Here is an interesting post I found in the IIBA Atlanta Chapter Yahoo groups...and i thought it would be an interesting discussion for Catalyze too. I've stripped off the name and contact info and separated the threads with horizontal lines.
Hello All,
I have a question about the best path for a future graduate to take.
To be a qualified candidate for a BA position, should someone take more programming classes? Or go for a double major in another field like... Finance?
So, MIS degree + programming studies
or
MIS and another degree in X discipline
I am a BA hiring manager and don't look for any coding experience. What is your experience or thought?
to be a Business Analyst you do not need another degree . you need take additional course in the college ( 6 credits ) in Engineering Requirement & Product Requirement or take a Training course in Business Analyst ( Boot Camp)
I tend to disagree with you. While a specific degree in business analysis isn't required, I do feel that it has certainly helped me as a Business Analyst professional. I have a degree in Business Systems Analysis and a Masters degree in computer information systems.
I Think the Business Analyst name is creating confusion to the colleages.
Requirement Analyst is more straight.
The Business Analyst or Requirement Analyst main function is :
1- Develop a internal or external Marketing Research to undertand the customers needs
2- Present customer requirement documentation to the Product ( software or hardware) Developer
I will apreciate you imputs.
I personally feel that many undergrad degrees and post graduate degrees are a plus for business analysis, but are not required. Practical experience on different types of projects and industries is most useful to business analysis work, but it really depends on your company culture and what is valued. I personally have an undgrad in English, an MBA (minor in Computer Science), and a programming background and found all my education and practical experience was helpful in a business analysis role.
If I were hiring a BA, I would look at the type of work skills and competencies my company values for this role and go from there. In other words, at my company do most successful people working in this role have a college degree or not, a technical background or not, a professional certification? Is formal education considered more valuable than more practical experience? Is industry knowledge more significant than other types of experience and skills? Do business analysts work alone most of the time or in teams? Do business analyst primarily work on business processes or are they involved with IT? Will they facilitate work sessions often? And so on..
Finding individuals who are bright, curious, with excellent communication skills and fit the company culture is a great start. I think the best background is a combination of business and technical skills and aptitudes (such as complex logic, problem-solving, organization skills) along with excellent communication skills. This does not necessarily imply a college degree or technical background is required - but I do think it is useful. For example during an interview, I might ask candidates to describe how they took a complex problem and simplified it so others could understand and participate in the solution. I might describe a business scenario challenge and ask candidates to give me a recommendation of how they would go about resolving this challenge, etc. I would ask if they are interested in technology and if so what aspects. In other words, I think business analysts may come from many diverse backgrounds and be successful if they possess critical skills or aptitudes that my company values for this role.
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