Majors/Career Outlook

Off Topic
21

[quote]twojarslave wrote:

[quote]DN90 wrote:

[quote]twojarslave wrote:

As it stands, my line of work as a Business Analyst is currently in-demand and pays fairly well. There are several paths one can take to become a business analyst. Some people come from a computer science background, others from a business background. The latter would be the path with less math.[/quote]

For someone approaching this career from a non-technical side, what would be the recommended course of action?

As in what kind of technical skills should I look to develop make me a more rounded candidate for a business analysis/intelligence job? [/quote]

Without knowing much about your situation I can only give you very general advice. The best way to break into this line of work, generally speaking, is to become a member of an ERP software implementation team. These are long projects, often measured in years, that large and mid-size companies undertake in order to implement complex software that models their business processes and handles their accounting.

The skill set required for this job (from a non-technical side) can be quite broad, depending on the size of the company. Generally speaking, you need to be an expert in some area of business, such as transportation, manufacturing, marketing, warehousing, sales, quality control, accounting, planning, etc. Having literacy in more than one is good. Having literacy or expertise in all of those is best.

This job is all about making sure that the business software accurately models the business processes, so being literate in whatever system you are implementing is also very important.

Again, this is general advice. YMMV.
[/quote]

Thanks for the advice!

Where I work now (discount brokerage) there are channel support positions that I might be competitive for, sounds like that may be a starting point towards a BA role. Also application analyst positions, but I need to brush up on my technical chops (SQL, Microsoft Access, and the like) for those.

I know someone who was doing channel support there ended up leaving for a BA role eventually.

22

[quote]browndisaster wrote:

[quote]DN90 wrote:

[quote]twojarslave wrote:

As it stands, my line of work as a Business Analyst is currently in-demand and pays fairly well. There are several paths one can take to become a business analyst. Some people come from a computer science background, others from a business background. The latter would be the path with less math.[/quote]

For someone approaching this career from a non-technical side, what would be the recommended course of action?

As in what kind of technical skills should I look to develop make me a more rounded candidate for a business analysis/intelligence job? [/quote]
What stage are you at in your education/work? I personally wouldn’t study or specifically work to become a BA for fear of getting stuck there.[/quote]

Entry level job at a discount brokerage. I finished university about 7 months ago.

I know that where I work there are business analysis related positions and luckily I’m at a place that prefers to hire internally, I’m hoping to make myself competitive for those types of positions.

I don’t think I’ll have to really actively work towards a BA role so much as just get more experience at work, get licensed, and then apply when a spot opens up.

Why do you say that people get stuck in BA roles? I don’t know too much, but it seems like a role that could serve as a jump off point to other roles unless you wanted to stay a BA.

23

[quote]DN90 wrote:

[quote]browndisaster wrote:

[quote]DN90 wrote:

[quote]twojarslave wrote:

As it stands, my line of work as a Business Analyst is currently in-demand and pays fairly well. There are several paths one can take to become a business analyst. Some people come from a computer science background, others from a business background. The latter would be the path with less math.[/quote]

For someone approaching this career from a non-technical side, what would be the recommended course of action?

As in what kind of technical skills should I look to develop make me a more rounded candidate for a business analysis/intelligence job? [/quote]
What stage are you at in your education/work? I personally wouldn’t study or specifically work to become a BA for fear of getting stuck there.[/quote]

Entry level job at a discount brokerage. I finished university about 7 months ago.

I know that where I work there are business analysis related positions and luckily I’m at a place that prefers to hire internally, I’m hoping to make myself competitive for those types of positions.

I don’t think I’ll have to really actively work towards a BA role so much as just get more experience at work, get licensed, and then apply when a spot opens up.

Why do you say that people get stuck in BA roles? I don’t know too much, but it seems like a role that could serve as a jump off point to other roles unless you wanted to stay a BA. [/quote]

I think you are on the right track to land an internally-sourced BA position. Make yourself competitive however you can. A good BA should be an expert at becoming an expert, so jump on whatever opportunities you can to add to your body of knowledge and give yourself a competitive edge.

