There is one incredibly important thing to do first on ANY project… ⛅ Especially if you are in an ambiguous role like being a “Business Analyst.” 💯 Even if you’ve done this 100 times before. […]
New Project? Here’s What to Do First…
On every successful project, you’ll find a business analyst. They may not have the business analyst job title, and they may not even be aware they are doing business analysis work, but someone is ensuring
Work samples can be powerful if they match your interviewer’s expectations but dangerous if they don’t. Learn how to overcome the most common problems your work samples might have so you get the job offer.
Work Samples That Get You Hired for a Business Analyst Job
Are you looking for a business analyst job and finding a dizzying array of job titles? Do you have a title other than Business Analyst but know you really are a business analyst or have
Job Titles for Business Analysts
Plan out your next step into a business analysis career. Don’t miss the FAQ at the end which highlights the concerns we receive most often. After working with hundreds of course participants and clients, chances are we have your career situation covered!
How to Become a Business Analyst Mid-Career
When you are starting a new business analyst job, it’s an exciting time, but it can also be nerve-racking. Will you be expected to hit the ground running, and if so, what does that mean?
Starting a New Business Analyst Job – 5 Things to Do First
Are you preparing for a business analyst job interview and wondering what questions you might be asked? In this article, we’ll look at the types of questions you are likely to be asked in a business
Top 10 Business Analyst Job Interview Questions and Answers
If you are looking to start a business analyst career, but don’t yet have any business analyst experience, you might feel caught in a trap. What comes first, the business analyst or the business analyst
How to Get Started as a BA Even if You Have No Formal Experience
If you are not yet a business analyst and are not currently employed, one of the best ways to build experience is to volunteer to do business analysis. Volunteering is also a great solution for
How to Find Business Analyst Volunteer Positions
Discover the most critical business analysis skills for new BA – including core skills, business analysis skills, soft skills, and skills that can be required for specific types of BA jobs.
The Most Critical Business Analysis Skills You Need to Be Successful as a Business Analyst
Business analysis might sound interesting, but is it the right career option for you?
42 Reasons To Start a Business Analyst Career
If you’ve never held the job title of “Business Analyst” it can be difficult to get an interview for a BA job. Learn how to showcase your relevant skills and experiences in a business analyst resume.
8 Business Analyst Resume Secrets You Need to Know (Especially If You Don’t Have the BA Job Title)
If you are preparing for your first business analyst job interview or if it’s been awhile since you’ve interviewed, you are probably wondering what to expect. Interviewing for a business analyst job is very different
Business Analyst Interview Questions and Answers – How to Really Sell Your BA Skills
Here at Bridging the Gap, we help mid-career professionals start business analyst careers. But we receive a lot of questions from recent college graduates looking for entry-level business analyst positions, and so I recorded this
How to Get Started as an Entry-Level Business Analyst
One challenge I see a lot of people breaking into the business analysis field face is how to get back into the role after a career break. You may have taken a career break for
Restarting Your Career After a Career Break
It’s no secret that we’re facing record unemployment. And I’ve heard many stories of those in our community being laid off or furloughed, and now facing a flooded job market and wondering if and how
How to Articulate Your Transferable Business Analysis Skills Across Industries
Today we’re touching a really sensitive topic – your age and how it impacts you as a business analyst. Almost every week, we receive a question around, “Am I too old to be a business
Are You Too Old to Be a Business Analyst?
One day, I was headed back to my desk after a meeting and a senior business analyst stopped me in the hallway, inviting me to apply for a new position on the business analyst team.
Secrets to Getting Started as a Business Analyst
Because we know how to analyze so well, we can analyze and criticize the work we do, and not really appreciate the skills we have. Are you really a business analyst? Yes, you are. Learn
Are You Really a Business Analyst?
