Learn Effective Requirements Elicitation Techniques

What is Requirements Elicitation?

Requirements elicitation is the process of identifying the sources of requirements

for a new system and obtaining those requirements from those sources.

Potential sources of requirements include users, documents, regulators and even

legacy software code.

Requirements elicitation is a crucial part of the Requirements Gathering,

Documentation and Analysis Process.

It is a very challenging activity that requires focus and skill from the business
analyst.

Whatever elicitation technique you choose and however you implement the
technique, you need to do whatever it takes to understand what the real needs of
your customers are.

There are many requirements elicitation techniques that may be used in various
situations depending on the level of requirements as well as the type of
stakeholder.

Each requirements elicitation technique has its advantages and disadvantages.

It is a good idea to gain a mastery of many different elicitation techniques so that

you can use a combination of them on the job to successfully draw out your
stakeholder needs.

Preparing to Elicit Requirements

Before starting out on your requirements elicitation activities, you should have a
plan. Planning your elicitation activities ensures that you:

1. Understand your stakeholders.

2. Use the right elicitation techniques for each stakeholder or stakeholder
group.
3. Accurately prioritize the stakeholders and assign the right level of
involvement.
4. Allocate adequate time and resources to the requirements gathering
activities.
5. Adequately prepare the stakeholders for the elicitation sessions.
 6. Gain the trust and cooperation of your stakeholders.

Requirements Elicitation Techniques

Brainstorming

Brainstorming sessions are used to let the stakeholders come up with creative ideas
or new approaches to a problem

Workshops

Workshops are facilitated meetings with multiple stakeholders.

Interviewing

Interviews are in-person, one-on-one meetings where the business analyst asks
questions to get information from the stakeholder.

With an interview you can quickly obtain a lot of requirements from one person.
However, you still need to examine those requirements to make sure they do not
conflict with other stakeholder needs.

Surveys

Surveys are used to gather information anonymously from the stakeholders.

Documentation Review

This is the process of obtaining requirements from written documentation such as

manuals.

Prototyping

This is the use of partially finished versions of the software that have been
created to help validate requirements.

Focus Groups

Focus Groups are group interviews with potential and/or actual users where the
business analyst raises issues and questions to obtain information from the
stakeholders.
Focus groups are a collaborative technique that lets you gather a lot of information.
It includes a measure of brainstorming which is good when the users don’t know
what they really want or need from the system.

Observation

Observation is when the business analyst watches the users performing their daily
tasks and asks questions about the tasks and work. This technique gives you the
advantage of actually seeing what the users do as they work as opposed to what
they tell you they do.

Observation helps the analyst develop a real understanding of the user’s on the job
issues.

A good business analyst should have excellent skills choosing and using the right
elicitation technique for each situation.

How To Become A Business Analyst

A business analyst is an information technology worker who improves the

efficiency and productivity of business operations.

The business analyst achieves this by closely analyzing the business processes in an
organization for inefficiencies.

When inefficient business processes are discovered, the business analyst makes
recommendations for business process improvements.

If the recommended solution is approved, the business analyst works with computer
programmers, lead software developers, software managers and other information
technology workers to implement the recommended solutions.

The business analyst works in a team, acting as a liaison between the business team
and the software development team.

The business analyst is the information technology worker who lives in two worlds,
one being the business world and the other being the software development world.

A business analyst needs to understand software development enough to discuss

the details of the business process improvement project with computer
programmers assigned to the project in a technical language programmers
understand.
Roles and Responsibilities of a Business Analyst

The roles and responsibilities of a business analyst include:

Acting as a liaison between the software development team and the business team.

Writing feasibility studies, project briefs, cost analysis, testing schedules and user
manuals for new business processes.

Analyzing business processes to identify problems and implementing solutions that

improve the business process.

Communicating and presenting technical solutions for business problems to business

stakeholders and owners.

Documenting or explaining complex business operations to software developers.

Career Outlook and Prospects for Business Analysts

Like the other professions in software development, business analysts also have
well-paying jobs. In 2006, business analysts in the United States earned an
average of $68,579 annually, with bonuses amounting to $3,783. The total increase
from the figures of 2005 is 3.1%.

Business analysts who become contract information technology workers can earn
six-figure salaries.

I recommend that you read two of my previous articles on contracting if you are
interested in becoming a contract business analyst. The first article is the how to
become a contract business analyst. The second is Full Time Business Analysts Or
Contract Contract Business Analysts.

Both articles will help you decide whether to be a full-time business analyst or a
contract business analyst.

Skills and Requirements for a Business Analyst

In some organizations, the business analyst works with a team of computer

programmers and does not need to master computer programming.

In other organizations, the line separating the business analyst and the computer
programmer is fuzzy, therefore the business analyst must know how to code. In
cases like this a beginner or entry-level mastery of computer programming is all
that is needed.
Generally, a basic computer expertise in computer programming will help a business
analyst perform their work better.

To gain this basic expertise in computer programming, an aspiring business analyst

should have a solid understanding of SQL, data analysis, reporting, UML, Visual
Basic programming, Microsoft Office Automation and a few other software
packages.

Just bear in mind that this varies from organization to organization.

The ability to work in a team and to coordinate among people is also a skill that the
business analyst needs to cultivate. Good writing skills and communication skills are
also helpful in this career.

Comparing Computer Programmer Careers To Business Analyst Careers

1. Technology Skills: Computer programmers spend the majority of their time

writing code while business analysts spend a minor amount of time writing code.

2. People Skills: Business analysts invest a lot of time interacting with business
users a lot, so they need good communication and relationship skills.

Computer programmers tend to invest most of their time working on software that
will be used by people. So communication and relationship skills are secondary to
technical skills for software developers.

3. Entry level requirements: Business analysis positions tend to have lower entry
level requirements than computer programming positions. Business analysis positions
tend to pay lower than computer programming positions as well.

One of the advantages of learning computer programming is that you instantly have
a lot of well-paying career options including software project management and
business analysis.

The business analyst career stands out because it gently introduces you to the
software development industry. It also provides you the opportunity to use more of
your communication, relationship-building and data-analysis talents.

