I've decided at last to become a BA ... a new field to enter. Now here are the scenarios (in order) ...
My questions are ... A) what are the possibilities that I'm heading to right direction to choose to be a BA? B) What obstacles are on the way that I need to prepare for the interview? C) Which level and sector should I start looking for now to optimize my chances? D) is there anything am I missing?
By the way, I'm in Toronto, Canada ... had my education from the USA !
Thank you all for any feedback !
Hi Newbie,
Given what you have been doing in sales the transition may be a little difficult at first. If I read your experience correctly, you haven't really worked in a technical role too much as a fulltime job (two years management in product developement - I'm assuming the product wasn't a system...I could be wrong).
Your challenge is going to be getting that first position.
First, you should be looking for a Jr. Analyst role. You have a lot of transferrable skills and you can probably climb the ranks rather quickly once you get into that first position, but right now I think you will be hard pressed to land a more senior role.
You should play up all of your eduction, the interships and any other technical knowledge you have. Also specifically draw attention to your transferrable skills. You must be a good communicator if you have been working in sales and management.
Finally, a requirements gathering course could really help catch the eye of a hiring manager.
Thank you Chris for your response and advices !
Know again, I'm in Toronto, Canada.
Ok, here is another question ...
How difficult will it be to apply for even "Junior" BA position without having any knowledge and experience in programming languages (IT) .. I do have "basic" knowledge in SQL. What is the better way to meet the situation for interview / resume instead? Any open suggestions?
Although I am a BA who started as a programmer, I don't think all BA's started that way; many migrate over from the business side of a company, for example. If a position you are looking at as a BA asks for programming experience/skills, that should be a red flag, they probably want you do everything(!).
Given that a lot of BA's do start in the 'business', what are the opportunities (if any) where you are now? Try to get on an IT project as a business participant, where it would be very likely you would work with Business Analysts; learn from the experience, and make sure the PM or other involved IT Manager knows you are interested in becoming a BA, and do apply to any BA jobs that come up at your company.
Other than that, the earlier suggestion of taking some recognized training is a good one; it could be pricey (never paid for training, myself) but its an 'investment' that might work for you. Check out iiba.com for training vendors...
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