I’m so excited to be able to share this case study interview with you. Adam Haesler’s BA career has been evolving for the last 2 years, and he recently landed his first formal business analyst
From Customer Service to Business Analysis – Adam Haesler Does Not Take “No” For an Answer
In this interview, Pieter Pretorius from South Africa shares how he went from an operations role to a business analyst, by leveraging an opportunity to be a subject matter expert on a project to get
From Operations to Business Analyst: Pieter Pretorius from South Africa
In this interview, Tracy Smitheram shares her story of moving from a finance career to business analysis. One limiting belief that a lot of aspiring BAs get caught up in is the idea that in order to be a
If you’ve been wondering whether or not a business analyst career is really right for you, I’ve got a quick and easy litmus test you can use to figure it out (above and beyond desiring
The Business Analyst Litmus Test
In this interview, Damon shares his story going from tax auditor to business analyst to software developer to business analyst again. I love how Damon’s career path took a side road when he dipped his
From Tax Auditor to Business Analyst – Damon
A software developer is a professional who designs, creates, and customizes software applications to meet the business and functional requirements which are typically analyzed and specified by a business analyst. The Skills Software Developers Bring
How to Move from Software Developer to Business Analysis
Customer service representatives are professionals who help new or prospective customers solve problems or answer questions related to a product or service. The Skills Customer Service Professionals Bring to a Business Analyst Position Customer service
How to Move from Customer Service to Business Analyst
A project manager is responsible for overseeing the project from concept through to delivery. In reality, there is a lot of overlap between business analysis and project management roles, and many project managers are doing
How to Move from Project Manager to Business Analyst
A software tester is a professional responsible for verifying that the software solution meets the specified requirements. Software testers and business analysts are like two sides of the same coin. The Skills Software Testers Bring
How to Move from Software Tester to Business Analyst
A technical writer is a professional who creates technical documentation that helps people understand how to use a product or service. Documentation includes work like user guides, help files, as is business processes and procedures,
How to Move from Technical Writing to Business Analysis
I’m so grateful to Hyun Woo (called “Woo”) for sharing with us today his two-year journey into business analysis. He’s living proof that there is always opportunity to build new business analysis experiences, and that
From Liberal Arts Degree to Business Analysis: Hyun Woo
Today we meet Sarika, who transitioned into business analysis after starting her career as an IT Application Developer and taking a career break of 2 years to raise her child. What I like most about
From IT Application Development to Business Analyst, After a 2 Year Break (Sarika)
Martin Pakpahan started his career in Sales Support and over the course of nearly 6 years worked his way into a business analysis position. One thing I love about Martin’s story is that he focused on
From Sales Support to Quality Assurance to Business Analysis (Martin Pakpahan)
You may remember Emily Kong. She recently shared her story of turning from IT Analyst to Business Analyst. She was kind enough to check in with us again and let us know about her first
How to Succeed at Your First Project in a New Company: Emily Kong
You got the business analyst job, now what? Your first few months in a new business analyst job are extremely important. It’s when you lay the foundation for successful, long-term employment. It’s important to build
Starting a New Business Analyst Job (Part 4): Your First 60 Days
You got the business analyst job, now what? By the end of the first week, you want to be able to demonstrate you’ve made at least some forward progress towards being an effective contributor, but
Starting a New Business Analyst Job (Part 3): How to Make the Most of Your First Week
You got the business analyst job, now what? The first day of a new job can be exciting but also nerve-wracking. Will you be expected to hit the ground running and, if so, what does
Starting a New Business Analyst Job (Part 2): How to Prepare for Your First Day
You got the business analyst job, now what? The first day of a new job can be exciting but also nerve-wracking. Will you be expected to hit the ground running and, if so, what does
Starting a New Business Analyst Job (Part 1): What To Expect on Your First Day
Many on the path to starting business analyst careers find themselves in organizations with no business analyst role. In this situation, the question becomes, do I need to seek a new BA job outside my
How to Get Your Organization to Create a BA Role (Just For You!)
Tacked onto the end of many BA job descriptions is a misnomer of a requirement. It often looks something like this: “Degree in computer science (or equivalent) preferred.” While this requirement can be in place
Why a Computer Science Degree is Not Required to Be Successful as a Business Analyst
John Jones began his career as a programmer. Through consistent performance and time, he was given more responsibility to talk with the process owners and users to do the analysis before the design and coding work.
From Programmer to Business Analyst: How to Snap Back from a Layoff after 35 Years with One Company
Can a software developer become a business analyst? How about a technical writer, benefits manager, financial services representative, or quality assurance engineer? With over 25 career transition stories, it’s likely we’ve got a career background like yours cover.
What Career Backgrounds Do Business Analysts Have?
Are you looking for a new business analyst job or your first business analyst job? Are you worried about getting hired for the right type of position? Or perhaps you are wondering why your job search
The Business Analyst Job Search Process: 5 Steps to Getting Hired
While nearly any job can lead you to a business analyst job, some jobs enable you to move you more quickly towards your business analyst career goals. Since you can build BA experience without having the
Here are 13 Jobs that Can Lead to a Business Analyst Job
Learn what the interview process is like for a BA job, how recruiters get involved, and the types of questions you are most likely to get asked.