After more than a decade in software development, I’m convinced that many people
don’t realize they have the option of becoming a business analyst. I hope that you
do decide to become a business analyst if you are not really cut out to be a
computer programmer.
On of my readers needs help with finding a business analyst job. I posted the
information I provided to him below. If you have any question about this or about
your business analyst career, post it as comment at the end of the post and I would
answer it for you.

Here is the business analyst career question posted by my reader:

Hi – my greatest challenge is the fact that I’ve never held an IT Business Analyst
position. I’m convinced I can do the job based on my experience, but I have not had
any interviews outside of my current employer. I had a few interviews in my current
company but was being sabotaged by my former boss so I never got the job.

As the economy has dived over the last few months, I am not getting any offers for
interviews. I’ve given up trying to get into the IT Bus Analyst field for now.

What do I need to do to get back into the ‘hunt’? And, how do I convey to potential
employers that I am the man for the job?

Below is my response to the question posed by this reader. If you have any
questions that you want answered about your business analyst careers, post it
below:

Why Do IT Managers Hire Business Analysts

IT Managers hire business analysts with skills, training and experience matching
specific jobs. IT Managers have a wide range of requirements for business analysts.
The most in-demand skills for business analysts include UML, Use Cases,
Requirements Elicitation.

IT Managers Are Looking For Hands-on Business Analysis Experience

The Key to getting a business analyst job is to find out what employes or hiring
managers are looking for and then give it to them.

This sounds quite easy and simple, but believe me, it is not that easy. There is a lot
that goes into following this simple directive.

What are IT Managers hiring for? IT Managers are looking for hands-on skills,
experience and expertise in specific knowledge areas. You may already have some of
the requisite skills and experience based on your previous or current job
experience. Some of the list of skills is frequent demand are included in the
business analyst career curriculum:
Tailor Your Resume To Business Analyst Jobs

You may already be able to do a business analyst job based on your current
experience … so, why not also work on improving your current resume so that it
reflects the experience or skills you may already have in business analysis?

Begin by highlighting and expanding on the business analysis tasks you have
performed in the past. Put more spotlight on the skills you utilized, the business
analysis roles and responsibilities you held (formally or informally) and the results
you achieved.

You want to joggle your memory and bring out every relevant detail. Imagine that
you are making your case in front of a skeptical judge. Your prosecutor is the list of
job candidates that would make a better presentation than you. The arguments in
your favor is your resume.

Your business analyst resume has to be very convincing for you to get the job.

Improve Your Business Analyst Resume

The strongest argument that you can make will be along the lines of
experience, resume and skills. So, you want to marshal all your arguments
forcefully on your resume because if you don’t, you may never get a second chance.

If your resume is not convincing, you may not get a second chance or a follow-up
phone interview or a face to face interview or the job or an offer or the
ability to pay your mortgage … you get the picture?

Add More hands-on business analysis experience to your resume!

The fastest way to get hired for an IT business analyst job is not your educational
qualification or your business analysis certification but your hand-on business
analysis experience! Are you surprised about that?

IT Managers know that certifications can sometimes be gamed! There are horror
stories about job candidates who have the perfect certifications and the perfect
scores and then fail to perform on the job after they are hired! These sorts of
candidates have damaged the credibility of the certification market!

But experience cannot be gamed. It either you have it or you don’t. Because IT
Managers are looking for hands-on experience, your can cut to the chase by getting
a lot of hands-on business analyst experience such as that offered through the
business analyst boot camp training. There are other ways to gain hands-on
experience and I discuss this next.

• Start again by volunteering for non-profit organizations. They are plenty of

them around and in this recession they will be needing your help even more!
• Do a good job and ask the non-profit organization to provide you a reference
for for the work you’ve done for them.
• Use your spare time in the evenings and weekends to rack up your
experience and references.
• Then go on a job hunt. Start by sending your resume to multiple recruiters
(not just one or two recruiters) … telling them that you are in the market
for a business analyst job … then just sit back and wait for them to line up
business analyst job interviews for you.
• That is all you need to do. Take massive action towards landing your dream
business analyst job and while you are on it, forget about the economy or the
recession or your manager who denied you the opportunity to move ahead.

How To Get Business Analyst Job Interviews

How is your business analysis job search going? If you are finding it hard to get a
business analyst job, then you need to review your business analysis job search
carefully

Generally speaking, you need to review your business analysis skills, hands-on
experience, cover letter, resume or interviewing skills for problems.

If you are not getting any phone calls or call backs or invitations for interviews,
then your business analyst resume or cover letter is weak.

If you are getting business analyst interviews but not getting job offers, then your
interviewing skills is weak.

The take away is that preparation is the key to success when it comes to getting a
business analysis job. You must first improve your business analysis skills and your
hands-on experience before you start sending out letters for business analyst
interviews.

Business Analyst Resume or Cover Letter Issues

If you are sending out resumes for business analyst jobs and you are getting very
little feedback or phone calls or job interviews, then you have to stop and do
something different. Start by looking at your resume and cover letter and then
endeavor to answer this question honestly: “do I have sufficient business analysis
skills and experience for the jobs I am submitting to?“

The challenge facing business analysts job seekers is that the business analyst job
market is highly competitive and there are no clearly defined or widely accepted
standards of excellence. That means that anyone can send in a resume for a
business analyst job. However that also means that other folks are sending in their
resume with or without the requisite business analysis skills and experience.

That is why you have to follow a careful plan that gets you business analyst job
interviews. I will share that plan with you in the rest of this article

How To Stand Out In The Business Analyst Job Market

Think about this. If you live in Washington, DC and you are looking for a business
analyst job without a strong business analysis background, you may end up sending
your resume to hundreds of employers in the Washington, DC area. The problem is
that everyone else within Washington, DC who likes the idea of becoming a business
analyst will also be sending their resume to the same employers!

Now most of these well-intentioned folks will be saying the same thing on their
resume, which is typically one of these: “I can do the job, give me the job
please, I need this job to pay my bills, I want to become a business analyst, I
like the idea of becoming a business analyst“.

