What’s your next step toward earning that business analyst promotion?

This week, we’ve explored what it takes to earn a promotion as a business analyst. We started by addressing the question of “Can I be promoted as a business analyst?“. My position here is a resounding “yes”, but you need to be prepared to take your career and career path in your own hands. I then asked you to evaluate what it is you do today and be armed with your “real job description“. Next we explored some senior business analyst responsibilities that make sense for a business analyst to consider as part of their career path and met Jennifer Banzon, a relatively new BA who has quickly forged a senior role for herself through her professional development and networking.

So that brings us today. What’s next? What are you going to do to put all this knowledge into action?

As I’ve been tweeting about since new years, I’m fast becoming a proponent of “one small step” as I learned about in the One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way. One small step starts with one small question.

So turn this question over in your mind today, tomorrow, and the next day.

What could I do in 30 minutes a week to make myself a promotable business analyst?

That’s it. Just keep asking yourself the question. Over your morning coffee. On the drive to work. While whittling away time in a boring meeting. While walking up the stairs or going to the bathroom.

Is 30 minutes too big? Think even smaller. Start with what you can do in 5 or 10 minutes. It really doesn’t matter how small or big your next step is. It matters that you take one step.

Maybe it’s simply taking a few notes to start drafting your real job description. Maybe it’s asking your manager one small question about how they perceive your value. Maybe it’s presenting a new skill to the other BAs in your organization.

Just keep asking yourself the question.

What could I do in 30 minutes a week to make myself a promotable business analyst?

Come back and read this series of posts. Ask yourself again. And soon an answer will come to you.

And once it does. Start! Spend that 5, 10, or 30 minutes per week to do one small thing to make yourself more promotable. And keep asking yourself the question. You’ll come up with new ideas and energy to implement them.

Editor’s Note: Interested in learning more about being a Promotable Business Analyst? My next eBook will address this topic specifically. Learn more and sign-up to be the first to know when The Promotable Business Analyst is published.

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

Related posts:

1. Can I be promoted as a business analyst?
2. What’s next? What careers can I explore with my business analyst experience?
3. Write your real job description