When I’m out talking about how I help aspiring business analysts, there are two very common assumptions:
- An aspiring business analyst is currently in college and looking to start their BA career after they graduate.
- An aspiring business analyst is typically unemployed.
The thing is, if we look at the readership of Bridging the Gap, both assumptions are wrong. Let’s take a look at the registration statistics from our January members-only webinar.
Aspiring Business Analysts Are Experienced Professionals
We know that business analysis is not typically an entry-level job. It takes experience handling business situations and developing communication skills to succeed as a business analyst. But would you have thought that over 13% of participants would have over 20 years of experience? Or that the bulk would have more than 6? Even the most commonly chosen range, 2-5, indicates that most aspiring BAs have invested at least some time building up their professional profile.
We are clearly a profession attracting experienced professionals. And since we know that your experience counts when making a BA career transition, being an experienced professional now-ready-to-become-a-BA is a great place to be.
(While I’m thinking of it, I’d like to point out that my book – How to Start a Business Analyst Career – will help you do just that – identify what BA skills and experience you have in your career background.)
Aspiring Business Analysts Are Often Employed
While some aspiring BAs find themselves out of work and then realize that now is the time to make a career change, most of those we help here are employed. From reading the comments here at Bridging the Gap, I gather that many of you are underemployed or employed in a role that doesn’t quite play to your passions and are looking at a business analysis career as a way to move up.
This is why the Business Analyst Career Roadmap stresses creating a virtuous cycle of business analysis experiences, regardless of your job title.
You Are In the Right Place
What does this mean to you? Hopefully, it means you’ve found the right place. We’re not necessarily here to talk about what undergraduate degree you need, what’s the best MBA program, or what internship program to look at. (Though yes, sometimes we have written about those things.)
We’re mostly here to talk about how to make the best of all of the opportunities sitting right in front of you and, even more importantly, what you already have to offer to your business analysis career.
Whether you have your PMP, are a Six Sigma black belt, are a talented technical writer looking for new challenges, a software developer who has always enjoyed the people-side of technology or ___ {insert your career background here}, I’m here to support you along your career journey into business analysis.
So Keep On Reading!
42 Reasons to Start a Business Analyst Career
How to Move from IT to Business Analysis
How to Leverage Your Business Experience to Get an IT BA Job
Great article Laura – as always!
Thanks for the great collective here Mrs Brandenburg,
I am one of the lucky engineers who could land an entry-level BA position. Content here helped me a lot with making a difference with my peers. I hope to continue to read from your wonderful blog.
A thousand thanks and best wishes,
Murat
Congratulations and thank you Murat! We are very excited to be part of your BA career journey. It would be awesome to add your story to our Registry. Please consider submitting your story.
http://www.bridging-the-gap.com/bridging-the-gap-registry-of-business-analyst-career-transitions/
Great article Laura!
I had my past experience in IT as ‘QA’ (Quality Assuarance Analyst) and then as a ‘Developer’,with this domain knowledge thought to start myself as Business Analyst.
In the department after my request, I was fortunate to get this oppurtunity to learn the BA duties while doing programming. So currently I’m working part time as BA and part time as a programmer.
Bridging the Gap has helped me lot in building my confiedence level.I’m glad I came across this website.
I appreciate your time and help in doing such a wonderful job.
Thanks so much for the positive feedback Arati! Sounds like you have navigated into a perfect transitional role – sounds like a great opportunity to build BA experiences. Looking forward to hearing more as the opportunity unfolds.
As an aspiring mid-career BA, I’d like to echo Janet’s comments – this is truly an amazing site that you’ve built here Laura! I’ve been in a BA capacity for about 15 years and I still learn new things when I come here to read the posts and articles. The other day I was digging through the archives and found so many helpful hints that I shouted “yes”! out too loud and my cube mates stopped by to see if I was having an episode of some kind! I really appreciate all the talented writers and people who provide insightful comments on the articles. You’ve created an incredibly inspiring resource for us mid-career aspiring BA’s 🙂
Thanks so much Caroline! There are definitely a lot of posts in the archive for BAs of all levels and I’m so glad you’ve had fun hunting around!
Hi Laura. I am one of the “20+ years experience” BAs and I am a constant visitor to your site. Firstly, I find the articles and posts address issues that matter as much to practicing BAs as they do to aspiring ones. And secondly, I mentor, advise and assist a number of younger and less experienced colleagues (and now friends’ children, too) and Bridging the Gap is one of the first sites I recommend, so I make sure that I keep up to date with what you are doing.
Thank you so much for the insights and resources you offer.
Thanks, Janet! Wonderful to have you here.