fail?

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Coaching on How To Change your Career

Some of you have been asking about “how to choose the right career” or “how you can make a career change“.

You are searching for specific, practical step by step instructions for transitioning or making career changes.

The answer to this question is important to you because you spend the majority of your waking time at work.

So you understand that this question determines how happy or successful you will be for several years or until your next career change

With that in mind, I am devoting this series of FREE workbooks, study guides, career coaching, practical advice or instructions to answering your questions on how to choose or change careers.

How To Make A Career Change

Let me start by saying that you are going to consider changing your career at least once in your lifetime!

Gone are the days when you worked at one job, employer or career for your lifetime. The reality is that employers will probably not think highly of your skills if you stay at one place for too long!

This is true especially in the Information Technology (IT) industry, where your career diversity works for you and not against you!

So, it is okay to change careers, because you will benefit from gaining a broader perspective or a wider range of skills and your employer will view you as a more resourceful, capable cross-functional knowldege worker.

That being said, changing careers is still not easy. You could get lost in the transition or waste a lot of time chasing rabbit trails of certifications or college degrees only to discover that the trail leads to the door of hands-on experience or skills.

That is why this series is devoted to helping you make a successful career transition. By participating in this online career changers discussion group, you will receive answers to burning career transition questions such as:

• Should I change my career or stick to the one I have always known?
• How do I choose the right career?
• Will I be able to successfully transition my career?
• Is it wise for me to start from scratch in a new career?
• Am I too old or is it to late for me to change my career?
• Is this the right time for me to change careers?
• How should I learn the skills, duties or roles required of me in a new career?

The answers you are getting are based on my career coaching book:The Blueprint, The Roadmap To Career Success

Some of this FREE information will answer whether business analysis, software development, project management, quality assurance or any other career is right for you.

Some of my practical advice will be in the form of Question & Answer (Q&A) discussions on this page.

And some step by step instructions will be downloadable as FREE Coaching Workbooks or Study Guides!

The First coaching guide in this series is titled: “Why We Change Careers“. It is the first in a series of workbooks with activities, discussions and free coaching on “How To Change Careers”.

I encourage you to download and read the free coaching guide and participate in all the activities contained both in the workbook and forthcoming series.

Note: Do not miss any of the activities, workbooks or articles in this series or you will be unable to benefit from this free coaching series.

Download the FREE Report below on How To Make A Career Change. It contains coaching information, workbooks and practical tips on transitioning your career!

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Career Advice - Ask IT Career Coach

[Ask IT Career Coach] is a Career Advice Column for Information Technology (IT) professionals looking for answers to their most challenging career situations.

This post answers the question of “how to transition into a new career“.

If you are making a career change and you don’t know how to effectively transition into another field, follow these simple steps to transition your career.

1. Do what you love

   Discover what sort of career you will be passionate about before making a transition.

   Yo may transition because of a bigger salary, market demand, job security or interest level.

   Transitioning because of interest level or passion is the best reason.

2. Get Hands-On Experience

   It will be hard to transition your career without getting some hands-on experience.

   Yes, you need to get this hands-on experience before you get the job … otherwise no one will believe that you are capable of doing the job

3. Let Your Resume Sell You

   Your resume should reflect where you are going to and not where you are coming from.

   You need to get a hold of the resume of someone who is established in the career you are transitioning … and find a way to get matching skills, experience or portfolio.

4. Don’t Follow The Crowd

   Do not transition to a career because others say it is hot.

   Transition into a career because you are willing to pay the price to succeed in that industry because without hard work or sacrifice, you are bound to fail.

5. Be The Best

   Prepare to be the very best at your new career.

   If you fail, then you will be above average.

   Don’t plan to be average in your new career because you will under-estimate the effort you need to make and end up without a job.

Follow these simple steps to transition into your new career.

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Is Your Career A Silo?

Don’t let your career become a prison. Use it as a launching pad for achieving your dreams.

If you would like to change career but feel like you can’t satisfy the specialized requirements on job postings, here is some good advice for you!

[Ask IT Career Coach] is a Career Advice Column for IT professionals looking for answers to their most challenging career situations.

Why Is Changing Roles So Hard?

Changing roles is hard because Information Technology (IT), Web, or Software Development Managers want depth of experience in specific, narrowly defined or over-specialized skills.

For example, you may be a strong HTML developer and yet fail at a job interview because you don’t have HTML5 on your resume even though you will easily learn it, if hired!

Or you may be an e-commerce business analyst (ba) with 5 years of experience and yet you can’t qualify for an “e-commerce ba job because it requires an agency or advertising background”. This type of job description seems to imply that having an agency or advertising background is essential in a business analyst role!

Is Your Career A Silo?

IT careers have not always been silos. Software developers have been known to gather or document requirements for their projects (business analysis), create software manuals or help files using specialized programs (technical writing) or create and execute test plans (quality assurance).

But because of the siloing of IT roles, our personalities are now limited by our careers instead of being expressions of them.