There are no shortage of launch points for a good BA. Project Management is another lucrative field of work that many BA’s move on to. Landing work on an implementation team as a Business Analyst or a Project Manager can have a good set of perks, such as international travel, free transportation and lodging, per diem allowances and good salary. A Sr. BA role can have a six figure salary without the headaches that go along with being responsible for direct reports.

Best of luck to you.

24

[quote]1 Man Island wrote:
The Bureau of Labor and Statistics does a pretty good job of presenting outlooks for different careers in terms of hiring and salary, but makes no attempts at portraying “happiness.” I also believe high school kids have no conception of what sort of lifestyles different salaries entail.

US News and World Report also does rankings of “Best Jobs,” (As well as most overrated, etc.), though you can question their methodologies.

These also might be worth checking out:
Most Recommended Majors
http://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report-2014/advice-from-grads/most-recommended-majors
Least
http://www.payscale.com/college-salary-report-2014/advice-from-grads/least-recommended-majors

Also, regarding her interest in math… she might want to take an applied course. I’ve met lots of people that hated math, but when they saw what you can do with it in the real world are very interested. ie, someone I know scored in the 6th percentile on the quant portion of the GRE and is very interested in epidemiology.

Also, RE: college debt… I went public for undergrad and private for grad. My grad school was MUCH more expensive, but I got MUCH more aid, so it was actually cheaper.[/quote]

Those two links pretty much just sold me on going for another bachelors in ME instead of grad school for psych after I graduate, lol.

Fuuuhhhh

25

[quote]twojarslave wrote:

[quote]DN90 wrote:

[quote]browndisaster wrote:

[quote]DN90 wrote:

[quote]twojarslave wrote:

As it stands, my line of work as a Business Analyst is currently in-demand and pays fairly well. There are several paths one can take to become a business analyst. Some people come from a computer science background, others from a business background. The latter would be the path with less math.[/quote]

For someone approaching this career from a non-technical side, what would be the recommended course of action?

As in what kind of technical skills should I look to develop make me a more rounded candidate for a business analysis/intelligence job? [/quote]
What stage are you at in your education/work? I personally wouldn’t study or specifically work to become a BA for fear of getting stuck there.[/quote]

Entry level job at a discount brokerage. I finished university about 7 months ago.

I know that where I work there are business analysis related positions and luckily I’m at a place that prefers to hire internally, I’m hoping to make myself competitive for those types of positions.

I don’t think I’ll have to really actively work towards a BA role so much as just get more experience at work, get licensed, and then apply when a spot opens up.

Why do you say that people get stuck in BA roles? I don’t know too much, but it seems like a role that could serve as a jump off point to other roles unless you wanted to stay a BA. [/quote]

I think you are on the right track to land an internally-sourced BA position. Make yourself competitive however you can. A good BA should be an expert at becoming an expert, so jump on whatever opportunities you can to add to your body of knowledge and give yourself a competitive edge.

There are no shortage of launch points for a good BA. Project Management is another lucrative field of work that many BA’s move on to. Landing work on an implementation team as a Business Analyst or a Project Manager can have a good set of perks, such as international travel, free transportation and lodging, per diem allowances and good salary. A Sr. BA role can have a six figure salary without the headaches that go along with being responsible for direct reports.

Best of luck to you.[/quote]

Thanks for the advice and kind words man.

26

[quote]DN90 wrote:

[quote]twojarslave wrote:

[quote]DN90 wrote:

[quote]browndisaster wrote:

[quote]DN90 wrote:

[quote]twojarslave wrote:

As it stands, my line of work as a Business Analyst is currently in-demand and pays fairly well. There are several paths one can take to become a business analyst. Some people come from a computer science background, others from a business background. The latter would be the path with less math.[/quote]

For someone approaching this career from a non-technical side, what would be the recommended course of action?

