This is part 2 of the two-part series regarding the core skills required by a business analyst. 

In this two-part article series I would like to talk about the essential go-to-skills new business analysts should work on.

In this second part I will look at the technical and methodology skills.

In this two-part article series I would like to talk about the essential go-to-skills new business analysts should work on.

I think aspiring business analysts stress themselves out by trying to do every course on a broad range of topics. Instead, focus on some core skills and build experience in these to get your foot in the doorway.

Consider the following scenario that is typical in most careers and not just business analysis. Now, imagine two situations.

You are working on a piece of work and now presenting the outcome of your work probably in a team catchup, workshop or some informal way.

When you have finished, you ask for feedback and questions.  The team come up with new concepts, ask lots of questions and at the end you look at work and think, well that is totally different from when I started..............

I often get asked by people who desire to begin a career as a Business Analyst “Where do we start?”

I am also asked how easy it is to get into business analysis. That is not a simple answer, as there are many factors that differ from individual to individual.

We typically see business analysts as a tactical resource - eliciting requirements, analysing solution alternatives, determining the best approach for testing and implementing a solution, defining non-functional requirements, etc.

This largely comes down to how we as a profession have marketed ourselves.

The more valuable business analyst operates strategically and thinks strategically.

Building your Business Analysis Knowledge while you wait for a role

It makes good sense that to understand the context of something, we need a threshold of knowledge about the topic in question. ... Without such knowledge, it becomes difficult to construct a meaningful mental model of what we are working with or talking about.

What is the importance of knowledge in learning business analysis?

How do you get skilled as a business analyst?

I am super excited to bring you the news that Altitude Journeys is bringing affordable business analysis training to New Zealand through our partnership with Faculty Training Institute, who have over 38 years' experience of training business analysts. Their students can be found all over the world.

When breaking into business analysis, most people are looking outside their organisation for that role.

Switching jobs sideways from one to another to advance their career path, they have made a horizontal career move.

However, you don’t always need to leave your organisation to do a horizontal career move.

It is not uncommon for people to know from an early age what they want to pursue as a career and take the steps to accomplish it.

In the previous blog, https://www.altitudejourney.com/Pivot_Your_Career. In this article, we talked about being self-aware.

Not all of us have been lucky enough to fall into the careers we love, while others have been lucky. I have had both experiences in my career.

Career transitions are rarely something people enjoy, especially when they are unprepared for them. Since job searching can be so miserable, many people stay in situations that don't fit well so they can avoid it. Performance slips, happiness disappears with the sunset, and resentment sets in. There's an easier way! Making a career change may even turn out to be a rewarding journey-and you may even enjoy it.