Don’t Let Silos Stand In Your Way

Transitioning careers is harder than it needs to be because of this narrow, over-specification of skills.

• Your career is not bound to your college education. You are better of assuming that college is a training ground for improving thinking, probelm solving or analytical skills. College does not dictate your life work!

• You are more than your resume. You succeed at work because of your intrinsic personal abilities which transcend job descriptions. Your resume only proves that you can get things done. Your resume does not determine what you can or cannot do!

The ability to succeed at a job is within you. It is not limited by over-specialized job postings. This means that you should believe in yourself and let that confidence drive your career transition.

For example, if you are a software developer used to gathering requirements for your team, believe that the same intrinsic personal traits (good communication or documentation skills) will help you transition into a full-time business analyst or technical writer job.

I am saying that you musn’t let your current job become a silo. Use it as a launching pad to your dream career.

Software Development As A Launching Pad For IT Careers

Believing in yourself means that you focus on building bridges between your current and dream career instead of focusing on the restrictive or limiting words frequently used on job postings.

with all this in mind, here is how you can transition from a software developer to a business analyst role.

Expand the scope of your day to day computer programming tasks to take on more business analysis tasks.

A good number of software development projects lack full-time business analysis resources. Take advantage of this opportunity to become a business analyst. Here is how:

• Volunteer to gather, elicit or document the requirements for your software development projects. Don’t stay within the silo fo a typical software developer job role.

• Learn UML and Use Cases which are skills that are common to both business analysts and software developers. This helps you build a bridge between your current and desired skills.

• Bridge the gap between your current programming team and stakeholders. Become the go-between who interprets requirements to software developers or explains the programmers’ concerns to stakeholders.

• Distinguish yourself by studying or training to be the best informed business analyst on your team. Many software developers have fragmented or incomplete knowledge of what business analyst do. Don’t be one of those.

  For example, some software developers know a little bit of Use Cases or UML, But having fragmented or incomplete knowledge doesn’t get the job done.

• When an opportunity for a full-time business analyst resource opens up in your company apply for the position and ask the same stakeholders you are working with to recommend you.

• If a business analyst position does not open up in your firm, document all the work that you are doing and apply for a full-time business analyst position at another company.

Don’t let your career, education or job postings become your silo. You have to believe in yourself and learn how to build bridges between your current job and the career you want.

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business analysts build bridges

In some organizations, the technical lead or senior software developer is also asked to gather, analyze or document the software development requirements.

This may be the case when:

• Cowboy Coding -The Organization has not fully embraced any formal software development methodology
• Cost Cutting -The manager wants to cut costs by not hiring for full-time business analysts
• Role Differentiation – The IT / Software Development manager combines the business analyst role into the software development role

But, does combining the business analyst and software development role work or is it better to hire full-time business analysts for your team?

Making A Case For Business Analysts

The traditional or core business analysis skills including software requirements documentation, systems modeling, UML and Use Cases are also required for senior software developer or architect positions.

While business analysts are not computer programmers, their skills have roots in traditional systems analysis or software development career paths.

For example, Skills like UML or Use Cases in particular are also used by software architects in modeling and solution architecture.

With this in mind, some managers are taking the position that traditional software developers are also suited for business analysis duties. And because of this position, they do not see the need for hiring business analysts.

This article examines the case for hiring full-time business analysts for your projects.

Computer Programmers Are Not Business Analysts

While software developers sometimes take on some business analyst roles, they are still not business analysts.

Because there are fundamental differences between the mindset of computer programmers and that of business analysts.

Computer programmers spend most of their time designing computer algorithms or coding software routines while business analysts spend most of their time talking to customers, stakeholders and developers.

In other words, while computer programmers are competent at talking to machines, business analysts are skilled at talking to people!

Let’s look at more justifications for hiring full-time business analysts for your organization.

Bridging The Gap Between Business And IT

There is a fundamental gap between business and IT which often leads to project failure.

Software development teams often miss, drift away or ignore business demands, needs and requirements because they spend most of their working time studying or solving technical / information technology problems.

And business units (marketing, operations, sales, customer service, etc.) often do not care enough about or take the time to understand the constraints of technology.

Because they are like polar opposites, there is a fundamental gap between business and technology which requires the intervention of a third-party … the business analyst.

Most IT Projects Fail, Will Yours?

Statistics suggest that more than 50% of software development / IT projects fail. They fail because of poor communication, cost / budget overruns and poor requirements or a weak business case.

While these statistics make a depressing study, they also point that most I.T. projects are at a risk of failing from inception if they are not planned or executed properly.

That is perhaps the best case for hiring full-time business analyst resources for your IT / software project … business analysts can help mitigate or reduce the risk of project failure.

Can Business Analysts Reduce IT Project Failure Rates?

Hiring full-time business analysts can help mitigate or reduce the risk of project failure by:

1. Creating a clear or convincing business case for your project management or stakeholder team

2. Creating a clear, concise, complete set of business requirements which can be used by project managers for estimation and budgeting or by quality assurance and software development teams

3. Bridging the business to IT gap by improving the communication between the two business units through effective written and oral communication skills

There is a significant risk that your IT Project would fail due to a weak business case, poorly defined requirements, lack of stakeholder engagement etc.