However, few of those same business analysts will be saying, “I am already a

business analyst, I am capable at what I do, I have done excellent business analyst
work for companies in the Eashington, DC area and I that is the reason why I am
going to do excellent business analysis work for you too!”. That is the secret of
successful job hunting!

The IT Manager is going to trash everyone whose resume is screaming “give me a

business analysis job, please!” and only invite or interview those whose resume is
saying: “I am a very capable, talented, skilled, experienced, trained,
professional business analyst“. So, before you start sending your resume out,
answer this question on your resume: “does my resume demonstrate strong, up to
date and effective business analysis skills?” If your resume answers that question
correctly, then you will be on your way to increasing your invitations for business
analysis jobs or getting hired.

There are two ways to build up your business analysis resume to the level where it
clearly demonstrates skill, capability and experience. One of these is by getting
hands-on business analysis training. The other is by getting hands-on business
analysis mentorship experience.

Business Analyst Mentorship Opportunity

The following is an e-mail that I received from a business analyst looking for a
business analyst job in London. It’s been edited for brevity and it demonstrates the
point I’m making in this article:

Hi Kingsley,

I’ve recently applied for around 15 Business Analysis jobs in London and have had
absolutely no feedback at all.

I have an excellent CV (as many agencies have commented) …

So I decided that I would use the covering letter which accompanies my

applications as a vehicle to showcase why I would be suitable for the Business
Analysis role. A ‘killer’ covering letter, if you like.

Except that 15 applications later with no feedback at all (not even a ‘thanks but no
thanks’), I’m finding myself not knowing what my next step should be…

Also I now doubt very much that my Cover letter is ‘killer’, I have attached this and
was wondering if its possible for you to have a look and advise me on this…

Thanks in advance Kingsley for your time and help

How To Create a Winning Business Analyst Cover Letter Or Resume

The business analyst cover letter discussed here demonstrates the candidate’s
strong interest in the business analysis job, which is good. However IT Managers,
won’t interview or hire you because of your intentions or interest in becoming a
business analyst. They will only interview or hire you when you demonstrate that you
currently have the relevant business analysis skills needed to get the business
analyst job done.

There is a big difference between proof and intention. IT Managers want to

interview or hire business analysts that demonstrate or prove via their cover
letter, resume and business analyst job interviews; the requisite business analysis
skills needed to do the job and not business analysts who intend to learn on the job,
train on the job or get mentored on the job after they are hired!
In other words, IT Managers do not care about your potential to become a good
business analyst or your interest in the business analyst career or your past
successes in other occupations. They only care about your current business analysis
skills or experience … period!

If you are not getting business analyst interviews or phone calls, it is because your
resume demonstrates fewer business analysis skills or hands-on experience than
that of other job applicants. The only way to remedy that situation is to get more
business analysis skills and hands-on experience!

The Plan For Getting Business Analyst Job Interviews

You need to solve the business analysis skills and hands-on experience problem
before you can solve the problem of getting business analyst job interviews. In
other words, you are putting the cart before the horse, by sending out your
resumes or hoping that an IT Manager will hire you solely based on your interest in
the job. Your business analyst resume must stand out from the piles of resumes on
the Interviewer’s desk.

First, increase your business analysis skills significantly, then get a lot of hands-on
experience and then finally send out your resume to hiring managers … in that
order. If you follow this simple plan, your business analyst resume will stand-out
because it wwill show sufficient prrof that you can get the job done.

So, my advise is “get way from selling your intentions of becoming a business
analyst“, first become a business analyst through training and mentorship, then sell
your ability to do the business analyst job well.

When you adopt this mindset, you will find yourself working on ways to “improve
your business analysis skills and hands-on experience” which helps you apply to
business analyst jobs from a position of strength.

How To Get Through Business Analyst Interviews

In this article I will be presenting a simple but effective plan for getting through
business analyst interviews and also answer a question posted by a business analyst
who has a hard time getting through business analyst job interviews.

Here is the question asked by the business analyst:

Hi,
The Toughest Challenge is to be able to get a job as Business Analyst.

I do get interviews but getting through interview as Business Analyst is quite a big
challenge for me right now.

I need help getting through interviews as BA. All the interviews have been, have
been very different style, format and different technical questions.

Here is my answer to the question asked by this business analyst:

The business analyst interviews are designed to evaluate two things:

1. Your business analyst skills

2. Your hands-on business analysis experience

How Sharp Are Your Business Analyst Skills?

During your business analyst interviews, you are evaluated based on the
correctness, promptness of reply and comprehensiveness of your answers.

Correctness:

Your answers are evaluated based on how precise or correct they are. Even when
the business analyst interview questions are open ended, your answers are still
evaluated as correct or incorrect.

Promptness:

You are evaluated based on how quickly you respond to business analyst interview
questions. The quicker you are in responding to business analyst interview questions,
the sharper your skills are perceived to be. So, you lose points when you take too
long to answer a business analyst question and you gain points or credibility, when
your answers are quick or instinctive.

Comprehensiveness:

Your interviewer evaluates your business analysis level of knowledge when you
answer a business analyst question. So, a comprehensive, detailed or factual answer
will score more points than a sketchy, skimpy answer.

When you are asked a business analyst question, you really need to wow your
interviewer by demonstrating that you have more than a superficial
understanding of the topic. You need to do this by giving the correct answer
promptly and comprehensively (with as much detail as the time you are given
permits).

How Do You Sharpen Your Business Analyst Interviewing Skills?

Because getting a business analyst job in a competitive job market requires your
best effort, you need to sharpen your business analyst skills to the point where you
can wow any interviewer.

This is the strategy that will get you through your business analyst job interviews …
sharpen your business analyst skills to the point where you stand out at any
business analyst job interview!

You sharpen or improve your business analysis skills by using business analyst
quizzes or practice tests to prepare for your business analyst interviews ahead of
time.

Quizzes are scientific tools that are proven to boost recall, retention and
understanding. The scientific principle of using quizzes to improve your
understanding of a material was covered here: Use Practice Tests Or Quizzes To
Boost Your Skills Rapidly

The way to sharpen your business analyst interviewing skills is by using a Quiz
software such as included with the Business Analyst Book – Business Analyst
Interview Questions or the Business Analyst Boot Camp.