As in what kind of technical skills should I look to develop make me a more rounded candidate for a business analysis/intelligence job? [/quote]
What stage are you at in your education/work? I personally wouldn’t study or specifically work to become a BA for fear of getting stuck there.[/quote]

Entry level job at a discount brokerage. I finished university about 7 months ago.

I know that where I work there are business analysis related positions and luckily I’m at a place that prefers to hire internally, I’m hoping to make myself competitive for those types of positions.

I don’t think I’ll have to really actively work towards a BA role so much as just get more experience at work, get licensed, and then apply when a spot opens up.

Why do you say that people get stuck in BA roles? I don’t know too much, but it seems like a role that could serve as a jump off point to other roles unless you wanted to stay a BA. [/quote]

I think you are on the right track to land an internally-sourced BA position. Make yourself competitive however you can. A good BA should be an expert at becoming an expert, so jump on whatever opportunities you can to add to your body of knowledge and give yourself a competitive edge.

There are no shortage of launch points for a good BA. Project Management is another lucrative field of work that many BA’s move on to. Landing work on an implementation team as a Business Analyst or a Project Manager can have a good set of perks, such as international travel, free transportation and lodging, per diem allowances and good salary. A Sr. BA role can have a six figure salary without the headaches that go along with being responsible for direct reports.

Best of luck to you.[/quote]

Thanks for the advice and kind words man. [/quote]
This is really good advice. The main differentiatior IMO would be getting comfort with tackling new things in any of these positions. You don’t want to be one of those “don’t explain anything computer-y to me!!” PMs that I come across often. If you have Access and SQL experience and are still in school, definitely consider Business Intelligence programs.

27

[quote]browndisaster wrote:

[quote]DN90 wrote:

[quote]twojarslave wrote:

[quote]DN90 wrote:

[quote]browndisaster wrote:

[quote]DN90 wrote:

[quote]twojarslave wrote:

As it stands, my line of work as a Business Analyst is currently in-demand and pays fairly well. There are several paths one can take to become a business analyst. Some people come from a computer science background, others from a business background. The latter would be the path with less math.[/quote]

For someone approaching this career from a non-technical side, what would be the recommended course of action?

As in what kind of technical skills should I look to develop make me a more rounded candidate for a business analysis/intelligence job? [/quote]
What stage are you at in your education/work? I personally wouldn’t study or specifically work to become a BA for fear of getting stuck there.[/quote]

Entry level job at a discount brokerage. I finished university about 7 months ago.

I know that where I work there are business analysis related positions and luckily I’m at a place that prefers to hire internally, I’m hoping to make myself competitive for those types of positions.

I don’t think I’ll have to really actively work towards a BA role so much as just get more experience at work, get licensed, and then apply when a spot opens up.

Why do you say that people get stuck in BA roles? I don’t know too much, but it seems like a role that could serve as a jump off point to other roles unless you wanted to stay a BA. [/quote]

I think you are on the right track to land an internally-sourced BA position. Make yourself competitive however you can. A good BA should be an expert at becoming an expert, so jump on whatever opportunities you can to add to your body of knowledge and give yourself a competitive edge.

There are no shortage of launch points for a good BA. Project Management is another lucrative field of work that many BA’s move on to. Landing work on an implementation team as a Business Analyst or a Project Manager can have a good set of perks, such as international travel, free transportation and lodging, per diem allowances and good salary. A Sr. BA role can have a six figure salary without the headaches that go along with being responsible for direct reports.

Best of luck to you.[/quote]

Thanks for the advice and kind words man. [/quote]
This is really good advice. The main differentiatior IMO would be getting comfort with tackling new things in any of these positions. You don’t want to be one of those “don’t explain anything computer-y to me!!” PMs that I come across often. If you have Access and SQL experience and are still in school, definitely consider Business Intelligence programs.[/quote]

Finished school already, but I’m going to self-learn SQL and Microsoft Access (both were needed for the application analyst position I applied for). I just bought this book:

Once I finish the licensing courses I need for my current job I’m going to work through it. I’ll have to find a good reference for Access.