So do your project a favor and hire full-time consulting or permanent business analysts for your IT projects.

How To Find Or Hire Good Business Analysts

The options for finding full-time business analysts are limited to re-training existing staff in business analysis or hiring full-time business analysts from recruiters and job portals like LinkedIn and Dice.com.

One benefit of retraining existing team members in business analysis is to avoid costs of hiring additional staff. On the other hand, one advantage of hiring new business analysts is that they are guaranteed to hit the ground running.

If you decide to keep costs low by using or retraining your current IT team (quality assurance analysts, software developers or technical writers) in business analysis, do this:

Focus on re-training team members who have demonstrated some talent or interest in meeting or working with stakeholders, customers and users or in documenting requirements

Then retrain or sharpen your team’s business analysis skills using this resource … that way, your team can hit the ground running or bring new business analysis skills to bear on your project.

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Keep your Skills Current or In Demand

It is a commonly held belief that once you learn “how to code in one programming language“, you can easily transition your programming skills to another.

Yet many computer programmers never quite make it because they get lost in the transition from one programming language to another.

This is true of computer programmers transitioning away from legacy programming languages like Cobol or relatively more modern programming languages like classic Visual Basic.

When a computer programmer falls behind the technology (programming language) curve, the developer may experience:

1. Loss of job security
2. Difficulty in finding new employment
3. Loss of income

This article focuses on how to keep your programming skills current, relevant or indispensable in a constantly evolving marketplace.

Always Be Learning: Computer Programming Languages

There are several reasons why computer programmers seem to forever be learning new languages. Some of these reasons are:

1. New Programming Languages:Computer programming languages become obsolete and new ones are introduced to replace them (Fortran has pretty much been replaced by more modern, Object Oriented Programming (OOP) languages).

2. Updated Programming Language Versions:Programming languages are constantly being updated to newer versions by their vendors (for example, classic Visual Basic has been replaced by Visual Basic .NET).

3. New Software Application Markets: New software applications markets create a demand for specialized programming skills (IPhone application development needs fueling a demand for Objective C and Cocoa programming languages).

So to be successful, computer programmers have to accept that learning new programming languages comes with the territory or they will fall behind the technology curve.

So, given that the demand for programming skills is constantly evolving from a technology / market standpoint, here is how to make the jump from one programming language to another:

Believe In Yourself: Be Confident In Your Ability To Learn

Believe that if you know how to code in one programming language, you can pick up another one.

Learning a new language may require some time, effort or dedication but you can do it again because you have done it successfully before.

The fear of learning new programming languages seems to be higher with legacy application developers, e.g. cobol or mainframe programmers.

This may be because legacy (cobol, mainframe etc.) programmers have not faced the challenge of updating their skills in a long a while and because of that see learning new, modern object oriented languages like .NET Framework as being more difficult job than they really are!

Career Path for Programmers: Keep Your Skills Marketable

Since the demand for programming skills changes all the time (for example, the shift from desktop to web applications), you have to update your skills or you risk ending up with unmarketable skills or losing your job.

Right now the marketable programming skills include Microsoft .NET Framework (ASP.NET, SQL SERVER and C#), PHP/MYSQL and Cocoa / Objective C (Iphone application development).

So, in terms of a Career Roadmap for computer programmers, you need to have one of these marketable skills.

Learn By Doing: Build Practical Software Applications

Programming skills are not learnt by getting certifications or more educational qualifications. They are gained by building applications outside the classroom.

So, build small applications in the programming languages you are learning … even if you have to build it for yourself!

Don’t get over yourself and end up tackling a project that is so complex that your skills are quickly overwhelmed because that may cause you to lose confidence in your budding programming skills.

The Software Developer Boot Camp builds on this by presenting you with graduated, step by step, beginner to advanced programming lessons. Here is some additional information:

Build New Programming Skills Repetitively

Programming skills have to be exercised repeatedly before they are transferred from the conscious areas of your brain to your optimized, sub-conscious mind.

That is why in the Software Developer Boot Camp, we present you with a number of single or multiple-choice questions that helps you understand, retain or recall the concepts presented in the videos.

Learn Programming In Steps

One of the major challenges facing programmers learning new programming languages is that they often bite of more than they can chew. When this happens, developers will more often than not, pin their wheels or quit the project altogether.

In the Software Developer Boot Camp, we prevent this type of failure by making sure that all the Programming Lessons are graduated and that you don’t learn a more complex topic like Object Oriented Programming (OOP) before learning the building blocks of the topic (like using Methods vs. Procedures).

Follow these tips to make a successful transition from one programming language to another.

The best time to learn a new programming language is now regardless of your situation (with/without a job): because it keeps you employed and marketable.

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Career Tip For Senior BAs: Become The Lead BA

This post answers questions received from senior business analysts asking about how to carve out an upwardly mobile career path in their company or organization.

