Why a career in business analysis?

Are you bored or frustrated with your current job?  Are you interested in a position that offers daily variety?

Maybe it’s time to assess the opportunities available in a business analysis career.

Assess your values.  If efficiency is important, analyzing business processes, defining requirements enabling user experience in a software package or designing integration points across a solution are opportunities.  If education is important, every day offers learning new systems and processes as a business analyst – consider obtaining your CCBA/CBAP or taking courses in your domain to broaden your experience.  If family is important, building relationships is so important to this position that many co-workers become your family.

Enjoy working with others?  Whether you’re an extrovert, introvert or ambivert, working with people is a key component of this job.  When you’re gathering requirements or implementing a solution, negotiating the best approach and understanding how to best interact with your stakeholders will drive your success. Learn how to adapt your communication style based on individual needs (email, face-to-face, visuals, etc.)

Enjoy puzzles?  Do you find yourself asking WHY a lot? As a business analyst, you will often solve puzzles with a root cause analysis.  When eliciting requirements, an adept BA doesn’t just document what users want, they challenge to get them to understand what they need.  Each project and person will be a different puzzle to figure out.

Putting it all together…  It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in – manufacturing, banking or insurance just to name a few – business analysts are needed to help drive profitable corporations.  Business Analysis runs the gamut from challenging the process on the frontline through solution architecture or strategic vision development at the C suite level.  Check out IIBA, BA Times and BA Cubed for many articles and support in your quest for a rewarding career.