How To Answer Business Analyst Interview Questions Correctly

The business analyst quiz programs mentioned above present a list of business
analyst interview questions and then evaluates your answer to each question as
either true of false … which helps you identify the correct answers.

How to Answer Business Analyst Interview Questions Promptly

Because the business analyst interview questions are presented in a Quiz software,
you have a reliable way of recording, tracking or monitoring the time it takes you to
answer business analyst interview questions.

You also need to know that your ability to answer interview questions promptly is a
function of your familiarity with the question or topic. Because as your level of
familiarity with a business analyst question or topic increases, your promptness in
answering questions based on it also increases.
How to Answer Business Analyst Interview Questions Comprehensively

After each Business Analyst Interview Question is presented in the or the Business
Analyst Boot Camp, you are also presented with the correct answer and an
explanation.

You need to study each explanation, understand why it is correct and why the other
answers are not correct . You also need to attempt the same question several times
until your answers are consistently correct. Because when the question in asked in
the business analyst interview session, you can then respond back promptly,
correctly, and with as much detail as needed.

How To Demonstrate Hands-On Business Analyst Experience

The other important section of your business analyst job interview … that may
decide if you get hired or not is how you demonstrate hands-on business analysis
experience.

It is not enough to say that you have six months or six years of hands-on business
analysis experience, you must demonstrate that convincingly to your interviewer.

What Software Skills Do Business Analysts Need?

There is an increased demand for business analysts with software skills or a wider
range of skill sets. Because of that, I am getting more questions on how to deal with
this trend. Some of the questions are:

1. What software skills are needed by business analysts?</P< li>

2. Should business analysts be made to learn computer programming?
3. What software packages programs are required for business analysis jobs?

Another reader also posted this question, should business analysts have in depth
knowledge of SQL, Access, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software
and Reporting writing software?

In this article, I will be providing guidance on the question of “what software skills
are required for business analyst jobs“. You may also want to read this article
where I mentioned that IT Managers are looking for business analysts with a wider
range of skills.

Are Software Skills Required For Business Analysis Jobs?

The answer to the question: are software skills required for business analyst
jobs … is yes and no. Some companies hire only for the core business analyst
competencies, while others include software skills in their job description.

The core business analyst skill sets does not really include software skills. However,
in the current job market, IT Managers are cutting costs by hiring business
analysts with specific software skills. Traditionally, business analysts have had to
learn the specific software used by a business after they get hired. Now, IT
Managers are changing track by making some software skills required for hiring!

Which Software Skills Are Required For Business Analyst Jobs?

I will divide the software skills needed for business analyst jobs into three groups.
The first (A) group refers to the software skills required for ALL business analyst
jobs. The second (B) group includes the software skills that are a nice to have or
frequently asked for. The third (C) group represents the software skills that are
not commonly required.

1. Software Skills Required For ALL Business Analyst Jobs (A List): These
include office productivity software tools like Microsoft Word, Microsoft
Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint and Outlook. These software tools are
frequently used in the day to day tasks of a Business Analyst. These
software tools are also required for a business analyst position whether they
are stated clearly on the job description or not.
2. Nice To Have Software Skills For Business Analyst Jobs (B List): The
nice to have software skills include Relational Database Skills, SQL skills,
Data Analysis skills and Report Writing skills. Next to office productivity
software skills, database software skills are in-demand for business analyst
positions. Organizations looking to cut costs or reduce It staff may combine
the business analyst job role with the data analyst job role or report writer
as the IT Manager or Director sees fit!
3. Highly Specialized Software Skills Needed For Business Analyst Jobs (C
List): IT Managers are also hiring business analysts with the specific skills
needed for custom or specialized software packages! The list of software
skills in this list is infinite as it depends on the personal decision or needs of
the hiring manager. An example is the IT director who wants to hire
business analysts with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software
skills or computer programming skills!

Now, it is impractical to worry about or focus on this list when preparing for
the business analyst job market because the expectations and needs are
diverse, wide and unpredictable. If you are a business analyst with a
 specialized software skill wanted by a hiring manager, you should highlight
that in your resume. If you don’t already have a specialized software skill,
you are better of working on the business analysis skills in the nice to have
software skills (B List)!

Should IT Managers Hire Business Analysts with Highly Specialized Software

Skills?

Since only office productivity software skills are required for all business analyst
jobs, why do IT Managers then include specialized software skills in business
analyst job descriptions?

1. IT Managers are looking to cut costs by combining the job descriptions for
business analysts, data analysts, software developers and report writers.
With this in mind, business analysts need to be flexible in their approach to
the job market.
2. IT Managers and staffing specialists may write up business analyst job
descriptions based on an imperfect knowledge of the core business analyst
roles and responsibilities. If your boss writes up an imperfect business
analyst job description based on mis-conceptions, about the roles and
responsibilities of business analysts, you may providing some guidance by
sending your IT Manager or Director the business analyst professional
development curriculum downloadable here.

Who Are The Business Analysts With A Broad Range Of Software Skills?

Some business analysts really want to stay out of computer programming or data
analysis or report writing or learning specialized software programs. If a business
analyst with that mindset is hired for a role that requires learning or working with a
broad range of software skill sets, that business analyst will underperform.

If you are an employer hiring for business analysts with software skills, you may
want to first hire for business analysts with SQL or Relational Databases or Data
Analysis skills and then train the new business analyst hire on the list of highly
specialized software skills needed by your company.

More Information On How To Improve Business Analysis Skills

The Business Analyst Boot Camp training is a practical, job-focused, web-based,

instructor-led, video-based training program for business analysts.
The Business Analyst Boot Camp training is a complete, end to end training program
that covers both beginner and advanced business analysis courses including
requirements analysis training, UML training, Use Case training.

The Business Analyst training program is designed for the practicing Business
Analyst who wants to learn or master business analysis skills for the day-to-day job
requirements.

