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4/1/2009 9:09 AM

	Rob
1 posts

Advice on becoming a Business Analyst?

Hi,

I am very much interested in becoming a Business Analyst but need some advice in how best to achieve this. I currently work for a large Insurance company in an unrelated role and have a good experience of the Insurance industry but with no real IT experience. I have had a meeting with the head of IT who has advised that from time to time entry roles for Business Analysts come up for people with my level of Insurance Industry experience although nothing at the moment. I did mention to him can I get any qualifications in the meantime to enhance my chances should a role come up and he advised that any sort of part time study in a related subject would show that I was willing to invest time and money and would look good. Although all this would seem fine should I pursue this career through my current employers and an opportunity was to arise but I was wondering if anyone had more specific advice on p/t study/qualifications best suited to becoming a Business Analyst and what other avenues if any is there for me to pursue this career outwith my current employers? I would need to remain in a full time role whilst pursuing this career given current family and financial commitments.

Any assistance would be gratefully received.

4/3/2009 4:02 AM

	Vasu
4 posts

Re: Advice on becoming a Business Analyst?

Hi,
From your description, I understand that you have some indepth experience in the Insurance domain, but have limited exposure to IT.

To be a good Business Analyst, proximity to both Business and IT would be desired. Hence, you may have to somehow find a project within the current company which could leverage your expertise in the Insurance domain, but will also provide you the visibility into IT development. This could be as simple as participating as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for a new product or an application and shadowing the existing BA's, if any. You could help with the documentation, learn some modeling tools on the way ( UML notation, Use cases, flowcharting, sequence diagram et al) and also help put together a Business Requireements Document ( BRD). You can start looking at the existing Stoftware Requirement Specs(SRS) templates within your company and have detailed discussions with the folks who wrote those specs. Thsi will give you a better understanding of how the SRS's are put together.

Alternatively, you can also check with your IT test team and volunteer to do some UAT for new applications/products that are within your area of expertise.

Insurance is a large domain with multiple specializations and there is always a great demand within the IT service industry to recruit people with indepth knowledge in this industry.

So, All the best in your (ad)venture and I believe, by frequenting sites such as these (Modern Analyst, IIBA etc), you have taken the right steps in furthering your cause.

Hope this helps...

Best,

Vasu