I got Certified in June this year, and just like everyone else paying for a certification, I wondered how much it would really help me. I wasn't changing jobs and it wasn't a job requirement. I work on a team of about 8 business analyst of varying degrees of experience, me being a the bottom of the totem, and before me not a single one had an IIBA certification. So why did I bother? I could have gotten by without it. Honestly, when I started I wasn't sure, especially since I was only qualified for the CCBA exam and not the senior level CBAP certification, but my company agreed to fund it… so I went for it any way. Here is what I got out of it before I even sat for the exam.
1. Studying for the exam forced me to not look at 1 or 2 best practice techniques but ALL best practice techniques... in detail. I am by now aware of them, and know how and when they are used, so when I'm presented with a situation that would benefit from a particular practice over another, I can select a method to approach it that most appropriate.
2. It gives you very clear direction on what you need to work on and what you don't do well as a business analyst
3. Its just easier to communicate when you have a more in-depth knowledge of whats going on.
Will getting certified help me get a different job or be the difference between a promotion or not? I don't really know, but personally, Going through the process has made me a better business analyst and many ways and that should be what gets me promotions and jobs in the future![Update: One month after certification, I got a promotion]
Angelo @ MetaBusinessAnalyst.com