The Business Analyst training program has an in-built diagnostsic, testing and
certification process and an online reporting tool that features your grades or
scores as you (the Business Analyst) work your way through practical business
analysis activities or watch the various business analyst training videos.

The Business Analyst training provides real savings and return on investiment (ROI)
for individuals or corporations looking to manage business analyst training costs.
The cost of business analyst training is easily $5,000 or more for a series of
business analysis courses that only covers one core skill or business analyst
competency (e.g. UML Training). Therefore, an IT Manager or business analyst
looking for business analyst training that covers all the core business analysis
competencies will have to invest in excess of ten thousand dollars.

That is why, we are only guaranteeing the current price of the Business Analyst
Boot Camp for a limited time! Right now, you can get the complete, end to end,
beginner to advanced training across all business analyst competences in the
Business Analyst Boot Camp for a discounted price. We also have a discount
program for corporations sending 2 or more business analysts for training. Click
here to learn more.

For a limited-time, we are running a special for Business Analysts who want to
broaden their skill sets or learn more software skills. For example, with the
current special, you can register for both the Business Analyst Boot Camp and SQL
Boot Camp for close to the price of one (2-for-1 special). A number of people like
yourself are now taking advantage of this offer so, click here to get more
information

Which Comes First Certification Or Skills & Experience?

What Comes First In Your Career?

Is Hands-On Experience Required Before Certifications?

 Nowadays, more certification providers or IT managers are requiring lots of
hands on experience (3, 4 , 5 or more years) before you are allowed to sit
for an IT certification exam.

The reason is that hiring managers know that there is not much value in
pursuing a certification except after you’ve actually worked in an industry
for a number of years or you have gained valuable hands-on job experience.

In addition, hiring managers realize that job seekers abuse the certification
process, by cramming or cheating their way through the certification exams!

For example, if you are taking a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)

exam, there are websites where you can get real exam questions for the sole
purpose of cramming or cheating your way towards the MCP certification.

The challenge that IT hiring managers are facing is that job candidates who
get certified just to get a job frequently cannot perform on the job!

They cannot perform on the job (despite their certifications) because they
have no practical skills or hands-on job experience.

So, to avoid hiring certified and inexperienced professionals, IT managers

are looking to hire or retain professionals who have hands-on experience,
practical skills and in-depth knowledge.

In addition, certification providers are asking for a number of years of

verifiable hands on experience and real-world, practical skills before you are
allowed to sit for a certification exam.

For example, the Certified Business Analyst Professional exam (CBAP) now
requires a minimum of 5 years or 7500 hours of verifiable handson real-
world business analysis work skills and experience and the Project
Management Professional (PMP) certification requires 3 to 5 years of
verifiable hands-on, real world project management experience.

Are Certifications A Replacement For Hands-On Experience Or Practical Skills?

Within the Information Technology Industry, certifications are not

substituted for hands-on experience or real-world career based skills.

The goal of any certification program is not to get you into a job or to
shortcut the requirement for hands-on experience but to add value to your
career.
 You develop practical skills by performing a task repetitively. For example,
you may read about Use Cases from a book or study and pass a Use Case
certification, but unless you have used Use Cases in solving a business
analysis problem, you really don’t have Use Case skills.

Also, you may learn about database design from reading a book but unless
you have actually modeled or designed a relational database several times,
you really can’t add it to your resume or claim that you have relational
database design skills.

So, the goal of IT certification programs is not to provide you with practical
skills or the hands-on experience required by hiring managers but to help
add value or improve your knowledge and understanding after you’ve gained
strong hands-on experience or practical skills!

IT Managers Hire And Retain For Hands-On Experience, Practical Skills and
In-Depth Knowledge

The IT industry works differently from other professional careers.

For example, in the medical and legal careers, you need to have a
professional medical or law degree before you are allowed to practice.

The Information Technology (IT) Industry (business analysis, software

development, project management, etc.) is remarkably different because you
are not required to have a professional degree or certification to get a job!

You are however required or expected to have hands-on experience,

practical skills and in-depth knowledge before you are hired and to
demonstrate those on your job (hands-on experience, practical skills and in-
depth knowledge) to stay hired!

So Information Technology (IT) hiring managers are really looking for the practical
skills and hands-on experience on your resume and for in-depth knowledge or
understanding when you are interviewed!

If you already have a business analysis or software developer or project

management career, lots of years of experience, and are already knowledgeable or
trained in all the core subjects or knowledge areas, you may consider getting
additional certifications … otherwise you are putting the cart before the horse
and you need to Focus On First Things First.

8 Tips for Business Analysts: How to Stand Out in a Crowded Job Market
This question was submitted by Merry who wants to know “how to become the
best business analyst in a competitive business analyst job market.”

If you need help with a Question or Challenge, be sure to ask it as a comment on

this page and I will answer it fully just as I am answering Merry’s questions below!

Here is Merry’s Question on Becoming The Best Business Analyst

Hi

I recently graduated from university with a BSc degree in Computer Science. I am

now doing a Business Analyst Internship at an IT company in RSA. My contract with
the company is expiring in the next four months.

My greatest concern now is how do I go about finding the perfect position that
meets my qualifications,skills and experience. The other challenge is that hiring
managers or companies themselves are looking for people who are highly
experienced and I only have one year experience.

As I was reading some of the articles published here, I learned that you say people
should not aim at getting Junior Business Analyst positions as employers are not
really looking for Junior Business Analysts.

Now my questions are with the little experience that I have and still need more
exposure in this field(IT Business Analysis) what kind of positions should I apply
for? and which steps must I take in order to become the best business analyst and
for me to be considered for Business Analyst positions?

Thank you for your time. Looking forward to your response

Regards

How to Stand Out in a Crowded Business Analyst Job Market

In a competitive business analyst job market, only the best business analyst
candidates will succeed.

So, here are a few things that you may do to become a stronger or
better business analyst:
1. Learn more about business analysis – become the best business analyst by
getting a well-rounded in-depth understanding of core BA subjects.
2. Improve your presentation or communication skills – employers hire
business analysts with strong verbal communication skills.

