Do you want to enter the Business Analysis profession but don’t know how?
Would you like to:
- Understand why business analysis is a career with huge growth potential.
- Know how much or little technical knowledge is required (you might be surprised!).
- Discover which of your past job experiences will land your first position.
- Decide if you have what it takes!
- Decide whether a business analyst role will give you the job satisfaction you are searching for.
- Follow a simple step by step guide from where you are now to your first role.
This Blueprint will answer all of these questions and more:
- Uncover the top five reasons why you should become a business analyst from job security through to low barriers to entry.
- Explore the full description of what makes a great business analyst so you can be sure the role is for you.
- At last, three sentences in plain English that capture the essence of what it means to be a business analyst.
- The roadmap to success action plan with a simple checklist.
- Advice on where and how to get a mentor.
- Honest advice on if and why training is important (but only training that will help you to your first role).
- Action plan for gaining experience.
- Eleven different ideas for gaining experience (without leaving your current job).
- Action plan for job hunting and preparing for interviews.
The Blueprint has been fully researched for your benefit through:
- Drawing upon my own experience of over ten years as a BA
- Accessing many experts through my position as President of UK IIBA
- Consulting recruitment consultants and other specialists
Simply enter your details below to get a free copy of the guide immediately!
Complement of d season 2 u. I’m a recent graduate of economics in search of a lucrative profession to venture into. With d little i’ve read about business analysis, i think it will be a perfect match for me considering my passion for business. I’ll like to hear ur advise and will also like to receive ur free ebooks on this field. Thanks in anticipation of your immediate response.
Hi,
Please do send me the pdf.
I am a BA with more than 8 years experience and I still need a mentor.
Thanks
Ravi
Please send the book for referrence.
Thanks.
Hi Pradeep
I am sending a .pdf copy of the eBook to your gmail address.
Regards
Jo (Secretary to Alex Papworth)
Hi,
I’d be very pleased to have your eBook.
Thanks.
HR
Hi Henrique,
I am sending a .pdf copy of the eBook to your gmail address.
Regards
Jo
(Secretary to Alex Papworth)
Please send the book
I would like your ebook. Thanks
hi,
i will be very happy if you provide the right book.
thanks
milan
Need Free eBook – Blueprint for Success starting a Business Analyst Career
Thanks
Hi everyone,
I am looking to become a BA and thereby reading and enhancing my skills. I have no prior experience working. I am an MBA graduate in finance. Will i be able to succeed in becoming a BA as my first job?
Good luck Naidu.
There are no real barriers to entry as a business analyst so with persistence, hard work and focus on improving your skills, success is in your hands.
A bit of luck finding an opportunity would help but I think you can make your own luck!
Thanks for putting together all this material, Alex. It was really helpful. Just one suggestion– it would be helpful to expand the list of reference books– the IIBA online library plus reader feedback would be a good place to start.
Thanks Angela – that's a great tip. I've just started using ithe IIBA online library as a resource for my mentees recently.
Helo Everybody,
I would like to become a Business Analyst. I have 5 years of experience in business development(inside sales) for software companies. Edu: BCA and MBA in International Business. Kindly guide me how to transform myself into this good BA role from current BD role.
Regards,
Syam Sundar,
syamsundar_424@yahoo.com
I really liked the eBook. It has a lot of usefull information and links. I would definitely recommend this book to any one who want to be a business analyst.
Thanks Chelvi – I'm glad you found it useful
Alex
Please send me the e-book. I appreciate it. Thanks.
Hi S
I have sent you the white paper. Enjoy!
Alex
Some very useful comments and resources for anyone wanting to start out as a business analyst. I must admit I'd not heard of BABOK until I read this. However, from a UK point of view, I do question the emphasis on the IIBA as I (as a contractor) have never seen CBAP as a requirement for a job – ISEB seems to be much more pervasive here, and I would imagine membership of the BCS might be more applicable to UK BAs in career development as they have far more branches and are not London-centric. However, they are not a pure BA organisation and I'm not sure there is one in the UK. Does anyone else know?
And as A-B says, having the qualification doesn't guarantee a job – by far the vast majority of BA roles I see advertised require you also to have specialist business knowledge – particularly financial services.
Thanks for the feedback Vivienne. I have never seen the CBAP advertised either! It is very early days in the UK. However, larger employers of BA's will recognise it. It will differentiate you from the competition and is something you can emphasise.
As a fellow contractor (without a CBAP!) I also recognise that the ISEB has more recognition in the UK. In my view, you demonstrate your commitment to professionalism by actually persevering with getting accreditation of whatever flavour.
I am on the board of the IIBA (UK chapter) and am trying to set up events outside of London as we need to move away from that (justified) view that it is London-centric.
Domain knowledge can also help significantly whether it is from education or experience. You, as an individual, have to make the judgement on which direction to take and when.
Let me know if you are interested in the IIBA – we are planning an event in Nottingham in the second quarter.
Thanks for the comment Bill. What do you mean by exam simulator?
Does it test your competency as a BA? I'm not sure that I understand.
Please post a link when it is available and explain further please.
Watermark http://www.watermarklearning.com/ is coming out with a new exam simulator. I just beta tested it. I think it is pretty good. Rich Larson is very active in our Minneapolis chapter. Perhaps you may want to license it.
I liked your ebook. I have been in IT for 25 years; mostly development. I always find myself doing the BA work so I decided to "formalize" it.
Thanks,.
I would also like to see mention of other BA industry and special interest groups around the world and the opportunities to learn and grow from participating in them. After all, IIBA is not the only such organisation! For example, Australia has the Australian Business Analyst Association (ABAA) and I'm sure that others exist elsewhere in the world. Perhaps your readers can suggest other such organisations?
Thanks for taking the time to provide feedback John.
