One question I hear a lot from new and potential business analysts via phone calls, emails and forums, especially the “Starting a Business Analyst Career” LinkedIn forum is that if you are not yet a business analyst and are not currently employed, it can be really tough to dig up business analyst projects, even on a volunteer basis.
I don’t doubt this is true. It is tough to find the right volunteer position. Just like a lot of companies out there, those employing volunteers don’t necessarily understand the business analyst role. As a result, what I see a lot is people waiting for the “perfect” position instead of jumping into a “good enough” role and creating a business analyst position out of the opportunity. What follows is an attempt to collate some of the better advice I’ve seen and help you see it as potentially BA work.
- Contribute to WordPress: Contrary to popular belief, some open source software movements are starting to care about the planning process too. WordPress is looking for people to help with proposals and wire-frames. You’ll be eliciting requirements by participating in forums and getting user feedback. And then you’ll pass your requirements off to a volunteer developer to implement.
- Pick your favorite non-profit and get involved in the business planning or administration. Most non-profits are not going to jump out and say ‘we need help from a business analyst’. But by getting involved you can uncover opportunities to do BA work.
- David Maynard has started a BA self-study group. Plans are shaping up for members to participate in a mock project starting October 2009.
- Eclipse.org produces the Open Requirements Management Framework and is always looking for volunteers to contribute to projects. (Thanks to Renee Saint-Louis for her article on BA Collective referencing this opportunity.)
- The IIBA is looking for product managers to help launch many new projects in the coming year. Product management is a close cousin of business analysis. As Product Manager of the IIBA(R) Career Center, I’ve helped scope new features, negotiate with our vendor, establish operational processes, and define development and roll out plans. I also get to work with a lot of great people and meet other business analysts.
- Do you know anyone who runs a small business? I was talking to Linda Erzah of BAMentor last week and she mentioned how her mother runs a bakery. Since none of the processes are documented or defined it is difficult for her mom to spend time away from her business or to scale the business by hiring and training new staff. Do you have a friend or family member that is running a small business and might need some help defining their basic business processes?
What ideas are you hearing that I haven’t captured here? What resources are there for new or experienced business analysts looking to broaden their experience?
Again, to reiterate. I highly suggest jumping in and getting started rather than waiting for the 100% right fit. Just like most BA professionals morphed their way into business analyst positions, I think the volunteer position market is similar. An open mind and a drive to apply the BA fundamentals will open opportunities. But first you have to get started.
Editor’s Note (9/13/2009): An earlier version of this post included the USA Leadership Corps in this list. I received some feedback that this organization was not looking for IT-related business analysts so I removed them from the list.
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By Laura (Brandau) Brandenburg. Laura Brandenburg is an independent business analyst consultant. She is passionate about the BA profession and is committed to contributing by supporting this blog as a forum for business analysts to build on each other's experiences. View more blog posts by Laura (Brandau) Brandenburg |
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I’d like to second the motion on your thoughts about jumping in to volunteer. This is a really satisfying and rewarding venture that pays dividends to he/she who volunteers.
Your last point Laura, about documenting processes and such for small business is an amazingly untapped area. While it’s generally not something where an analyst can walk in off the street and request access to the inner working of a firm, there are many organizations that we as individuals know someone in charge or the owners. They typically don’t even know that it’s a good idea to have practices in place to govern daily operations. An analyst’s value is very high in these situations, as the small business in today’s economy needs all the strengthening it can get. Concurrently, volunteering leads to exposure of many different business types and models for the analyst to add to his or her experiences.
Laura, I agree with you about the need to volunteer for open source projects and also network with local business owners who may need business analysis support.
I have been listening to comments by some volunteers and it seems that they are saying that sometimes the volunteer work become more loke a full-time un-paid job!
What do you think? Is there a limit to how much work a business analyst should expect to invest in a volunteer project?
Hi Kingsley,
Yes, I think everyone should set limits appropriate to their situation. If you are employed full-time, you might have 3-5 hours a week to volunteer. If you are unemployed, you might take a longer term volunteer role with the understanding that paid work will supersede it.
One criteria you might use is to look at the revenue model of the company. Obviously, if unemployed, I’d feel much better about volunteering for a non-profit that is helping my community than a large, revenue-generating, corporation.
Another aspect is to consider the value you personally are getting from the experience. This might be difficult to do upfront, which is why I think people have trouble finding the right positions, but once you are involved you should make sure it’s providing value to you, whether that’s in terms of gaining experience, meeting contacts, or building references.
Laura:
Thank you for providing the additional information.
It’s helpful because it provides recomemndations or guidelines for professional business analysts looking for volunteering positions.
Thanks, I w’ll be looking out for your next article.
Have a great weekend
Hi Laura,
You are a wealth of information and it’s been very informative to read through your articles.
When you suggest helping someone you know who runs a small business, what type of work do you envision one being able to do? Even to take the example you mentioned (mother runs a bakery) – where would one start to become involved in this process?
Thanks in advance,
Anthony
Thank you Anthony!
What I’ve found is that most small businesses, including my own, are very reliant on their owner. Everything from the vision to the details of customer service, finance, and marketing are all in the owner’s head. This makes it very difficult to bring on new staff and scale the business.
I think someone with the aptitude for business analysis can help that business owner break down their day-to-day work into repeatable processes, establish roles and responsibilities, etc. Basically, I’m talking about giving a view into the structure of the business–it’s there in the owner’s mind but it isn’t exposed and documented in such a way that intelligent decisions can be made around it. You might do this on a large scale (the whole business) or a small scale (take one part of the business or even one process).
The best book I’ve found to help me through this process is E-Myth by Michael Gerber.
In terms of where would one start, I’d say you start by talking to a business owner that might be interested, understand their pain points, and provide some suggestions as to how you might best help.
Best,
Laura
Hi
I have developed a passion for the business world that i am determined to pursue. I am unemployed and was unfortunate to not finish my studies, however i am determined to make something of myself. I would like assistance in finding a position whereby i can volunteer as a business analyst though not qualified but i have the zeal and high interest in the field. If you would be able to i would do my best to prove myself.
I am looking at starting my registered business in the next two months.
Yours thankfully
Abigail M.
Hi Laura,
I really liked your post. I hope this will give a direction to my career. I live in Seattle and also new in this country. I am going through a career struggle because of my visa status and job environment. I was thinking about going for volunteer work as a BA and after reading your post I am sure to start that way. Can you plz suggest any orgs or non profit orgs you know which are open for volunteer BA work. I really want to start asap. I’ve also become the member of IIBA, but that is too recent. Plz guide me how can I go through it.
Thanks
Ekta Mishra