What Can I Expect in a Business Analyst Job Interview?
Have you ever wondered whether a particular experience “counts” as a business analyst experience? Or have you gone through a process to identify your transferable business analyst skills, but still feel yourself coming up short (even
What Experience “Counts” as Business Analyst Experience? (5 Examples)
Earlier this week I addressed the question of how to determine if you are qualified for a business analyst job and noted that the most important thing you can do is understand is your transferable
How to Discover Your Transferable Business Analyst Skills
Are you exploring a career in as a business analyst? Do you find yourself wondering if your skills and experience are relevant to a business analyst role? Would you be interested in learning about how
How Do I Know If I’m Qualified To Be a Business Analyst?
Here’s a not so uncommon scenario you might face during a business analyst job interview: Recruiter: Thanks for taking some time to meet with me today. I’m working with a client who needs a business analyst
Do You Make These Job Interview Mistakes?
Many of the writers here at Bridging the Gap have written about using transferable skills to transition into a Business Analysis career. Laura Brandenburg’s theme is assisting people in starting and transitioning to Business Analysis.
5 Transferable Soft Skills That Will Catapult Your BA Career Forward
Wendy Stookesberry created momentum in her business analyst career by volunteering to do a business analysis task. She got noticed as someone who went above and beyond and one BA task led to another and
From Software Developer to Business Analyst via an Internal Promotion
Dave’s story shows us how a little persistence and creativity can go a long way. Dave’s organization does not have a BA practice and he has many software development responsibilities to attend to, yet he
Building Business Analysis Experience as a Software Developer
So often in my work with new business analysts, we have a conflict of perspective. I see someone as successful (say because they had discovered that in their list of transferable skills, they were well-qualified for
I’m very excited to share an “in progress” success story this week. Rob Jowaises has been very active in our Grow Your BA Career LinkedIn group and has graciously shared the ups and downs of
From Desktop Support Technician to Business Analyst: A Journey-in-Progress
Today we meet Neslon Colon, a Bridging the Gap reader who has made the transition to business systems analysis at a New York financial services firm after a twelve year background in the Air Force.
Turning an Business Systems Analyst Internship into a Job Offer
Many new business analysts are confident in their communication and problem-solving skills but feel held back because they’ve only ever created informal documentation to serve a specific audience or project need. Are you confident in
Career transitions can are full of uncertainty. You hit roadblocks; you work around them. You don’t hear from anyone for months then you get 5 interviews in one week. You plug along adding value, getting
7 Signs You Are Making Progress Towards a BA Career
TH (who prefers to remain anonymous), was able to demonstrate a pattern of progressively growing skills related to business analysis and qualify herself for a business analyst role on an agile team. TH worked in a
From Problem Solver to Business Analyst
If you are an experienced professional, let’s face it, the idea of starting a job that is “entry-level” or with the title of “junior” is not very appealing. Not to mention the salary cut you’d
How to Skip Right Past Entry-Level Business Analyst Positions
I met Eric just last week at the Denver IIBA meeting. He has an amazing BA Career Transition story and I’m proud that we here at Bridging the Gap are a part of his success!
Landing a Business Analyst Job Just 7 Months Out of College
If you are trying to decide if business analysis is the right career move, you are probably evaluating the trade-offs, looking at what you’ll need to invest in making this happen vs. the pay off
Don’t Do These 7 Things When Getting Started as a BA
A reader asks: Hello, I am very interested in becoming a business analyst, the only problem is I have no idea where to begin. One main question I have is what do I need to
What Should I Study in College to Become a Business Analyst?
In a business analyst job interview, you are very likely to get asked behavioral interview questions. In this post, we’ll look at what a behavioral interview question is, why an interviewer asks these types of
How to Answer Behavioral Interview Questions for a BA Job
A reader asks: What is the difference between business analysis and business development? Michelle’s answer: Business development is just that; the growth of new or existing business. It is usually associated with the sales team
What’s the Difference Between Business Analysis and Business Development?
Reader’s Question: I have been working in the medical and spa industry for over 10 years. It seems every position I have involves some BA type duties from rewriting policy and procedure manuals to doing
How Do I Find a Business Analyst Mentor?
It’s definitely possible to become a business analyst without detailed technical knowledge or a technical degree, but your path might look different than someone with a software development background.
How Do I Become an IT BA If I Don’t Have an IT Background?