The answers in this post are presented as tips, solutions or ideas for business analysts looking towards a better career path.

If you have a question about your business analyst career, be sure to post it as a comment on this post and I will be glad to answer it for you.

Here are the tips for business analysts looking for a better career path:

Should Business Analysts Test Software Applications?

In my department, analysts are mainly used for testing applications.

I know that there is more to this than testing applications.

What skills sets would you suggest I gain in order to become a top notch analyst?"

Should Business Analysts Test Software Applications?

• While business analyst are not full-fledged software testers, some organizations do require business analysts to test their software applications, oversee the testing process or collaborate closely with the QA / Software Testing Team.
• When business analysts test software applications, they usually perform a form of testing known as Usability Testing, Functional or Acceptance Testing.
• Business Analysts are sometimes asked to test software applications because they are the custodians of the customer, project or software requirements and so as such, need to confirm that the product or solution meets documented requirements.
• However business analysts are sometimes asked to test solutions (and not just software components) because their company is short on QA staff and are merging both the QA / Software Testers duties into that of the business analysts!
• Note: there is a lot more to the art of software testing than usability, functional or acceptance testing. These other other forms of testing may require scripting or automated tools and are not usually required of business analysts.

What Is The Future For Senior Business Analysts?

The toughest challenge facing me is the transition from Senior Business Analyst to Lead Analyst.

The Future / Career Path for Senior Business Analysts:

There is a real career path for senior business analysts. This career path comes with new titles, additional duties / roles or recognition (formal / informal) depending on the organization.

To start with, there is no common way of showing the seniority or lead position of a lead business analyst

In some organizations, the lead business analyst is the most senior or experienced person on the team and not necessarily the most educated.

The position of the lead business analyst is sometimes given informally when a manager refers other business analysts to the lead and / or identifies the BA as such.

1. If you are intent on being the lead business analyst, strive to distinguish yourself over a period of time by the quality of your work, the depth of your knowledge and expertise and your commitment to delivering excellent business results.
2. Study the lead business analyst and start learning whatever it is they bring to the table that you presently don’t.
3. In many organizations, the title of lead business analyst is earned over time because the lead business analyst has to have a strong understanding the business / organization. My advice is this: Be patient and hunker down for the long haul.

Remember the Kaizen principle, which is used to achieve an outstanding result by delivering smaller but consistent, qualitative improvements over a longer period of time.

• Start identifying the issues that your users have. Demonstrate to your manager that you have the analysis skills to take on the lead business analyst role.
• Increase your output when it comes to problem-solving on the project. Make yourself available and visible to users instead of shying away from contact with them.
• Get as much additional training as you can afford and channel all your efforts to becoming a better business analyst by learning everything that you can about business analysis.

If you gain new skills or demonstrate additional abilities on the job, you will position yourself for more responsibility … even that of the lead business analyst.

Finally, becoming a lead business analyst has a lot to do with demonstrating outstanding leadership skills.

It is not just what you know (knowledge alone is not enough for this role) but how well you can step out of your box to help your fellow business analysts, team or company.

Learn how to demonstrate exceptional leadership, communication. coaching and mentoring skills in addition to your traditional business analysis skills and you will stand out from other senior business analysts or your peers!

What Is The Career Path for IT Business Analysts?

I need help. My company is considering creating specialist areas for the Business Analyst in IT.

Is there a model or any existing categorization of Business Analyst role in IT?

I am only aware of roles like Senior/Junior Business Analyst.

The Roles / Models for IT Business Analysts:

There are several possible career paths for IT Business Analysts depending on the size of the organization or the diversity of tasks performed by your business analysts.

Assuming that your company has a legitimate need to start putting business analysts into silos, here are some options, categories or specialized roles:

1. Usability / UI / User Experience Business Analyst

2. Web Business Analyst

3. E-Commerce Business Analyst

4. Marketing Business Analyst

5. Business Process Analyst / Process Engineer

6. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Business Analyst

Use this list to elicit more careers centering on specialized functions performed by the business analysts on you team.

This post presents tips, strategies or solutions for advancing your business analysis career. If you enjoy reading this post, be sure to … Share It with Friends

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How To Handle Recruiters Phone Calls

Recruiters are the gatekeepers for business analyst jobs.

They are in touch with more employers, consulting or full-time engagements than most business analysts.

This post answers the question of how to handle or deal with recruiters calling about business analyst jobs.

If you need help with a Question or Challenge, be sure to submit your question as a comment on this page and I will answer it fully just as I am answering this reader’s question below!

If you enjoy reading this post, please be sure to … Share this Post with Friends

Here is a question posted by a business analyst on how to deal with recruiters

I have received some phone calls from recruiters recently about BA jobs.

We talk about the description, and then my experience.

At the end of the call, they always promise to call back.

They most likely never do. When I try to follow up, they most often do not reciprocate.