Click here to join your local Toastmasters club for one of the best
communication skills training programs … it costs next to nothing!

3. Become a better business writer – one of the senior business analysts I

interviewed and recommended, got the job on the basis of her strong
documentation or writing skills.

Click here to join a training program like the business analysts boot camp
which incorporates a lot of hands-on business analyst documentation or
writing projects.

4. Make your resume stand out – your resume or cover letter is the first point
of contact with potential employers.

There are two simple but effective things that can improve your
business analyst resume immediately:

o Incorporate your personal brand into your resume and do not present
a chronological but boring list of previous business analyst jobs.
o Use an appropriate layout and format your resume to make it
attractive.
o Use the correct verb tenses and tailor your resume for each job
description.
o A poorly written or formatted resume signals weak business writing
skills, so learn how to write your resume properly or hire someone to
do it for you.
o Resume writers charge as much as $600 and if you have to re-write
your resume for each business analyst job, the cost quickly adds up.

Click here to use the limited-time discount code: resumeONEX for

up to two (2) resume rewrites.

5. Get a lot of hands on experience – employers are not comfortable hiring

business analysts without strong hands-on experience regardless of their
certification or academic qualifications.

The demand for hands-on experience is so strong that college graduates are
now paying for internship services!
 Click here to read how college graduates are paying for internship
opportunities.

So, do whatever it takes to get hands-on business analysis experience

through training, volunteer, internship or personal leadership projects.

Unlike some training programs, the business analyst boot camp incorporates
hands-on projects, assignments and activities at no extra cost.

So, for a limited-time, you may click here to register at the current low
price.

6. Become a Leader In Your Industry – don’t depend only on your resume for
a job.

Employers now research potential candidates on social networking sites. So,

if you don’t have a well-crafted personal brand, you’re letting employers
make up their mind before you have a chance to tell your story.

Learn how to establish your personal brand or tell your story by reading this
now;

7. Prepare in advance for your business analyst job interview – start

preparing for your business analyst job interviews several months ahead.

Use business analyst practice tests to memorize, understand and recite the
correct answers to potential interview questions.

Click here; to read how scientific studies prove that using practice tests or
quizzes boost retention, memory and recall.

Note that the business analyst boot camp incorporates quizzes or practice
tests as part of the process.

8. Don’t be so narrow minded, get some technical skils - employers are hiring
for broader skill sets in a bid to cut down costs.

What that means is that business analysts are increasing being asked to
demonstrate technical or programming skills.

Broaden your skill sets by learning SQL, relational databases and HTML.
If you’re brave enough, learn some computer programming.
 If your objective is to get a business analyst job, then give employers what
they want and don’t be insisting that technical skills are for programmers
only!

Currently there is a 2 for 1 promotional discount which allows you to

register for any technical training program at no additional costs … don’t
miss it!

The reality is, “you have to work hard at standing out in a competitive job
market“!

I have made this easier by explaining what employers are looking for, so, the rest is
up to you.

Remember that the market doesn’t lie. Don’t invest time on how to circumvent
business analyst job descriptions. Save time and effort by giving employers what
they want.

This post answers a question on how to become the best business analyst in a
crowded job market.

Why Your Resume Gets Tossed

Why Resumes Get Tossed

1. Learn It First – Before you start submitting resumes, first learn how to do
the job you are applying for.

Getting the right knowledge and skills does more for your job search
because it assures the attention of hiring managers.

Yet some job seekers assume that they can get the attention of hiring
managers by simply re-writing their resume without significantly improving
their skills!

In a real life example, a marketing and sales professional with no real world
business analysis knowledge, skills or experience, just keeps rewriting or
submitting resumes for business analyst jobs without taking the time to
study or learn!

There is danger when one conditions the mind to act reflexively without
thinking.
 Applying for jobs is not meant to be a mindless task that one attempts
like an unthinking robot.

You be the judge of the job prospects of anyone who thinks that “finding a
job is just a numbers game“.

2. Which Comes First Learning Or Doing – learning has always been the
forerunner to doing. You always have to learn a career before you can start
performing the roles, responsibilities or duties belonging to the career.

As a basic rule, everyone has to first learn a skill before they can start
producing or working with the skill.

In some careers, the practice of learning before doing is regulated and

enforced by law.

For example, you cannot become a Medical Doctor without going though
Medical school and training. And you cannot just assume that you are a
Medical Doctor and start submitting your resume for jobs without first
learning, studying for and passing medical examinations.

In information technology careers, the practice of learning before doing is

not enforced by laws or exams or any set of IT schools because it is
enforced by the Information Technology (IT) employer.

Employers want to know that you’ve mastered the knowledge, skills and
experience needed for the job before you are hired.

And when you think of the rigorous credentialing, certification and licensing
standards applied to other non information technology careers, you will
agree that IT employers are not asking for much!

The good news is that, it is not how you learn new skills, careers or work
that matters (self study, books, coaching, training, college is ok) but that
you learn it well … in a rigorous, thorough, step by step way!

3. Learning Comes Before Finding A Job – employers don’t want to re-train

new hires. In other words, job postings are written for those who will be
productive from day one.

What this means is that if you are looking for a new job, you need to take
the time to learn or master the skills required for the job and not just shop
your resume around.
 Posting your resume mindlessly without first learning the required skills is a
black hole that either sucks up your time and energy or brands you in a
negative light as thoughtless to employers.

4. Take a Personal Inventory of your Skills – Do yourself a favor during this

holiday season.

Take a personal inventory of the skills required for your job. List all the
skills required; (for example: UML, Use Cases, Requirements Management,
SQL, Databases) and then rate yourself on a scale of one to ten on each
skill.

Finally, take the time to study, learn and improve on your weak areas because
that is one of the best gifts you can give to yourself or your family!

This post discusses why most resumes get tossed by hiring managers. If you have a
question or need some help with your career, post it as a comment on this page and
we will be glad to answer it for you!

5 Steps to a New Business Analyst Career

5 Steps to a New Business Analyst Career

I talk to a number of business analysts interested in changing careers to new

domains.

They come from diverse backgrounds (insurance, sales, financial, etc.) and they all
share a common goal … that of switching careers to new domains.

