Hello again Adrian,

First off, I think I've always found it encouraging that there's a shortage of business analysts. It encourages newcomers to look at our field with a positiveand rather comforting outlook that there's a chance of them finding a job here. It gives the ones already entrenched in it, like you and I and others on this site, a sense of security, that if today one wasn't happy working with the current client for whatever reason, s/he wouldn't have difficulty working for another one.

One the other hand, yes, filling those very vacancies in our field should also be taken seriously. In addition to you're suggestion that companies should accept the baton and train potential BA's, I think part of the responsibility is also on our shoulders, those who are already part of the field. Don't you think? We as existing BA's should be examples of the those living and breathing the field day in and day out to potentials who contemplate on making business analysis (in its varying roles) their career. Some ways I can think of acting as examples are:

• Visiting college campuses and professionally presenting the field to students. Not to join a certain company (unless you've been chosen to do so), but to simply make them aware of the field. IT professionals and professionals in general aren't much aware of the field, imagine what it is with those still in school.
• Making a presence at employment fairs, although we might not have a company to represent. It's worth playing with the idea though. Isn't a place filled with early 20-year olds almost shaking from nervousness from fear of not finding a job a hotbed to pitch a BA sales call?
• Collaborating with local BA/IIBA groups and making presentations to the general public. Just like when a financial advisor invites people and pitches his/her sale to them at a hotel ballroom, and gets them to know about him/her.
• Keeping websites like these going and going strong and active.

Things like these is something we BA's can do I believe; it's not impossible and neither unreasonable. I'm a proud member of this field, and would love to exert the same energy in the physical world as I do here online.