Is this typical

Or is the a better way for me to handle these calls

How To Handle Phone Calls From Recruiters

Handling recruiters successfully depends on your ability to put yourself in the recruiter’s shoes or negotiate from a point of strength.

Here are some tips on how you can do just that!

1. Put Yourself In The Recruiter’s Shoes

   Recruiters are primarily out to help their bottom line.

   With that in mind, your conversations with recruiters must prove beyond a shadow of doubt that you are qualified for the job.

   This means that you are not trying to convince, beg or plead for a job but that you come across as a skilled, experienced or knowledgeable business analyst with a pleasing personality.

2. Tailor Your Conversation To The Job Description

   Recruiters generally have a light grasp of technology.

   Which means that they may not be as familiar with the requirements listed in the job description as you may think.

   So, make it easy on recruiters and present your skills, experience or background in the light of the job description at hand.

   For example, if a job description is posted for a business analyst with business use cases skills and you present your skills as system use cases, you may be passed.

   So, make sure that your skills, background or experience cover the specific requirements mentioned in the job description.

3. Grab The Recruiter’s Attention

   Get your act together before getting on the phone with the recruiter.

   While on the phone, take charge of the conversation and grab the recruiter’s attention within the first few minutes of the conversation.

   All things being equal, recruiters tend to feed off your energy level.

   So, if you sound positive and upbeat, they will conclude that they want to do business with you.

   If you sound unsure of yourself, they are likely to conclude that you are hiding something or that you are not as good as you need to be!

   The best preparation is to rehearse your opening statements or polish your presentation before getting on the phone with the recruiter.

4. Looking for a Job? Stay Busy!

   Don’t sound like you are just staying at home waiting for a job, even though that may be the truth.

   Talk about how busy you are and how you are lining up interviews because recruiters are wired to follow the herd.

   In other words, if you sound like you are busy taking interviews and lining up jobs, they will scramble to represent you as well.

   But if on the other hand, you sound like you are having difficulty finding interviews, they will shy away from you too!

   Recruiters behave like this because they reason that if their colleagues are not going after you, then either you are not qualified or not a good match for the job.

I hope that these tips will help you represent yourself better to recruiters.

One of the well-kept secrets of working with recruiters is that they prefer polished, professional presentations from candidates who seem to know what they are doing even.

This is because recruiters often cannot distinguish an experienced, skilled or knowledgeable candidate from another business analyst who is less skilled.

So, plan, prepare and present your skills in the best light possible and you will win their hearts and souls

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Complete What You Start

Completing projects on time and under budget is required for success in any profession.

That is why this question submitted by a software developer on how to complete assigned projects or tasks is a must read.

If you need help with a Question or Challenge, be sure to submit your question as a comment on this page and I will answer it fully just as I am answering this reader’s question below!

If you enjoy reading this post, please be sure to … Share this Post with Friends

Here is the Reader’s Question

I am a software developer. I like to solve problems.

I like to identify tasks that are done in complex processes and simplify them. So, I decided that I would follow my passion with software development because i understand software development is about solving problems.

I love programming. It gives me joy. But the problem I have is that I start applications and don’t finish them.

I found out that I have a pattern of starting applications and after the GUI or design stage, I tend to leave them and start something else when i get to a point that i can’t solve.

I also found out that I tend to leave and start new ones because I feel I could do better with the
new project.

As a result of these, I have a pile of unfinished applications that are products of really good ideas.

This problem is almost costing my job.

How To Complete What You Start Or Stop Doing Things Halfway

Software Developers often run into this challenge when they underestimate the complexity of their programming assignments or tasks or go about the software development in an unstructured manner.

Here are some tips on how to avoid that …

1. Plan Your Programming Tasks

   Start by listing the types of tasks that you will be performing. These tasks will depend on the type of application that you are building but will generally include database design & development, user interface design & development and some custom business logic.

   Your list of tasks will also include business analysis / requirements documentation, software testing / QA review and support / maintenance tasks.

   Assign a duration or time to each task as part of your estimation and planning process.

   This exercise will help you estimate the amount of time you will need to complete the application.

2. Design your Application Before Coding

   Design your databases, including the table relationships, primary / foreign keys first.

   Then proceed to the GUI. You don’t have to build the GUI yet, just list out all the screens that will be needed first and then the purpose of each screen and the fields that are needed on the screen.

   Finally, give some thought to your business logic.

   If you are programming with a modern, object oriented language like Microsoft.NET (C#, ASP.NET, Visual Basic.NET), you will have to organize your code into classes with properties, methods and events.

   A common mistake is to start coding the application logic without considering the organization, purpose or relationship between the classes in the application.

   This mistake is sometimes due to the assumption that planning, designing or architecting the classes used in the application can be done on the fly … don’t make that mistake

   This exercise will help you estimate the complexity of your project.

3. Follow An Agile Software Development Process

   Cowboy Coders are no longer heroes. Agile Software Developers Are King.

   Learn how to code in an agile, iterative fashion and you will improve dramatically on completing your programming tasks or projects.