You are right about BA's taking responsibility of their own development. You should certainly look to your employer for support and guidance but, if you don't take ownership, YOU are the only one who will lose out.
I've taken note of the ABAA and I'm sure that the IIBA isn;t the only game in town.
Can you (the reader, not John) suggest similar organisations across the globe?
I liked it! As a Senior BA who is mentoring other BAs, I especially liked the sections covering the qualities of the BA, the links to online resources and the emphasis on BABOK, CBAP and IIBA.
One thing that I'd have liked to see is an emphasis on each BA being personally responsible and accountable for their career development and growth as an IT professional, because I've seen too many BAs thinking that this is the responsibility of their employer.
Hi Alex,
I recently received you e-book. It is excellent. I have been working as a business analyst for the past 4 years. When i read your book i realised there is still a lot to be learnt. I took your advice i have registered with one of the chapters in my country. They have already invited me on the upcoming events starting in November. I am excited to be part of the chapter and i can't wait to network.
Looking forward to more of your mentoring.
Regards
Tebogo
Hi Tebogo
thanks for your generous words. It's a pleasure to hear from someone with such enthusiasm and very satisfying to hear you're acting on my advice. I am confident you will reap the benefits.
Regards
Alex
Hi Alex,
I too am thankful for your ebook — you've supplied me with my brainstorming about how to make the transition and provided a couple of excellent tips that I can apply to my career strategy immediately. I would also be very interested in the more in-depth advice that you have alluded to recently.
Also, do you think you'll be starting any more study groups in the coming months? I'd love to participate in one, but saw the notice about two days late!
Best regards,
Nicole
Hi Nicole
I'm really glad you've found this useful. I'm sorry you've missed the dates for the study group.
I shall be releasing my first training course early next year so watch out for that. It will be a common sense, jargon free approach to delvering expert use case models.
I think this study group will carry us through to the new year.
Good luck!
Alex
Hello Alex
i will like to have a copy of your ebook on building a successful career as a business analyst
thanks
Hi Tayo
if you want the ebook, just provide your email address in the article at the top of the page
Alex
Hi Alex,
I found and will no doubt continue to find your ebook useful as I progress down the path of strenghtening my BA skills. Good job. I also completed the survey as requested.
Thanks
BT
Thanks for the comment BT. I hope you continue to find it useful
Regards
Alex
Alex, Your e-Book was a terrific basic check list of what a wanna be BA should do to get off to a solid start in a new BA career … just as advertised. It has several excellent links to various resources for training and learning. Thank you for taking the time to create this booklet.
Kurt Wilson
IT Business Analyst in transition
http://www.linkedin.com/in/kurt007wilson
Hi Kurt
I'm glad you found it useful
Alex
I thought that while the information in the e-Book is relevant, it doesn't touch on what most people here seem to be looking for.
I'd say the big question is: "Since CBAP doesn't guarantee a job, what does?!" and the answer doesn't exist yet.
Unlike disciplines like Networking (read CISCO) or IT Security, there is no known guaranteed qualification that makes a Business Analyst.
This is because the umbrella of Business Analysis is very broad – it encompasses Systems Analysis, Process Architechture/Planning, Process Specification, Requirements Specification/Analysis/Management, QA and so on forth. And then you have Market Data Analysis/Research, Financial Analysis and so on forth which are usually NOT BA tasks.
…but then, with companies calling IT Help Desk personnel (i.e. Customer Support) 'Infrastructure Analysts' and Janitors "Work-place Surface Maintenance & Hygiene Technicians" I wouldn't be surprised at anything anymore…
There is no silver bullet to guaranteeing a job other than YOU.
What I mean by this is that you can have all the experience and qualifications available but, at the end of the day, you need to differentiate yourself from the opposition.
Yuo achieve this by doing two things:
i) putting yourself in the recruiters shoes and understanding what they really need
ii) presenting your experience and abilities in the best possible light AND demonstrating why this will solve the recruiters problems
I will be providing more on this in the future as the feedback from my survey so far is – We want more on training, experience and getting the BA position
Alex
Hi Alex, i am tryinig to get your e book without success : my email is stemmy@virgilio.it . I will of course send my commentaries
regards
Stefano Munaron
Hi Stefano
I have sent you the eBook – I hope you enjoy it
Alex
Hi Alex,
i had a quick question for you. I have done my undergraduation from India and thereafter I worked as a Technical recruiter for 2 years. Now I am looking for a breakthroughin the I.T field as an Business Analyst. I wanted to know if just having a Certification enough to penetrate into this field or do we need some other niche expertise which would help us get in the field. Please respond at your earliest convenience.
Best regards,
Satyen Malhotra
647 282 6181
Hi Satyen
like most difficult problems, there is no simple answer.
Regarding the CBAP, this is becoming more respected and requested in the US but it is far from being a guarantee of a job but common sense tells us that anything that differentiates you from other candidates is good.
I think you can turn the CBAP into a great sales pitch as it requires 5 years experience, significant effort on your part and there is no international equivalent.
Unfortunately, you won't qualify without experience so I don't believe it would apply to you.
However, start acquiring experience now either doing unpaid work for charityy/not for profit organisations (even your IIBA chapter would benefit!).
This is what will really help as you can turn that experience into something you can really sell on your CV.
You should also sift through your past experience to pull out relevant experience even without the title of business analyst – interviewing, problem solving, managing communication, running meetings/workshops, brainstorming, negotiating …
I hope this helps and apologies for the late response, I have been on holiday and starting work in Netherlands which has kept me very busy.
Alex
Hi Harshit
sorry for any confusion caused. What I meant was for you to enter your name and email address in the fields in the article above and press the Submit button. You will be sent the ebook once you have received an email from me confirming the address is valid.
Alex
Which form did you want us to fill out?