So, when one of these business analysts asked; if I would like to throw more light
on changing BA careers / domains at job interviews, I was glad to say yes

How To Switch Business Analyst Domains

Some degree of sales or marketing skills is needed to get a job. And your
understanding of the sales process determines how successful your career switch
will be.

Here is what you need to know about switching business analyst careers:

1. Put Yourself In Employers Shoes:

 Don’t make the classic mistake of approaching the business analyst job
interview from the standpoint of what you can get out of it!

Rather, put yourself in the employer’s shoes and talk to their interests and
needs … that is basic human nature and selling 101.

This matters because job interviewers will not care about you or get
interested in you, if you don’t care about or show a genuine interest in them
(read Dale Carnegie’s classic – “How To Win Friends and Influence People”).

2. Emphasize Cross Functional Skills:

Accept that employers will be skeptical of your resume, skill-sets and

suitability for the job, when switching careers or domains.

Now, resolve the employer’s doubts by showing how your skill-sets are a
better match to their needs.

Do this by emphasizing cross-functional skills like your communication and

presentation skills. Then, go further and explain how your business analysis
skills (like those taught at the business analyst boot camp) will be useful to
the employer inspite of your previous domain or background.

3. Tailor your Resume to the Job:

Yes, tailoring your resume to the job helps, when you have some relevant
background information that will be lost in your traditional resume.

Several years ago, I transitioned from a chemical engineering job to an

information technology (IT) consulting career.

I only had a few months of relevant IT experience but several more years of
irrelevant chemical engineering training and experience.

Following the advice of a recruiter, I re-wrote my resume to focus, expand

and highlight my strong>limited information technology background while
reducing my chemical engineering background to a foot note … which worked
like a charm!

The lesson hear is to “reduce the employer’s doubt and anxiety by rewriting
sections of your resume that doesn’t directly relate to the job you’re
interviewing for“.
 4. Leave your Pride at the Door:

Don’t let any negative behavior or comments cause you to lose your cool at
the job interview.

Instead, carry yourself as a true professional regardless of what you see or

hear at the interview.

I was fortunate to be interviewed for a Procter & Gamble Management

Trainee program out-of-college.

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However, before I was hired, I had to maintain my composure under some

negative, psycho-analysis by an interviewer whose main goal was to see if I
would lose my cool under the pressure of the interview.

So, do whatever it takes to get the job interview … that is your sole mission
and objective.

5. Study your Prospective Employer’s Industry:

I have been to a few job interviews where I used my knowledge of the

company’s market place to advantage.

This is not something that you can do, if you’re looking for an easy job. But it
is definitely something that you can do, if you’re really interested in the
company.

Research the prospective employer’s competitors, industry, technology,

business processes and come prepared with suggestions, ideas or
information that would genuinely help the prospective employer.

So., now I have given it to you … skills, techniques or steps for changing your
business analyst career or domain. What are you going to do with it?

How To Get An Entry Level Business Analyst Job Part 1

Perhaps you have an MBA or other business degree, but you have an interest in
technology and you think IT Business Analysis is something you’d like to try your
hand at.
Here are the steps that you can take from where you are to becoming a
business analyst without taking a lifetime to switch your career.

First, Determine That Business Analysis is Your Dream Job

The first step is to make an informed decision that Business Analysis is your dream
job. Ask yourself why you want to become a business analyst. What is it about the
career that you like?

What are the personal traits that you will be free to express as a business analyst?

Don’t choose to become a business analyst because of the money (or the lack
thereof). Some people never go after their dream job because they think it won’t
make them wealthy.

Being fulfilled in your career and fairly comfortable financially is much better than
being wealthy and unhappy. In addition, when you pursue a career that is in
alignment with your passions, values and personal goals, you are more likely to
become financially secure.

Going for your dream will require your commitment and investments of time and
money, so you need to consider how well you are suited to the role.If you are
thinking about becoming a business analyst, evaluate the characteristics and skills
that are necessary for being a good one. You can always get training for your
technical skills, but here are a few personal traits and skills to consider:

• A good business analyst is good at and enjoys communicating.

• You’ll need to be organized and able to manage large amounts of input and
information coming to you from lots of different sources.
• Are you curious and flexible? Do you enjoy learning new things on a
continuous basis?
• Do you handle conflict well? Can you be calm when others are not?
• Can you handle conflict on behalf of others? On the job as a business
analyst, you will have to be arbitrator, negotiator and peacemaker all rolled
into one.
• Are you willing to learn new technical skills such as gaining a good
understanding of the software development process?
• Do you enjoy learning new business concepts?
• Do you enjoy research?
• Can you help people understand new concepts? If they don’t understand it
one way, do you have the skills to reword your explanation?
Take Action Now

Once you’ve decided that Business Analysis is the dream job for you, you need to
laser-focus your time and energy and give everything you have to achieve your goal.

To achieve success in any endeavor, you have to apply effort and hard work.
Business Analysis is no different.

The role of the business analyst is not an “easy” IT job. It requires skill and
dedication to do a good job. Be prepared to stay the course and don’t bail out too
soon. Be patient and hang in there and you will be amazed at the results.

Stop talking about become a business analyst someday and begin to work on your
dream. Just start taking action.

Create timeline for your goal. A goal without a deadline is just a castle in the air.

Take your dream out of Never Land and make it concrete by setting a timeline for
your goal.

How to Get an Entry Level Business Analyst Job Part 2

Once you’ve determined that Business Analysis is your dream job your next steps
will be to get trained, get networked and get your entry level business analyst job.

Get Boot Camp Style Training

The next thing you will need to achieve your goal of becoming a business analyst and
at the minimum, getting an entry level job, is to get trained. The business analyst
profession requires a wide range of soft skills, technical skills, analysis skills and a
good business understanding. Even when you do have these, your learning will be
continuous throughout your career.

To be successful and not just having business analysis as a pipe dream, you want to
get a good jumpstart on gaining your skills. For this, we recommend boot camp style
training to get you started immediately on becoming a business analyst.