   The beauty of agile programming is that it allows you to build working versions of your software all the time.

   Because your employer receives working or updated versions of your software frequently, they will want to share their feedback or excitement which motivates you towards completing the next working version.

   Breaking up a task into smaller pieces which are more easily accomplished is key to successfully completing your coding projects because that is how we get naturally get things done!

Finally, note that handling complexity in coding is key to successful application development.

Completing what you start is achieved by first planning your programming tasks, designing your application on paper and coding in an iterative, agile manner.

The lesson learnt here is that completing projects or tasks requires wearing both project management and business analysis hat!

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Requirements Management Skills In Demand

Is Requirements Management Helpful?

If you work in an office where requirements management is a low priority, an afterthought or a process imposed by senior management, you may begin to lose sight of the value that requirements management offers.

In between chasing down your stakeholders for interviews, wrestling with your use cases or managing conflict and corporate politics, you may decide to abort what sometimes seems like meaningless meetings or endless paperwork.

What you may not know is that the reason you’re chasing down stakeholders or having so much trouble gathering requirements is that you don’t have an effective Requirements Management framework in place.

Because Requirements Management is really not an afterthought and unless you step out of your busy schedule to learn what works and what doesn’t work in requirements management … the cycle of difficulty, ineffectiveness or project failure is guaranteed to continue!

Why Requirements Management Is A High Priority For Business Analysts

If your project lacks an effective Requirements Management plan, you can do your team or manager a favor by learning how to implement one.

This is important because an effective requirements management plan will help you deliver the right product, technology or business solution and stand you in good stead at the performance review.

The risk of Information Technology (IT) project failure is so high that taking the time to understand, model or validate what needs to be built is a high priority for any professional business analyst.

If your requirements management plan is weak, you risk not understanding the business problem or turning out a poor solution.

So, whether you’re gathering or analyzing requirements, it is just as important to focus on the process that you are using to develop your requirements as it is to focus on the requirements themselves.

The good news is that a lot of thought has been put into the process of gathering and creating good requirements.

The Requirements Management Plan

These thoughts have been gathered and structured into a discipline known as Requirements Engineering or Management.

Requirements Management encompasses the activities of defining a solution’s requirements, Eliciting, Analyzing, Specifying and Validating business requirements.

Requirements Management encompasses activities and deliverables for establishing Requirements Baselines, Change Control and Tracing Requirements.

Having an effective requirements management plan will also help you define:

1. Which members of your team are performing what requirements activities

2. When requirements activities will take place

3. What the details and steps of each requirement activity are

Having all of this formally defined will help your team deliver the right product or solution.

Having a good requirements management plan will also improve your teams ability to build or deliver the correct requirements on time and within budget.

The ROI for Effective Requirements Management

An effective Requirements Management plan will also help your team be more productive or produce excellent correct, complete, clear, concise, consistent, relevant, feasible and verifiable requirements.

Keep in mind that your Requirements Management plan may need to be customized to your projects, organizational constraints or corporate culture.

Remember that effective Requirements Management results in better business solutions … which is a hallmark of successful business analysts.

Requirements Management is one of several business analysis courses offered at the Business Analyst Boot Camp Training.

A complete end-to-end Business Analysis training is traditionally expensive because you pay for multiple business analysis courses on UML, Use Cases, Requirements Management, etc.

In addition, these courses are sometimes split into beginner, intermediate or advanced classes which you have to pay for individually.

What if you could get your “Use Case Training”, “UML Training”, “Requirements Management Training” and more by attending just one class?

What if you could get all these Business Analyst courses for a fraction of the traditional cost? … Here is how to to do just that.

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Highly Paid Business Analyst

You are reading this post because you are interested in learning or mastering business analysis for a number of reasons like

• You may have read the US Bureau of Statistics report which predicts that the business analyst role will be one of the fastest growing occupations through 2012

• You are a computer programmer or software tester who is getting burned out on the monotony of coding or testing

• You may be interested in learning business analyst because you will gain more visibility by interacting more with users and managers

• You feel that gathering requirements for software projects would be a better fit for you than your current IT position

What Does It Take To Become A Successful Business Analyst?

You may also have read a few business analyst job descriptions or observed successful business analysts at work and because of that, you feel that you can easily succeed at business analysis.

However, you are not alone in assuming that knowledge of software development or a college degree like an MBA, qualifies one to become a business analyst.

However, the reality is:

• There is more to business analysis than just gathering requirements

• Making the leap from your current IT job to a business analyst role is not always as easy as it looks

Business Analysis is really not like computer programming and it is not equivalent to projecty management or having an MBA.

Business Analysis is a specialized profession just like Law, Medicine or Engineering. Here is more information on what it takes to become a successful business analyst:

So, What Does A Business Analyst Do?

Computer programming and business analysis while being related, are still worlds apart.

Programming is a wholly technical discipline while business analysis focuses on the business side of managing software or project requirements.

The business analyst does more than just ask users what they want from a software system, type up the requirements in a pretty document and hand it off to the developers.

