Hello! It seems there is a strong link between IT and Business Analysis. I am getting started in Business Analysis, and will soon complete my MBA degree. I don't have any IT degrees or certifications, is this going to be detrimental to my job search?
Technically, the answer is no, being a BA is not always IT related. For instance, if you were a BA in the Civil Engineering field your focus would be on roads, dams and other physical infrastructure projects. What your seeing is what is theoretically called: "IT BA" which is infact focused on IT related projects.
A BA doing strategic level work might be working above the level of the nuts and bolts operations that IT often supports. Or might be working with providing better decision support dashboards.
Here is a free webinar on someones idea of technical skills for an IT BA. It runs a half hour. They also teach a 2 day course on the topic. There is no way in 2 days you are going to become a really good computer programmer or anything like that. But you can master the basic vocabulary that developers speak with. Since I do some development I am pretty sure this guy is on track.
http://www.pmcentersusa.com/KnowledgeCenter/WebinarsonDemand/tabid/124/Default.aspx Technical Skills for BA's, 1/2 hour
There are a lot of free (on demand) webinars and podcasts available here, available at theiiba.org and at www.ghanthead.com on business analysis and project management. Don't let them get in the way of graduating though. Your MBA is an important first step into being a BA. So is understanding finance, having above average communcation and sales skills. And good mastery of the word, excel (including graphs and macros), powerpoint and exposure to access.
Tom Miller, CAPM
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