If you are fortunate enough to have a clear picture of your professional vision in your head then you’ve already made significant progress toward achieving your goals. Most of the effort remaining ahead has to do
Patience & Persistence Part 1: How I Moved from the HR Department to Business Analyst Intern
Are you considering a potential business analyst position or a job offer and wondering if it’s the right choice for you? Are you interviewing for a job and want to know what questions to ask so
How to Decide to Accept a Business Analyst Job Offer
Reader Question: I was a project manager for 25 years, but for the past 4 years I have been involved in software QA and Process Improvement as a consultant for CMMI and other standards. I’ve
Does My Experience in Process Improvement Prepare Me to Be a Business Analyst?
When crafting a resume to apply for a business analyst position, one of the most challenging aspects is figuring out how to start. Do you use a summary or an objective? An objective talks about
How to Write a Resume Summary for a Business Analyst Position
Professional networking is an important skill that offers many benefits. It enables you to stay in touch with your peers and other professionals, and is a great way to keep up-to-date with the latest tools
6 Simple Tips for Building a Professional Network
Reader Question: Some BA jobs require SAP experience, but how do you get it if you don’t have it? Eric’s Response: Many BA job posts require applicants to have some kind of experience about specific
How Do You Get SAP Experience?
Michiel Erasmus is the host of the Business Analyst Podcast and has recently found his first business analyst role. I’m honored to share his story with you — the ups and the downs — and
From Software Developer in an Informal Environment to Business Analyst: Michiel Erasmus
I have been an IT Trainer for 12 years and am currently an in-house trainer in a large international law firm. I would like to move into the BA field. I would like to stay with my
How Do I Move from IT Trainer to Business Analyst?
Even though it might seem like the lion share of BA roles require IT experience, professionals with a business background have many skills and qualifications to leverage too.
How to Leverage Your Business Experience to Get an IT BA Job
When I tell my story of getting started as a BA, I often start by saying that my transition happened with a hallway conversation. A senior BA on the business analyst team approached me on
From Quality Assurance Engineer to Business Analyst
If you are not getting calls back about the BA jobs you are applying for, it’s a good sign that something is off with your resume or your job search process. In what follows I’ll
5 Tips to Land More Business Analyst Job Interviews
Do all BA jobs require industry expertise? What do I do if I don’t have it? Should I apply to jobs even if I don’t have the expertise they are looking for? We tackle these questions head on.
How Industry Expertise Can Impact Your Business Analyst Job Search
Reader question: For job interview purposes specifically, but also pertaining to those early days on the job, what questions should an entry level BA be asking? To provide additional context, I am currently interviewing for
What Questions Should a BA Ask in a Job Interview?
Author: Adriana Beal You are a good software engineer, database manager, or software quality assurance professional who recently discovered that business analysis is the role you enjoy the most. How do you go from a
How to Move From IT to Business Analysis
Why do we see technical skills in business analyst jobs? We know that to be a business analyst, you don’t have to be an IT person. But this truth doesn’t resolve what many experience in the job
Why Do We See Technical Skills in Business Analyst Jobs?
If it’s been a few years since you’ve dusted off your resume, it’s likely that you have a host of relevant experiences that need to be included as potential selling points for your next employer.
Varied Work History? How to Showcase Key Projects in Your Business Analyst Resume
Reader Question: I read statistics that say that 80% of projects fail because of poor requirements. I’ve been a developer and I could take a certification test before I got a job. As a PM,
How Do I Know If I’m Ready for My First Business Analyst Project?
Reader question: I have been in sales now for about 15 years, mostly in the financial industry. I am thinking of changing careers and the business analyst route seems interesting to me. From what I
How Big is the Gap Between Sales and Business Analysis?
Reader: I had a question for you and would really appreciate your insight into this. I have 5 years of experience in IT and a very good balance of development (.NET framework) and core BA
How to Plan the Move from Technical Analyst to Business Analyst
Reader Question: My question is about BA resumes. I have 5 years of experience in IT and around 4.5 in BA. I am a developer/BA blend, as I understand from your book 🙂 My resume
How Do I Craft Bullet Points for My Business Analyst Resume?
When it comes to creating a professional business analyst resume, one challenge of being part of a relatively new profession is that while you have the experience you may have never held the title. As
How to Handle Job Titles in a Business Analyst Resume
Are interested in becoming a business analyst? Or maybe you’ve just always thought it would be fun to get more involved in technology projects? If you are thinking of a career in business analysis, here
The First 5 Signs That Business Analysis is the Career Choice For You
