Forums for the Business Analyst

 
  Modern Analyst Forums  Careers  Career Advice &...  Is Business Analysis the right field for me?
Previous Previous
 
Next Next
New Post 12/29/2011 12:01 PM
User is offline ChrisA
2 posts
No Ranking


Is Business Analysis the right field for me? 

Hi all,

New to the forum here...I've been doing research for the past couple weeks with the goal of choosing a new field to start a career in. I have a BS in Accounting, an MBA and my CPA (certified public accounting) license and have been working in accounting for the past 4 years. Over the course of several different jobs, I gradually came to the conclusion that accounting is not a field that interests me (quite the contrary it bores me to tears!)

Anyways, I'm still fairly young at 28 with my only debt being my mortgage. So I've been considering cutting my losses in accounting and getting into a field within IT or programming. My reasoning is that I've always loved working with computers and finding ways to automate/minimize work by using computers. Every job I've had, I compulsively look for ways to improve the systems and processes from writing excel macros, to working with the IT department to implement more complex solutions. This is the type of work I could get lost in and enjoy thoroughly.

So to get to the point, my ideal job would involve aspects discussed above, along with:
- possibility for telecommute
- possibility to freelance
- ability to work with or lead teams
- environment with little to no micro-managing (I've been told I  have a problem with authority ;) )

Business analysis/intelligence seems like a field that might meet some or most of these ideals. But I wanted to get some input from those of you already living it...Thanks for any feedback!

 
New Post 12/30/2011 12:58 PM
User is offline Kimbo
454 posts
5th Level Poster


Re: Is Business Analysis the right field for me? 

 Hi Chris,

Yep BA works except it can be difficult to telecommute if you are running lots of workshops.

Thought I'd offer another option you may not have thought of. My niece went through a similar career path to you. She became and accounting recruiter and is now doing very well.

Kimbo

 
New Post 1/1/2012 8:32 PM
User is offline Jarett Hailes
155 posts
6th Level Poster




Re: Is Business Analysis the right field for me? 

 Hi Chris,

- In general BAs are usually on site, especially during elicitation activities, although the opportunitites to work remote increase every day.

- I am a freelance BA/PM/Management Consultant, so you can structure your career that way. Opportunities vary by region of the world.

- I have led BA teams and led teams as a PM, although leading BA teams as a freelancer can be tough to find.

- Finding the right environment is company specific, as a BA you could be in a very defined and laborious environment or one that has very little structure. It depends on the company.

Note that Business Analysis and Business Intelligence are very different fields; BI involved a lot less daily interaction with other individuals and requires good data modeling/analysis skills. If you haven't already, purchase a copy of the BABOK to understand what a BA does. Here's a good overview of what a Business Intelligence Analyst does.

Good luck!

 
New Post 1/4/2012 6:30 PM
User is offline ChrisA
2 posts
No Ranking


Re: Is Business Analysis the right field for me? 

Hey guys, thanks for the replies.

I've actually done recruiting for accountants, and it's not at all want I want to be doing. It's 90% sales, so not what I'm looking for.

Jarett, thanks for the insight there. Perhaps BI or datamining might more appropriate fields for me. I'll take a look at the resources you've provided and see if it makes sense to check out BI instead.

 

Thanks!

 
Previous Previous
 
Next Next
  Modern Analyst Forums  Careers  Career Advice &...  Is Business Analysis the right field for me?

Community Blog - Latest Posts

Fabricio Laguna talks Business Analysis and AI
I recently connected with Fabricio Laguna, aka The Brazilian BA. Fabricio is a passionate and pioneering business analyst from Brazil. During our conversation, we had a thought-provoking discussion on how artificial intelligence stands to shape the field of business analysis in the years ahead. While AI promises to transform many aspects of busines...
Business Architecture, Ontology and More with Terry Roach
It's been a privilege meeting Terry Roach, a visionary in the field of enterprise architecture and business architecture. Terry's insights into the evolution of business models, the importance of ontology in architecture, and the potential of AI to shape our future were not only thought-provoking but also a reflection of his extensive exper...
Today I had the pleasure of chatting to Jignesh Jamnadas, Chief Operations Officer at Mosaic, about his Blueprints for Success. As a Senior Finance and Operations Executive, Jigs (as he is known to many) has a holistic understanding of all facets of business and a flair for managing both people and processes. Having worked with Jigs, I was struc...

 



Upcoming Live Webinars




 

Copyright 2006-2024 by Modern Analyst Media LLC