A long time ago, in my early days as a business analyst, my role had a myriad of definition. Some managers thought of a BA as one who only document requirements, other thought that they documented pseudo-codes and yet others only thought of the business analyst as an assistant role. As some of you may experience, business analysts are usually tossed across a number of functions. Unfortunately, not all these functions lead to the development of true business analysis skills. And if you are looking to build a career as a business analysts, you want to ensure that your effort is spent performing those tasks related to business analysis. A good motivation to keep your experience in alignment with the business analysis standards is to look at the CBAP® (Certified Business Analysis Professional) application process.

Are you currently looking to break into the Business Analysis career?

Do you know anyone who is interested in becoming a Business Analyst?

On the second Tuesday of every month, Laura has a webinar talking about the BA career. I’ve always wanted to participate but due to lack of time, it’s been a challenge. This month, however, I was able to join and thought the topic was very appropriate for this month as I am getting ready to send out Chapter's door prize gifts.

Typically, Laura answers questions regarding Business Analysts resume, how to move up the BA career ladder, what are managers looking for in a BA… etc And this month, along with answering those questions, she talked about the benefits of being involved in the IIBA® chapters. She told the story of a lady who provided her time to volunteer in the definition and documentation of a process for her local chapter. After working with her, Laura was able to recommend her for a job that she had heard of later on.

After I received my CBAP® designation, it became easier for me to articulate the tasks and techniques of business analysis that I was proficient in. But even with the knowledge of the BABOK, I was never truly able to put my hands on what it takes to become a better Business Analyst until I read "The Promotable Business Analyst" by Laura Brandenburg.

All I can say is "WOW". Laura did a phenomenal job with breaking down all aspects of our profession. This allows more business analysts to better understand the profession and begin their journey towards making it better.