The business analyst liaises between stakeholders to understand business problems and the requirements for a successful solution using strategic thinking and excellent communication skills.

The business analyst also has to follow best practices for planning, gathering/eliciting, managing, modeling and validating user requirements.

So, you need to thoroughly understand the business analysis profession if you want to make the leap from programming (or any other career) to business analysis.

Business Analysts Don’t Just Gather Requirements!

Even though you do not need an MBA to be a successful business analyst, you still need to learn and master the core business analysis skills.

To start with, you will need technical skills, business skills, industry knowledge / domain skills and analysis skills.

In addition to the following: Requirements Elicitation, UML, Use Cases, Requirements Modeling and Facilitation skills.

Demonstrate your Business Analysis Skills

There is no such thing as a new IT career without new IT skills. In the same way, you can’t become a successful business analyst without learning business analysis skills through training and hands-on experience.

If you have been applying to business analyst jobs without any response from potential employers, here is the reason: Your resume does not show that you have real-world business analysis skills.

Many project managers or business managers have been in the situations where they hired just because the candidate was persuasive only to regret the lack of understanding of the role or the lack of skills needed to get the job done

.

• The bad news is that too many managers have been burned, so the chances of getting hired without real business analysis skills are lower.

• The good news is that as we head out of the recession, there is a demand for professionals who have the business analysis skills required to successfully take an IT project to completion.

So, the first and most important step towards a successful business analyst career … is making sure that you have the right skillsets

.

Yes, there is a real shortage of good business analysts. If you will simply take the time to get trained and get hands-on experience, you can go places in your career!.

How to Gain Business Analysis Skills

The traditional way to gain skills in other careers is to get a college degree. But does having a business degree qualify you for a business analyst career?

What if you have a family and can’t take the time off work to go through another two to four years of college?

The problem with traditional college degrees is that they keep you on the theoretical path of learning, where you may spend two to four years in college and still lack the skills, experience or insight needed for a successful business analyst career.

In addition, traditional college degrees are extremely costly. If you’ve worked in the IT industry for any length of time, you would have met successful business analysts or computer programmers who couldn’t afford to go to college and yet succeeded at their professional carees.

What Are The Options For Learning Business Analysis?

There are several alternatives to traditional business colleges. For example, many training companies squeeze the business analyst training program into a few (three to five) days.

You fly or drive in to the location, sit for a few days and then get back to work the next day!

The problem with these three to five day training programs is that you simply will not retain or understand new technical information that is crammed in a short period because real life professional skills are not learned in a hurry!

If you’ve ever crammed for an examination, you know that once the exam is over, most of the information is gone from you because you only studied to pass the examination!

The challenge with short term business analyst training is that you will not retain, understand or apply the information effectively on your job.

You need to learn business analysis concepts in a way that helps you retain it or use it to advance your career.

Learn Business Analysis – The Effective Way

This is how you learn business analysis at the Business Analyst Boot Camp

1. Mentoring / Coaching: The Business Analyst Boot Camp is designed more like a mentoring / coaching program.

   You get case studies that allow you to practice the real-world business analysis skills before using them on the job.

2. Skill Building / Career Focused: The Business Analyst Boot Camp is designed like a series of examinations.

   You are quizzed or examined on concepts, skills or ideas so that you are able to think creatively / of the box.

3. Natural Learning Pace: The Business Analyst Boot Camp is designed to walk you through beginner to advanced business analysis topics in a series of steps.

   You are not expected to learn or master business analysis in three days but over weeks, so that you have time to internalize, understand, appreciate or learn business analysis material in a paced, natural or productive way

Summary

The Business Analyst Boot Camp is designed to provide practical training or real-world skills for the IT Business Analyst role and it can be accessed through our online Learning Management System (LMS) from any location and at any time by registered business analysts!

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NFL Muzzles Social Media

Are NFL players walking a fine line between branding and revealing too much? According to Jack Bechta (NFL Agent) the answer is yes.

In an interesting post by Jack on how the NFL is handling Social Media for its players, even though more professional athletes are tweeting and sharing their every move via the electronic highway, it comes with risk because coaches and GMs hate it!

Jack says that at least one team has grown so irritated and tired of their top players’ social efforts that they decided to clean house.

This team responded to their players social media efforts by parting ways with three players and is planning on severing ties with more!

The management’s take on social media is that players should focus 100 percent of their efforts on winning and not be distracted by building their own personal brand.

As an NFL agent, Jack advises his clients to keep a low social media profile until they establish their career or prove their value in the league.

After players establishes their value or prove their worth, Jack says that they can then start building their brand by leveraging their NFL status or segue into other careers. Click here to read Jack’s story on the NFL and Social Media

What Is Your Social Media Strategy?

The NFL is perhaps not the only employer that is monitoring or controlling it’s employees Social Media efforts.

There are several stories of employees getting fired for saying too much about their boss on Facebook or Twitter.

However there are also success storuies of job seekers finding jobs using social media networks like LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.

