BPB LLC BLOG: February 2015

Hello, This is a guest Blog from my associate Walidah Yaminah who has created a successful career in BA and this is how she did it!

Ever wonder what exactly a Business Analyst does? How can i get started down that career path to perform tasks that have a big impact across many industries!

If you research the phenomenon of growth in this field there is no one way someone has become a business analyst.

My path towards business analysis began with my inquisitive nature in how "stuff" works in information technology within the banking industry. I wanted to know how our Asset/Liability manager pulled stock information from Bloomberg terminal onto an excel spreadsheet to then determine what was a good mix of investments for the bank.

With just a click of a button, he would then push those figures to a database used for further executive level reporting.

I fearlessly asked why whenever I could to question if we were doing things because that's how they've always been done and was there a better more efficient way to complete a task.

I started as an Administrative Assistant to the Treasurer at the bank, then I jumped over to the Help Desk to really get into IT. From there I wanted to know all things technology related from how the applications we supported worked to the installation of desktops/servers/network printers etc.

While learning how software/hardware worked I also learned that the projects had to be approved and a plan had to be discussed with many departments before we could move forward. With learning project planning I learned there were many moving pieces that had to be scrutinized to be sure they make fiscal sense and the least amount of disruption to the company to be beneficial.

This is when I learned of the career path to Business Analysis. I learned how to perform cost/benefit analysis when selecting software for conversions or upgrades. I learned how to get buyin and executive sponsorship for a projects success.

I attended college and continued educating myself on the tools needed to move into this role. Learning the principles of project management through company sponsored training courses and reading up on PM book of knowledge best practices helped tremendously with moving into my next position as an Application Support Analyst and eventual promotion to Business Analyst at a large Asset/Wealth Management and brokerage firm.

Along the way I had great examples to follow of more experienced colleagues who made themselves available to help me with learning the skills to be a successful Business Analyst and offered the needed tools to help me build a body of knowledge to assist clients no matter the industry. I've supported small business owners with the knowledge I've gained from supporting large corporate firms.
The path to being a Business Analyst can begin wherever you are today. Start researching by googling job postings to get an idea of how your work experience may fall into step with what's required.
Also sites like ModernAnalyst.com can be a valuable resource on the latest trends and best practices for BA's.

Walidah Yaminah
akilahyaminah@yahoo.com

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