All,
Ive been in IT a long time! Do I really need a MBA/CBAP to be a good BA.
I'm intrigued and often mystified by the number of people who are doing some business related degree (MBAs) who wants to become BAs. Why?
Ive noticed that the British Computer Society (BCS) has had a BA "qualification" for a few years now,yet not many people aspire to that qualification. Perhaps the BCS qualification is not good enough or it does not prepare the individual well enough or the BCS is not good at marketing or some other reason...you have to be British ... mmh
In my experience many of the BAs whom I've worked with over the many years come from different walks (eg. BSc Hons Chemistry; BA English Lit etc). So why this fixation on the business aspect of business analysis?
The BA market is not regulated like Doctors, Psychologists and Nurses for example, this means that anyone with the "smarts" can become a Good BA. And, over the years Ive met some excellent BAs with no BA qualifications per se!
So do we really need this MBA/CBAP requirement to be a good BA.
warm regards,
K
Hi everybody,
I don't think that we need CBAP or any other certificate to be a good BA.However, I do think that these kinds of certificates show how passionate you are for the field. Therefore, even if they are not a must, BA's should try to have those kinds of certificates if they have chance.
Regards,
Nasuh...
Degrees and certifications are sometimes not so much about what makes you good, but more so about what makes you marketable. If your available opportunities and earning power are acceptable without being an MBA or a CBAP, then there's probably no need for them.
Qualifications don't make you a good BA. Your skills and ability to use them in a given situation to deliver value to your customer is what makes you a good BA.
Qualifications are gates to employment with some companies - you need to look into your local market to assess whether you need to obtain some of the qualifications in order to be considered for positions you want. This has nothing to do with the quality of your work but may still be necessary in order to compete in your local market. Currently qualification requirements vary greatly around the world and even in different locations within larger countries.
If you want to work as a consultant formal qualifications are *usually* less important - often your body of work is more relevant to a potential client. However some organizations will still rely on qualifications as an entry barrier to reduce the number of individuals they need to consider for a given engagement.
I consulted with IBM before ... I don't have a degree ... but I did have the skills and experience they were looking for at the time.
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