So, the questions are:

1. Is there a right or wrong time to fully embrace social media for personal advancement?

2. Should you really embrace social media at the beginning of your career or after you career is established?

3. Is there a real risk to employers when their employees embrace social media?

4. Is it reasonable to assume that you can still advance your carer using social media, if you adopt it later in your career?

5. Is there a risk to not adopting social media early in your career?

6. Is there a better way of managing social media conversations, for example through HR policy guidelines, protected tweets and facebook profiles, etc?

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LinkedIn has released a premium account for job seekers who want to position their resumes at the top of job search listings.

Here is a summary of the new LinkedIn Job Seeker Premium Account Service:

1. The new LinkedIn job seeker premuim account allows you to stand out from the crowd, directly contact hiring managers and manage your job search.

2. It increases your chances of being hired by moving your resume to the top of the list which puts you ahead of the competition.

3. The LinkedIn job seeker premium account also allows you to contact hiring managers directly about opportunities at their respective organizations.

We have prepared a free guide on the new LinkedIn Job Seeker Premium Account.

Download the FREE Report on LinkedIn Job Seeker Premium Account Guide Below

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starting a new business analyst career




The good news is that the economy is adding on jobs because it is the time of year when budgets have been approved and employers traditionally post more jobs and because the economy is also beginning to recover.

This is as good a time as any to dust off your resume, polish your act and start the career you have always wanted.

This article tells you how to do that … get back into the job market and start the business analyst career you’ve always wanted!

What Are Employers Hiring For?

Let’s start by reviewing what employers are hiring for, so that you can give them what they want.

1. Employers are hiring educated business analysts

   I would like to emphasize that having an MBA or a college degree while being helpful, does not make you an educated business analyst.

   Having a degree like an MBA, MIS or computer science degree is considered to be a general educational qualification.

   And the job market requires more specific, business analysis oriented education on topics like UML, Use Cases, Requirements Management, etc.

2. Employers are hiring skilled business analysts

   These are considered to be business analysts with cutting-edge skills who can hit the ground running, provide timely, focused and relevant business solutions or provide expert business guidance or solutions to the employer.

   At the job interview, a candidate is perceived to be sharp if he or she can answer questions in a comprehensive, correct, detailed, factual and timely manner.

   So, this is a question of how well you can recall, retain or re-use your business analysis knowledge.

3. Employers are looking for hands-on business analysis experience

   However, your hands-on experience is not always the same as how long you have been working as a business analyst.

   Employers are more interested in how prepared you are to provide solutions to challenging business problems than in your length of years in the industry!

   So, do not focus on how many years you have or have not been working as a business analyst. Instead, focus on the depth, richness or breadth of your experience!

So, with these points in mind, I will show you how to get back into the business analysis job market.

How To Start A Business Analysis Career

The first step to getting back into the BA job market is to recognize what employers are looking or hiring for.

The next step after figuring out the needs of employers in the current job market is to give them what they want.

I recommend that you start by attending the business analyst boot camp and here is why:

1. Becoming a Better Business Analyst

Your first task towards getting back into the job market is to become the most knowledgable business analyst you can be.

The business analyst boot camp helps you with that by training you on the concepts, skills, methodologies, tools or techniques used by business analysis in an online learning environment.

Through online training videos, presented in a step by step manner, you learn or master beginner to advanced level topics in UML, Use Cases, Requirements Analysis, Elicitation, Modeling and more …

2. Become A Skilled Business Analyst

Research has shown that one of the best ways to sharpen your skills is to practice answering questions like you are in a job interview.

The business analyst boot camp uses the same technique for sharpening your skills or preparing you for the job market.

You are presented with single/multiple-choice practice tests or quizzes that sharpen your skills by helping improve the correctness, promptness and comprehensiveness of your answers to business analysis questions.

3. Shortening The BA Experience Gap

One of the key features of the business analysis boot camp is the incorporation of hands-on business analysis tasks as part of you training.

With the help of our learning management system (LMS), you are challenged to master your material through practical, skill-building, hands-on exercises, problems, case studies, tasks or projects.

Here is a quick review of what the business analyst boot camp online training class offers:

Review Of Online Business Analysis Training

• The Business Analyst Boot Camp learning management system presents you with foundational business analysis concepts to start with.

• Once you are through with the foundational concepts, more advanced concepts are introduced or presented step by step.

• All your assignments, quizzes, hands-on tasks or projects are graded and the results instantly displayed in your real-time, online progress monitoring tool!

• All the courses are offered online and your videos are retained as part of your account. What this means is that you can go back or refer to any lecture, refresh your mind or re-train yourself at will!

The goal of the business analyst boot camp is to help you become an expert or highly skilled business analyst.

Achieving the goal of becoming an expert or highly skilled business analyst is critical to career success because it addresses the key concerns that employers have when hiring new business analysts or promoting their existing internal business analysts to a new position.

This post helps you understand the key reasons why employers hire or retain business analysts and it shows you how to start your business analysis career or get back into the job market by addressing the employers concerns.

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