And thanks for the advice. Maybe there’s a part time BI program I can do in the evenings. I don’t want to go back to school full time at this stage in my life, but part time would be great actually.

28

[quote]DN90 wrote:

[quote]browndisaster wrote:

[quote]DN90 wrote:

[quote]twojarslave wrote:

[quote]DN90 wrote:

[quote]browndisaster wrote:

[quote]DN90 wrote:

[quote]twojarslave wrote:

As it stands, my line of work as a Business Analyst is currently in-demand and pays fairly well. There are several paths one can take to become a business analyst. Some people come from a computer science background, others from a business background. The latter would be the path with less math.[/quote]

For someone approaching this career from a non-technical side, what would be the recommended course of action?

As in what kind of technical skills should I look to develop make me a more rounded candidate for a business analysis/intelligence job? [/quote]
What stage are you at in your education/work? I personally wouldn’t study or specifically work to become a BA for fear of getting stuck there.[/quote]

Entry level job at a discount brokerage. I finished university about 7 months ago.

I know that where I work there are business analysis related positions and luckily I’m at a place that prefers to hire internally, I’m hoping to make myself competitive for those types of positions.

I don’t think I’ll have to really actively work towards a BA role so much as just get more experience at work, get licensed, and then apply when a spot opens up.

Why do you say that people get stuck in BA roles? I don’t know too much, but it seems like a role that could serve as a jump off point to other roles unless you wanted to stay a BA. [/quote]

I think you are on the right track to land an internally-sourced BA position. Make yourself competitive however you can. A good BA should be an expert at becoming an expert, so jump on whatever opportunities you can to add to your body of knowledge and give yourself a competitive edge.

There are no shortage of launch points for a good BA. Project Management is another lucrative field of work that many BA’s move on to. Landing work on an implementation team as a Business Analyst or a Project Manager can have a good set of perks, such as international travel, free transportation and lodging, per diem allowances and good salary. A Sr. BA role can have a six figure salary without the headaches that go along with being responsible for direct reports.

Best of luck to you.[/quote]

Thanks for the advice and kind words man. [/quote]
This is really good advice. The main differentiatior IMO would be getting comfort with tackling new things in any of these positions. You don’t want to be one of those “don’t explain anything computer-y to me!!” PMs that I come across often. If you have Access and SQL experience and are still in school, definitely consider Business Intelligence programs.[/quote]

Finished school already, but I’m going to self-learn SQL and Microsoft Access (both were needed for the application analyst position I applied for). I just bought this book:

Once I finish the licensing courses I need for my current job I’m going to work through it. I’ll have to find a good reference for Access.

And thanks for the advice. Maybe there’s a part time BI program I can do in the evenings. I don’t want to go back to school full time at this stage in my life, but part time would be great actually. [/quote]

All good steps. Having a solid understanding of relational database concepts is great skill to have, as is an understanding of SQL.

Another thing to keep in mind is just how broad the definition of “Business Analyst” can be. Be sure you understand what it is your organization is looking for and, assuming you wish to remain with your organization, build your skills with that requirement in mind. Some organizations may value business skills over technical. Some may do the opposite. I’ve even seen people with weak business and weak technical skills find success in a BA role by being great communicators and facilitators. Make sure you know where to aim.

I would strongly advise you to network. I would introduce yourself to a BA, whoever manages the BA’s at your organization, or even both. Let them know that it is a position you are interested in. Ask them for advice on how to get where you want to go. Make a good impression while you do that and work on building a relationship. Whatever they tell you will probably be much more valuable to you than anything you will read on this forum.

Again, best of luck to you.