Why boot camp style training? For one, boot camp style training helps you master
the basics of business analysis in a very short period of time and gets you coasting
in your learning quickly.
In a boot camp, even when you are not particularly good at something initially, you
will be able to learn it and pick it up fast. Boot camps use rapid learning with the
goal of helping you achieve mastery sooner rather than later.

The Business Analyst Boot Camp is an online Business Analyst learning system that
trains you with the expectation that you’re eventually going to become an expert
business analyst, however long that will take.

Expect to become an expert. The Business Analyst puts you in the position of a top
professional in training whose goal is to master the basics first and quickly.

The Business Analyst Boot Camp is a 24-week program, so you can expect that in six
months or less, you can set out to get your entry level business analyst job.

Start Networking

Now that you’ve established that you really do want to become a Business Analyst,
and you are now in training to master the basics of the Business Analysis
profession, you need to begin to network and meet people in the Business Analysis
industry.

When you hang out with people in a particular industry, you pick up on the news,
opportunities and breakthroughs in that industry.

Look for your local chapter of the IIBA and join it. Search for blogs and websites
(like this one) that discuss the Business Analyst profession. Make out time to read
these sites and participate in the discussions.

Use Social Media to network. Join LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter and join up with
other Business Analysts. Seek out mentors and coaches. Ask questions and get
answers.

Create a professional profile that shows your desire to become a business analyst.
Avoid spending all your time in social media on personal stuff. Get the word out
about where you’re going instead of where you’ve been.

Start Searching

Now that you’ve laid the groundwork for that first entry-level job, it’s time to go
out and get that job. Get IT Job Search, Resume and Interview Coaching. Upgrade
your resume, search for entry level jobs online AND send in your resume. Prepare
extensively for your interviews.
Because you are looking for an entry level job, there’s no need to posture yourself
as being anything other than an entry level business analyst. However, because of
your boot camp training and industry networking, you are sure to exceed all of your
new employer’s expectations during the interview.

Work For (Practically) Free

The only problem with an entry level job is the entry level pay. Don’t let that get
you down. Look at that job as your ticket to the big leagues. Put your whole heart
into it, so that you can learn everything possible.

In order to grow, you will need to work harder and continually improve your skills
and learning so that you quickly outgrow that entry level position and move into an
intermediate and eventually a senior level Business Analyst job.

Want More Money? How to Increase Your Business Analyst Salary

If You Are Alive, You Want More Money!

You’ve been thinking of ways to increase your salary as a business analyst. Yes, you
have. If you’re human and still breathing, what you get paid and how to make more
money crosses your mind ever so often. The last time you got a salary increase on
the job, you were ecstatic, but now, you want more.

For good or for evil, it appears to be a normal human characteristic to always want
more.

We want more money, more love, more space, more friends and more fun.

This can be a bad thing, if it becomes an obsession that overtakes the desire to be
a good person.

On the other hand, the desire for more drives innovation and provides the
motivation to become better at what we do.

The second approach could actually be considered healthy, but it is often ignored on
the path to asking for a larger salary.

I have observed computer programmers and business analysts who simply focused
on the dollar signs and hopped from job to job and company to company, gaining $1 –
$3 per hour salary increases each time.

$3 per hour translates to an additional $6000 per year and that is nothing to
sneeze at. However, that approach is based on a sense of entitlement and neglects
the fact that eventually, someone is going to take a good hard look at the value you
produce for your company and realize that you’re not worth it. Unless you provide
real value to your employer, you are a waste of money.

Dont Worry About Money, Focus on Expertise

A better, longer-term and more productive way to increase your compensation is to

focus on increasing your expertise as a business analyst.

Begin to think in terms of increasing the value you provide to the company.

What is your positive impact on the company’s bottom line? As an employee, you
represent a cost to your company your salary, training and benefits have a negative
impact on your companys bottom line. So, what positive value do your provide to
your company over and beyond what they pay you?
If you begin to incrementally increase your expertise and responsibility in the
business analysis skills and tasks that make you an effective business analyst, your
increasing expertise will guarantee that you can deliver value on the job.

As your expertise increases in quantifiable ways, your platform for asking for more
money is made sure and fool-proof.

Make it your goal to become an expert business analyst, and the money will follow.

What Does an Expert Business Analyst Look Like?

What does it mean to be an expert business analyst? An expert business analyst is

one who can easily handle 80% of the tasks and situations that arise on the job,
and whose depth of knowledge will effectively find a manageable solution for the
other 20% of tasks and situations that arise on the job.

Your answer to issues on the job should be “Not a problem. I will implement it
right away, 80% of the time, and Give me a couple of hours, and I will have an
answer for you, the other 20% of the time”.

Do you fit in with this description? If your current daily tasks and challenges in
business analysis do not lie comfortably within your circle of business and technical
competence, you should focus on increasing your ability to solve those problems
until it becomes as easy as pie. Then, ask for more money and more responsibility.

Ask yourself, if something suddenly went horribly wrong on your current project,
would you have enough depth and breadth of knowledge to quickly find the solution
to the problem? How long would it take you to get the project back on track? A
quick turnaround is the mark of the expert business analyst.

Steps to Becoming an Expert Business Analyst

So, how do you become an expert business analyst or add more value to your
organization? The key is to expand the tools and techniques you have mastery over
through continuous learning.

To be an exceptional business analyst, you need to commit yourself to acquiring

education and training.

Be willing to run ahead of the curve to learn new techniques and master new skills.
Register for a training program. Seek out mentors and coaches who can lead you
into new knowledge areas.
If you are really interested in making more money as a business analyst … you need
to consider the most convenient, affordable and effective way to get business
analyst training … the BUSINESS ANALYST BOOT CAMP

The Business Analyst Boot Camp is an outstanding online training program that
will help you build skills in the following areas:

1. Requirements Planning
2. Requirements Elicitation, Analysis and Documentation
3. Elicitation Tools and Techniques
4. Requirements Verification and Validation
5. Business Modeling
6. UML
7. Business Case Development
8. Requirements Change Management
9. Requirements Baseline Management
10. Agile Software Development
11. Much more …