29

[quote]twojarslave wrote:

[quote]DN90 wrote:

[quote]browndisaster wrote:

[quote]DN90 wrote:

[quote]twojarslave wrote:

[quote]DN90 wrote:

[quote]browndisaster wrote:

[quote]DN90 wrote:

[quote]twojarslave wrote:

As it stands, my line of work as a Business Analyst is currently in-demand and pays fairly well. There are several paths one can take to become a business analyst. Some people come from a computer science background, others from a business background. The latter would be the path with less math.[/quote]

For someone approaching this career from a non-technical side, what would be the recommended course of action?

As in what kind of technical skills should I look to develop make me a more rounded candidate for a business analysis/intelligence job? [/quote]
What stage are you at in your education/work? I personally wouldn’t study or specifically work to become a BA for fear of getting stuck there.[/quote]

Entry level job at a discount brokerage. I finished university about 7 months ago.

I know that where I work there are business analysis related positions and luckily I’m at a place that prefers to hire internally, I’m hoping to make myself competitive for those types of positions.

I don’t think I’ll have to really actively work towards a BA role so much as just get more experience at work, get licensed, and then apply when a spot opens up.

Why do you say that people get stuck in BA roles? I don’t know too much, but it seems like a role that could serve as a jump off point to other roles unless you wanted to stay a BA. [/quote]

I think you are on the right track to land an internally-sourced BA position. Make yourself competitive however you can. A good BA should be an expert at becoming an expert, so jump on whatever opportunities you can to add to your body of knowledge and give yourself a competitive edge.

There are no shortage of launch points for a good BA. Project Management is another lucrative field of work that many BA’s move on to. Landing work on an implementation team as a Business Analyst or a Project Manager can have a good set of perks, such as international travel, free transportation and lodging, per diem allowances and good salary. A Sr. BA role can have a six figure salary without the headaches that go along with being responsible for direct reports.

Best of luck to you.[/quote]

Thanks for the advice and kind words man. [/quote]
This is really good advice. The main differentiatior IMO would be getting comfort with tackling new things in any of these positions. You don’t want to be one of those “don’t explain anything computer-y to me!!” PMs that I come across often. If you have Access and SQL experience and are still in school, definitely consider Business Intelligence programs.[/quote]

Finished school already, but I’m going to self-learn SQL and Microsoft Access (both were needed for the application analyst position I applied for). I just bought this book:

Once I finish the licensing courses I need for my current job I’m going to work through it. I’ll have to find a good reference for Access.

And thanks for the advice. Maybe there’s a part time BI program I can do in the evenings. I don’t want to go back to school full time at this stage in my life, but part time would be great actually. [/quote]

All good steps. Having a solid understanding of relational database concepts is great skill to have, as is an understanding of SQL.

Another thing to keep in mind is just how broad the definition of “Business Analyst” can be. Be sure you understand what it is your organization is looking for and, assuming you wish to remain with your organization, build your skills with that requirement in mind. Some organizations may value business skills over technical. Some may do the opposite. I’ve even seen people with weak business and weak technical skills find success in a BA role by being great communicators and facilitators. Make sure you know where to aim.

I would strongly advise you to network. I would introduce yourself to a BA, whoever manages the BA’s at your organization, or even both. Let them know that it is a position you are interested in. Ask them for advice on how to get where you want to go. Make a good impression while you do that and work on building a relationship. Whatever they tell you will probably be much more valuable to you than anything you will read on this forum.

Again, best of luck to you.
[/quote]

I agree completely. The person who runs channel support where I work actually talked with me for a few minutes to let me know why I wasn’t considered for the two roles I applied for. Basically I need to get licensed and then get some more experience and it’s no worry since new positions in his department come up multiple times a year.

I think I’ll send him an email in the next couple of weeks just so he doesn’t forget me. I’ll just let him know I finished my licensing courses and maybe just ask for some advice on what other skills to work on.

Thanks for the help again, hopefully things work out for me in the next few months.